parenting

A 4-year-old’s smoothie recipe

November 8, 2011

Welcome to the November Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids in the Kitchen 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 kids get involved in cooking and feeding. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. *** When Connor came home from school the other day, he was set on having a smoothie. We had very little yogurt, no ice, no fresh fruit. But he was determined. I decided to...

Learning about the world around us

December 22, 2010

Connor and I recently watched a billboard ad being changed. He spotted the crane pulling the old one off as we left the chiropractor. I asked him if he wanted to stay and watch how they put the new one on. We stood in the entryway for 20 minutes watching. After the crane pulls the old sign off the billboard, it lifts up the new one, rolled around a tube, like a giant roll of wrapping paper. Two workers unroll the sign along the billboard. They insert metal rods in the edges, like inserting a curtain rod in a...

Attachment parenting … and nanny makes 3?

November 9, 2010

Welcome to the November Carnival of Natural Parenting: What is natural parenting? This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our Carnival coincides with the launch of Natural Parents Network, a community of parents and parents-to-be who practice or are interested in attachment parenting and natural family living. Join us at Natural Parents Network to be informed, empowered, and inspired! Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. *** When I went to work full time...

On Kindergarten, late buses and knowing what class you’re in

September 15, 2010

On Grace’s first day of school, I waited in our driveway for the bus to arrive. I went out there about 15 minutes after school let out. The midday bus is only for her half-day kindergarten class so I thought it wouldn’t take as long as the normal bus, which takes nearly a half-hour to arrive. (I didn’t know for sure because the school gives us no information whatsoever about the logistics of school.) After about a half-hour, I started to worry. I called the school, which confirmed that she got on the bus. The secretary called the person...

Tips for camping with a baby

June 8, 2010

Welcome to the June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor fun 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 their stories and tips for playing outside with kids. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. *** One of my favorite outdoor activities — with or without kids — is camping. I love everything about it. Unless it rains. I’m not a fan of rain. Our older two began camping when they were...

No rules without reason

May 11, 2010

Welcome to the May Carnival of Natural Parenting: Role model 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 waxed poetic about how their parenting has inspired others, or how others have inspired them. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. *** As you might remember, I sold my husband on the merits of cloth-diapers and bed-sharing. Now I want to sell him on gentle discipline. But it’s a lot more complicated and...

My first bottle snob – what to do?

March 23, 2010

The last few times Mark has taken care of Ellie while I’m gone, she has refused to take a bottle. I had thought maybe she just wasn’t really hungry. Maybe she was crying because she was tired and Mark interpreted it as hunger She has taken a bottle for a couple of sitters without a problem. But the other day, I ran to the store. Mark called saying she wouldn’t stop crying and wouldn’t take a bottle of breastmilk so he tried a bottle of formula and she wouldn’t take that either. I came home and she latched on...

Accept help. Then ask for help.

February 10, 2010

It takes a village. Say what you will about Hillary Clinton, she is right about this. It does take a village to raise a child. I think a large flaw in today’s society is the fact that we don’t raise children this way. Parents are largely left on their own to sink or swim, making life harder for them and their children and by extension, the whole society. Many of us, me included, are fortunate to have helpful families and/or friends but some are not. And even us fortunate ones struggle to ask for or accept help, even if...

Natural parenting converts

February 9, 2010

Welcome to the February Carnival of Natural Parenting: Love and partners! This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month we’re writing about how a co-parent has or has not supported us in our dedication to natural parenting. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. ****** We’ve been doing a lot of things differently with the third baby. I don’t know if it’s because I am home full time or because I’m more confident in my...

Time for “Time-In”

January 14, 2010

I finished reading Time-In: When Time-Out Doesn’t Work, and I want to share what I found to be the important points for our family. Here is the premise: “Time-In is a practical process that teaches children how to be competent, to think, and to succeed. It uses four tools, Ask, Act, Attend, and Amend, which fit together like interchangeable puzzle pieces. Time-In addresses discipline and misbehavior while strengthening the connection the child has with the parent or teacher.” The four basic steps are: Stop the unwanted behavior Ask yourself, “What does the child need to learn about this?” Use one or...

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