She dances in the sunlight, red highlights glinting from her hair. A smile emanates from her bright blue eyes and curving mouth. She is beautiful, this little girl from my womb, with her alabaster skin and long limbs. She plays hard, and her muscles strengthen each day. I watch her growing taller; some day... Continue Reading →
parent effectiveness training…
Dr. Thomas Gordon, a nobel peace prize nominee, was a pioneer in effective communication skills and conflict resolution. The licensed clinical psychologist wrote several books, numerous articles, and ran effective training courses to help individuals learn to better communicate and solve conflicts between one another. Gordon Model techniques are known world-wide. Gordon revolutionalized the world... Continue Reading →
focusing on our children…
This post is part of the 2010 API Principles of Parenting blog carnival, a series of monthly parenting blog carnivals, hosted by API Speaks. Learn more about attachment parenting by visiting the API website. My husband's grandmother was visiting last January. She had been staying with my in-laws, and my children and I drove 45... Continue Reading →
our second birth…
At 40 weeks, three days, I knew that we would have a baby the next day. Coincidentally, that was the exact same time I started labor with our first child. Knowing we wouldn't have much time to bake in the next weeks - something my son loved to do, we decided to make cookies. We made up... Continue Reading →
it’s not about you, it’s about me…
I often hear from AP (attachment parenting) parents that they feel judged by mainstream parents. It's as if the very fact that they have chosen different things for their family is an affront to those who have made more mainstream choices, regardless what those choices are or why they were made. It's a common complaint,... Continue Reading →
cultivating manners without being rude…
Before my husband and I were married, I was visting him at his parent's house for the weekend. We had just gotten back from playing roller hockey and his mother asked if I would like some water. I replied, "Yes, please! " When she handed it to me, I said, "I really appreciate it. It... Continue Reading →
self-defeating parenting behavior…
You've heard the phrase "Two wrongs don't make a right." This is especially true with parenting. Not only are certain behaviors self-defeating, but they increase the gap between us and our children rather than building connection so that we can help them. While threats may sometimes seem to work in the short term, they tend to... Continue Reading →
respectful parents, respectful kids…
Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids: 7 Keys to Turn Family Conflict Into Co-operation by Sura Hart and Victoria Hodson is an asset to any family striving to live in a consensual manner. The concepts and techniques in the book stay true to the concepts of nonviolent communication. Parents new to the idea of consensual living will find... Continue Reading →
don’t be a parent…
"Don't be a parent, be a human being who is a parent." - Dr. Haim Ginott At the same time, rather than viewing our children as children, we should view them as human beings who are children. When we view both ourselves and our children as people, it changes the perspective quite a bit. Our... Continue Reading →
our first birth…
We decided to go grocery shopping late Saturday night, as we knew the baby was going to come soon. While there, we ran into some friends and spoke to them for a while. It was during this time that contractions began. I was smiling inside, because finally this was it! I had started having contractions... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 