What is Attachment Parenting?

Originally posted January 2016 (update at bottom)

Dear New Attachment Parenting Mother,

My youngest attachment-parented kid of 5 children has been sleeping around.

Around the house.

And I want you to know that this is going to happen to you someday, at your house. Tell your husband this is going to happen and have him read this. But you only need to show him this if he is a naysayer and thinks your baby or toddler who is sleeping in your bed and is attached to your breast nonstop is soon going to be a teenager who still sleeps in the shape of an X in between the two of you. You might also want to send this link to your mom, mother-in-law, sister, neighbor, and/or friend who think you are hurting your kid by sleeping with him.

We started attachment parenting in 2001 with our first kid. I say "we" because my husband was supportive and that is VERY important. Having a kid really tries a marriage and being on the same page with anyone about anything most of the time is hard, let alone when you are dealing with an extra human life in your house that is so very easy to mess up. (aren't we all messed up a little bit, in some way? nobody gets out totally healthy)

Check out this little thing I wrote back in 2012 about the Attachment Parenting Debate.

Parenting Writers: Learn How to Sell Your Regional Parenting Magazine Articles as Reprints

Want to write parenting and family articles and get paid for it? Have you already written for your local parenting/family magazine and think you don't own the rights to your article?

I know there are a lot of parents out there doing the difficult but rewarding job of parenting every day and thinking, "I should write about this. I wonder if others struggle with this. I could help someone with my story or with a researched article about this topic."

I had those same thoughts back in 2005-ish when I had my third baby and was in the trenches of parenting. I checked into my local parenting magazine, Kansas City Parent, sent something to them about stocking up on meals instead of going grocery shopping daily, and I made a fast 25 bucks.

Then I wondered if I could maybe send the same piece to other magazines in other cities. Did they only want local content or would they take my little evergreen piece?

So I hit the ground running and created a career out of selling parenting and family magazine reprints to local magazines all over the world.

Lightbulb moment: Even if your local magazine assigned an article to you to write for them, you still own that article and you are free to sell it as a reprint anywhere else you like, as long as you didn't sign a contract giving away the rights. (and if you did that, you should have gotten at least $500 for the article, not $25-100).

Great Tips for Parenting and ADHD

A child suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD) might be quite difficult to parent. These children are normally in a constant state of activity and may have trouble understanding important directions. 

Such a kid may be a challenge to his/her parents. In fact, the parents may have to change their home lifestyle a bit to help the child. Here are some important things that you can do to help a child suffering from ADHD/ADD. 

Organize your home schedule

Make sure that you set up specific times for waking up, brushing your teeth, washing, eating, playing, doing the house chores, doing homework, playing video games, watching TV, and going to bed. Write this schedule on a piece of paper and hang it where your child can see it. If your kid cannot read as yet, you may use symbols or drawings to show the activities to your child. If there are any changes, you should inform the kid in advance. Make sure the child understands such changes. 

World Breastfeeding Week August 2023 #WBW

August 1st through August 7th is 2023's World Breastfeeding Week. And here's my post about the attachment parenting debate.

#WBW2023 will focus on breastfeeding and employment/work. It will showcase the impact of paid leave, workplace support, and emerging parenting norms on breastfeeding through the lens of parents themselves. Target audiences including governments, policymakers, workplaces, communities, and parents will be engaged to play their critical roles in empowering families and sustaining breastfeeding-friendly environments in the post-pandemic work life. The theme is aligned with thematic area 4 of the WBW-SDG 2030 campaign.

Check out my post called What is Attachment Parenting?

and

The Attachment Parenting Debate: Mom of Five Weighs In

Approaching the Concept of Death with Your Children

You never really thought about the process of talking about death with your children before. The idea of discussing serious topics can feel slightly daunting especially when you have very young ones who are quite impressionable. When it comes to dealing with the loss of a loved one you need to be honest with your little ones and talk about what has happened. Although there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do, it’s important to keep an open mind about talking about death. Consider some of the following methods to make the process slightly easier on yourself and your children.

Use Clear and Age-Appropriate Language

When it comes to talking about death with your little ones, it’s important to use language that is appropriate for their age category. Many parents worry that they have to use flowery, mythical language in order to soften the blow for their children. However, it is very important to use clear turns of phrase when discussing death, such as “they are gone,” “they have died” and “we won’t see them again”. This type of language may seem harsh, but children need to be told clearly otherwise they may get confused.

Look Into Memorabilia

There are many beautiful ways to remember a lost loved one, so you may want to involve your children in this process. Hilton Funeral Supply has a whole host of products, keepsakes and stationery to choose from if you’re planning a memorial service or looking to remember a loved one in a special way. Getting your child involved in this sort of activity can help to solidify what has happened and it gives them a positive thing to focus on during this difficult time.

How to Encourage Your Children to Try New Foods

It is safe to say that as a parent, you have had to endure the stress of trying to introduce your little one to new foods. Getting your child to try new foods can frustrate both you and your child. You want your child to have a healthy diet; however, for your child, the thought of trying something new and unfamiliar triggers their fear responses, causing them to refuse these foods. This leaves parents in a predicament about introducing these new foods to their children. If you're trying to figure this out, you're in the right place. Here are three practical and effective ways to encourage your children to try new foods.

Let them join you in the kitchen

There are several benefits of letting your children join you in the kitchen. For instance, you bond with them and teach them healthier eating habits. Cooking with your children also encourages adventurous eating. As your children participate in preparing meals, they are exposed to new foods in a positive light. This encourages them to try it! As mentioned earlier, children usually refuse new foods because they are unfamiliar. Helping you prepare the meals fosters some familiarity and makes them more comfortable. When your child begins to engage in adventurous eating, encourage them to use their other senses, such as feel and smell, to further explore and familiarize themselves with them. 

Cultivating Healthy Social Skill Development in Children

 Social skills are fundamental for success in life. Being able to interact with others, form relationships and communicate effectively are critical for both personal and professional accomplishment. Parents have a responsibility to inculcate healthy social skill development in their children from an early age; here are four tips on how to do just that!

via Pexels

1) Demonstrate Positive Behavior

Modeling positive behavior is an integral part of teaching children how to interact with others in a healthy manner. As parents, we should strive to exhibit respect, empathy and kindness when speaking to our kids as well as other people. We can role model good listening by actively participating in conversations with our kids and responding thoughtfully. Moreover, we should remember to express appreciation for their efforts, offer support when needed and give honest feedback when necessary.

Tips For Managing Your Kids' Behavior

 Photo by Josh Willink from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-brown-baby-carrier-and-little-kid-in-white-jacket-701014/ 

Having children is one of the best things you will ever do in your life. It is so rewarding and having your own beautiful family is just a magical experience that you’ll never forget. Yet while it is rewarding, it is also challenging, particularly if your little one is going through a stage where their behavior changes and they’re not as good as they were. All children can have stages like this and it is totally normal, however, you need to try and nip it in the bud if it is happening over a prolonged period of time and just not getting better. If you are looking for some ways to help manage your kids' behavior, we have put together some top tips below that should hopefully help you get them back to their usual selves in no time at all.

Offer rewards for good behavior

When it comes to managing your kids' behavior, one of the things you can do is to offer rewards for them to aim for. By having a target to achieve, it can incentivize them to re-think their behavior and perhaps not act out if they were going to otherwise. There are many ways you can implement these rewards, for example, you could have a rewards chart whereby when they are well-behaved or do certain chores, they get to tick boxes off. Once they have a certain number ticked, they will get a reward. If they act up, they can lose boxes and their rewards will be taken away. By showing the consequences of their actions and what they can receive if they behave well, they should respond accordingly and try to behave or alter their behavior accordingly.

New Parent? Staying Calm During Your Baby's First Weeks

 It’s common for new parents to think the worst whenever something unusual happens. You want to do the best for your baby, and protect them as well as you can, and that can cause a panic from time to time! But staying calm during the first weeks of your baby’s life will help to set you up for the future. 

You’ll be far more resilient and calm in the face of crisis, and that’s often the best way to deal with those newborn blues! So without further ado, here are some tips for helping beat back that anxiety, to ensure you can think rationally whenever you need to. 

Pexels Image - CC0 Licence

Talk to a Doctor

In the first few weeks of life, you’ll have to take your baby along to a variety of appointments. Catch-ups with midwives, checkups with doctors, and soon you’ll start thinking about vaccinations too. And this is good! It’s a chance for medical professionals to investigate the way your baby is behaving and developing, and catch worrying signs as early on as possible. 

How to Know Your Child Needs Speech Therapy

 

Photo by Magda Ehlers

As a homeschooling parent, you want to know that your child is hitting the right development milestones. When your child fails to meet these milestones they can cause a lot of concern and worry. 

If you notice that your child is not communicating as effectively as other children their age it may be that they need pediatric speech therapy. Here are some signs that your child may need help with their speech. 

Lack of Babbling

You may start noticing problems with speech from a very young age. Once your child is a few months old they should start making babbling sounds. 

If your child is very quiet between the age of 6 months to 9 months old and they're not trying to babble or make some form of sound there is likely a problem. You can discuss it with your pediatrician and they will know whether or not you need to find someone who specializes in speech therapy for kids.

How to Raise Your Kids in a Healthier Way

 As a parent, you’ll want to do everything possible to raise your kids in the healthiest way possible; there’s no doubt about that. It’s the task that every good parent sets for themselves. But it’s not always easy to make healthy decisions and to know exactly what your kids need, but we’ve got some ideas to talk about today that should help you to stay on the right track. So read on now and find out more.

Set Boundaries for Screen Time

It’s a good idea to stay on top of screen time from a young age. Of course, watching TV and playing video games aren’t bad in themselves. But when they’re doing things at the expense of getting outdoors and doing healthy and active things, that’s when it becomes a problem. Boundaries and limits on screen time can help prevent that from becoming a problem.

Make Outdoor Activities Normal

Getting outdoors and doing things that enable you and the kids to be active and also connect with nature can only be positive. It’s something that you should work hard to normalize because for many kids and their parents, getting outside and enjoying nature is not something that’s normal or part of their regular routines at all.

Dealing With Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy

Right, Joel at his 16th birthday party in 2017, giving his brother Michael a big hug. When I was pregnant with him I had gestational diabetes. I did not have it again with any of my following four pregnancies. I was scheduled to be induced with Joel but went into labor naturally the night before.

Gestational diabetes is incredibly common in the United States, affecting around 16% of all pregnant mothers. Contrary to popular belief, this condition isn’t necessarily born out of a poor diet or being overweight. Statistics show that only around half of affected women carry excess pounds, with many being predisposed to diabetes because of genetics, age or other factors.

Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes can be upsetting, but it’s important to remember that while it should be taken seriously, this condition is entirely treatable. Here are four tips to help you get through your diagnosis and ensure a healthy, happy pregnancy.

Helping Your Kids To Take Great Care Of Their Teeth

 It’s absolutely vital that you can take the opportunity to encourage your children to look after their teeth, as great oral health starts early on. Fortunately it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially expect to help your kids to take great care of their teeth, as this handy guide contains some of the most effective steps that you can follow to ensure they can maintain the most perfect pearly whites for years to come! So, if you’re ready to learn more, then simply read on. 

Image Source - Pexels 

Make Sure They Brush Twice Daily 

One of the most important steps that you need to follow to ensure your children can maintain the best oral health is to make them brush their teeth twice a day. The first time they should brush their teeth is after breakfast, and the last time they should brush their teeth is right before bed. Make sure that they brush thoroughly using a circular motion for at least 2 minutes, and don’t be afraid to step in and offer a helping hand when they aren’t quite getting things right. Practice makes perfect but it can certainly be of benefit if they have a parent to show them the ropes! It can be a good idea to brush your teeth at the same time as your kids when they are in their younger years, as this way they can follow your movements and perform the same actions. 

9 Ways To Keep Your Kids Entertained Without Technology

 There's no doubt that technology can be a great way to entertain kids. But it's not the only way. If you're looking for ways to keep your kids entertained without resorting to screens, there are plenty of options.

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Here are just a few:

1. Get them moving with active games.

Games that get kids up and moving are a great way to burn off energy and have fun at the same time. Try classics like hopscotch, tag, or hide-and-seek, or get creative and make up your own rules. Just make sure everyone is having fun and staying safe.

2. Engage their senses with art and music.

Kids love getting their hands dirty, and there are tons of ways to do art and crafts without screens. From simple coloring pages to painting and modeling clay, there are endless possibilities for creative fun. And don't forget about music! Listening to or making music is a great way to relax and have fun.

Teaching Kids the Value of Online Privacy

 As we move deeper and deeper into the digital world, all children around the world are having to grow up with an even more nuanced sense of computer literacy. And as a parent, that’s something you want to encourage! 

We all know the internet can be a dangerous place to be, and you want your kids to be able to identify and avoid the people and websites that potentially mean them harm. And to better do that, they need to know the value of privacy from a young age. As soon as they're old enough to use a phone or a computer, they should know how to stay private in the online world. 

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Privacy is Important for Their Future

The more private they are, the less there is a future prospect who can find out about them. A lot of the time a person can be denied a job because of something they’ve tweeted in the past, or a picture on their Facebook, and that can be a scary thought for a parent. 

Things You Should Do With Your Children at Least Once

 Every single parent wants to stay and play with their children. It’s like a rule that once you’ve done the hard work at school and at work all week, the fun part comes at the weekend when your kids can do coloring with you and build clay and PlayDoh and get messy in the puddles outside. Parents get a wonderful relationship with their children, but that only comes when it’s built on fun as much as parenting. It’s a very precious and exciting time for anybody who has children, and those moments are those that will carry you through to old age. 

During the pandemic, many parents stepped up to help their children learn in new ways. No one knew the depths of home education and all of the stress that comes with it. Lots of parents still had to work from home, but children also needed to participate in home education and parents got the chance to see the joys of learning. Plenty of parents got sucked down into doing follow directions coloring page options, they got involved with science projects, some math projects, some even helped their children to learn on Zoom – which is quite a feat given that most parents have no idea what Zoom is!

There are plenty of things at once you do with children at least once in life, but the fun stuff often gets left by the wayside because life gets in the way! Those parents and children relationships, however, have built very well over the pandemic. Being able to spend time with your children at a very stressful time of life can bring you closer together. It can also make you think about what other things you could be doing with your children, so we put together a list of things that you should do with your children at least once in life.

Image source: Pexels

• Read together. As a parent, you might not have to do the whole thing on top of having a full day of work before you come home and deal with your children when your brain it’s just too burnt out for it. All of the times you may have missed out on reading a story with your children when they were babies can be replaced now with your older children. If you have already quit your job to raise the kids, you’re going to have the time to be able to sit with them and laugh with them and do the voices of all the characters, and pull one of the childhood classics down for some bedtime reading. From The Secret Garden to Harry Potter, these literary staples and the cast of characters can be passed down from generation to generation. You could even make buying books something that you do every time you go home so that they can build their own mini library.

• Teach them about your family. Your children are likely going to be more than 20 years younger than you are. That means there are whole branches of the family tree they may not know. There may be your brothers, your sisters, your parents, your own grandparents who are their great grandparents that need to come out of the woodwork and you can teach them all about where they come from. Bringing out the old family photos and home movies is wonderful, but you can also snuggle down together and talk about old family anecdotes. Show them what you were like as children, and show them the fun things you used to do when you were a young one. It’s a wonderful way to pass on some family knowledge and show the children but they have come from a long line of people who love them.

• Teach them to cook. The chances are that you have loved to follow a recipe passed down by your parents over the years, because all of the things that you know how to cook are done by learning from generations before you. Now is your chance to pass down a little bit of your family legacy. When you have children, you might have taught them to cook when they were teenagers and now it’s your turn to teach your children to cook. That perfectly flaky pie crust or the amazing sponge cake that you know how to cook that everybody wishes to have the recipe for, you can get busy in the kitchen with your children and teach them how to do it. You could teach your children how to make a roast dinner, with a perfectly crispy roast bird and beautifully roasted vegetables. They can then cook recipes with their own children one day or just cook for themselves and their friends. It’s a little piece of you that they carry on.

Image source: Pexels

• Take them on vacation. Do you remember those early days of raising your children and not having any help? Do you remember the endless nights of wake-ups and broken sleep and crying into your own pillow because you were just so exhausted, but you didn’t have a village to lean on? Now is the time to get that fun back. Take your children and have a vacation together. Feel childlike again and head to Disney World, or go to Sea World or the San Diego Zoo. Have the children stay with you in a fun hotel or a camping setup.

• Get stuck into the arts and crafts. When was the last time you got to make plasticine people? When was the last time you had fun making artwork? Children give you the chance to reach into your inner child and get messy again! It’s a wonderful way to spend time and you get to have so much fun!

• Ask them what they love to do and do it. If your kids want to make slime, then you can get stuck in and make slime with them. Make their day and do something that they love with them and show them your interest.

How to Choose Toys for Toddlers

Children learn by doing as they explore the world around them. By taking part in play, your child will have the opportunity to evolve and improve her skills at her own pace while following her own unique interests. Playthings and toys that a child has available to them can play a pivotal role in shaping their development.

Choosing toys for a toddler may seem as easy as 1-2-3. In reality, it's not as easy as it seems, while walking into a toy store nowadays, the only thing that's easier is feeling overwhelmed and disoriented. Toddlers have a wide selection of toys available. Which ones are best for your child? Where can you find high-quality toys? Can you think of anything that will keep your child's interest for a longer period of time? Well, top-quality toystores, such as Loomey’s Toys, are your answer! 

An Overview of the Roles of an Au Pair

When you hire an Au Pair, they'll work with you and your children. Their primary responsibilities are waking your child up for school, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding them breakfast. In addition, they'll prepare their lunch and transport them to school. Before leaving, you should review your child's morning routine and ensure they're appropriately dressed. You'll also check their breakfast cereal and school bag and pack a healthy lunch. Check out Go au pair to learn more about Au Pair roles.

They help with childcare

Although au pairs are not trained nannies, they are well-suited to childcare. Many governments require that they undergo a rigorous screening process. Au pairs will be interviewed by a professional who will assess their suitability. They may also be required to have background checks and first-aid certificates. Before, au pairs worked in homes of the upper and middle classes as domestic servants. However, social changes have made this system unavailable for most middle-class parents. In addition, the number of middle-class girls seeking employment has risen significantly, as have their educational goals. With this in mind, hiring foreign-born children to help with childcare became a common practice. Au pairs help with childcare by helping to educate children in English or another foreign language.

The Biggest Financial Decisions Parents Need to Make

 No one ever said that being a parent was easy. Not only do you have to worry about the day-to-day care of your child, but you also have to think about their future. One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to make sure that your child is financially secure. There are a lot of financial decisions that parents need to make, but we've compiled a list of the five most important ones. By taking care of these key areas, you can ensure that your child will be on solid footing when they enter adulthood.

Photo by Jessica Rockowitz on Unsplash

Estate Planning 

The first decision on our list is estate planning. This may not seem like something that's relevant to you if you're young, but it's actually one of the most important things you can do for your family. By putting together a solid estate plan, you can make sure that your assets are protected and that your loved ones are taken care of financially if something happens to you.

Allowing Kids to Engage More Successfully with Peers

 

One of the most important things we can do as adults to help develop our kids' interpersonal skills and increase their chances of success in life is to help them learn how to build and maintain relationships with others. However, sometimes we don't think about all the skills they need to learn for this process to be successful. 

Here are the three critical skills that parents can help prepare their children to be more successful in peer relationships: