Love, Respect, and Boundaries What are the origins of your concepts of love and respect? Can you separate the way you desire to parent from unhelpful past models? Much of traditional parenting rests on a hierarchy of power and control. Love is a reward, based on meeting certain conditions. Respect is born of fear. If children fear their parents, they
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Educating Our Kids Consciously parenting runs through all areas of life, including learning environments. Instead of pushing through life, rolling over and shutting down emotional responses – both in ourselves and with our children – consciously parenting takes a different route. Children’s emotions are allowed, valued, and approached with care. The totality of each individual’s temperament and perspective is welcomed
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Educating Our Kids How do you know when it’s time to leap into the unknown and take a new educational path? Can happiness really be the touchstone we turn to when making family decisions? Most of us grew up without the opportunity to choose our own educational path. Once on a particular path, our culture promotes commitment and follow through.
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Educating Our Kids What did school look like when you were growing up? If you’re like most, you probably went to either a public or private school and you probably had no input into that decision. With the current school climate of testing and lots of homework, many families are really looking at what makes the most sense for their
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Attachment and Healthy Development What is a “normal parent”? Can conscious parents look to others in our culture for attached parent models? Studies are showing the number of children experiencing healthy emotional attachment are “abysmally low” for a modern and “advanced” society. Is parenting keeping pace with progress? Parents today need courage to step away from the mainstream practices that
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Attachment and Healthy Development Maybe you’ve seen the articles and memes, or heard the jokes that portray attachment parenting as extreme, unattainable, and actually harmful to the parents that attempt it. Is attachment parenting realistic? Is it desirable? Is it only for privileged parents? Or is it attainable for all? Must we meet the many “requirements” of attachment parenting for
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Attachment and Healthy Development When I had my first child, I had been studying attachment theory (John Bowlby) and wanted to create a relationship with my child that created a secure base for him. I found attachment parenting and wondered if it would create the “secure attachment” I wanted my son to have – the kind of attachment that would allow
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When my son was about 4, I was truly at a cross-road. I wanted to parent with love and respect, but I found myself using punishment to try to change his behaviors. I realized in that process that I didn’t want to hurt my child to teach him how to behave. I didn’t want to deal with him harshly. In
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Finding Our Own Edges We’ve been talking about boundaries – finding them within ourselves and with others outside of our families. Many of the parents I talk to who have trouble with the metaphorical “Uncle Bob” also have a challenge setting boundaries with their own kids. Today’s episode, Christy Farr and Rebecca Thompson Hitt talk about what healthy, respectful and
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Finding Our Own Edges We’ve all had those moments when we’re just not sure how to handle something from a relative or other person outside the family. Maybe it’s your mother-in-law who just doesn’t understand why your family is vegetarian and keeps feeding your child chicken every time you’re away. Or maybe they’re putting down your parenting in front of
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