American parents are running their children to and fro, frazzled themselves by the never-ending car pools and activities. The children, not knowing anything else, long for a simpler lifestyle, one in which they get to be children. It's true that our children benefit from varied experiences. Learning about how other people live and think gives... Continue Reading →
My children really wanted to plant something in our large pot and place it on the front porch. When plants began to go on clearance a little into the season, we started keeping an eye on them. When it seemed they had reached a low, I let my children pick out enough plants to properly... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the August Carnival of Natural Parenting: Creating With Kids This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how they make messes and masterpieces with children. Please read to the end to find a list... Continue Reading →
Photo by Justin LoweryI've often heard parents rationalizing punishments and rewards by citing the real world. When the kids grow up, they'll be in the real world. In the real world, they'll have to get a job and then, they had better be prepared. Punishments and rewards are everywhere, in the real world. This misses a... Continue Reading →
C.D. Shelton attempted to write an inspirational book for children with A Kid's Guide to Being a Winner. I can't help but feel that the author missed the mark with this. Certainly, concepts such as respect, thoughtfulness, gratitude, responsibility, and a positive attitude are beneficial to promoting a peaceful society. However, Shelton has focused on these principles... Continue Reading →
Behavioral training uses punishments and rewards in order to extract desired behaviors from the subject in question. Numerous studies support that the use of punishment in children, regardless of whether or not the punishment is physical in nature, has detrimental effects. Besides dissolving the connection between parent and child, punishments do not help the child to do better... Continue Reading →
It was one of those idealistic parenting moments. I was in the kitchen washing dishes, and all four of my children were happily playing together in the living room. The game of the moment was a pirate one, and there were plenty of giggles amidst the "Arghs." In one of my glances, I saw my eight... Continue Reading →
When my three year old recently asked for gum, I reminded him that "gum goes in your mouth or in the trash." We've had a few instances when gum has found its way to other places and he also has a tendency to to play with it. A little while later, as my husband and... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the April Carnival of Natural Parenting: Compassionate Advocacy This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared how they advocate for healthy, gentle parenting choices compassionately. Please read to the end to find a list... Continue Reading →
While viewing a lake at a local park, my children and I spotted something not too far off the shore, gasping. Just under the surface, I saw the signs of landscaping net, and I knew what had happened. Some of the landscape netting had made its way into the lake, where a poor, unsuspecting fish... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 