Imagine you are married with 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. One night your spouse asks you, “Hey honey, can Spot sleep in our room tonight, he gets too cold sleeping outside?” You think to yourself, I don’t really want an 80-pound dog sleeping in our bed, but you don’t want to upset your partner, so you agree.

“Attachment” has become somewhat of a buzzword that is often misunderstood and misused in the parenting world. I work with parents and young children in therapy around issues with attachment, and I find that most people want some clarification on what attachment is and what I’m looking for in the relationship.