Q&A’s on Attachment Parenting with the Authors of ATTACHED AT THE HEART: Eight Proven Parenting Principles For Raising Connected And Compassionate Children

Q: What is Attachment Parenting (AP)?

A: Attachment parenting is based on the principles of attachment theory in developmental psychology. According to attachment theory, children are born with the intrinsic expectation of forming a strong emotional bond, secure attachment, with a primary caregiver during childhood.

Without secure attachment there can be lifelong negative consequences from poor behavior and failure in school to violence. Sensitive and emotionally available parenting helps a child to form a secure attachment which fosters a child’s emotional development and well-being. Principles of attachment parenting aim to increase development of a child’s secure attachment and decrease insecure attachment. In many ways it is the practical application of attachment theory. […]

Taking a Deep Look At Ourselves

Melissa Lapides, MA MFT

In any healthy relationship there is a need to be consistently looking at what we, as individuals, are bringing into the relationship- both good and bad. Relationships need nurturing in order to grow and evolve. It is much like a plant. Without proper care, it cannot thrive. I tell clients all the time that relationships will not evolve without effort. It takes consistent, active participation. The relationship with our children is no exception. […]

Mothering Thoughts From Some Midlife Mothers…..(In Celebration of Mother’s Day)

“Truly, in many ways, my (adult) life began with the arrival of my children. As the days move forward, I beam with joy at their growth and my seemingly endless amount of love for them. I love to be a mother and experience the various stages of their lives. Mom after mom has shared the joy they feel when they hear the words “Mom” uttered, and recognize that it’s meant for them. In this case, it’s meant for me, too!”

“As the parent of a special needs child, I wish for my child to live a happy long life and for me to live one day more…”

“The books, blogs, notes…..friends who mean well don’t tell you to what depth your Heart will break wide open with Love and Gratitude when you hold your precious one to your Own Heart in the quiet mornings before the day begins. This “Grand Adventure” knocks my socks off and often my child’s, too! My heart reforms with each sigh, challenge and growth spurt…and we are only 15 months in!”

“All I gotta say is that it is a good thing I have one child who writes me notes like “You are the BMITW” (translation: best mom in the world) because the other two just seem to have forgotten that.”

“But, the luckiest part is motherhood, of course. If we’re lucky, we get to be mothers.”

“The average life expectancy for women in the U.S. is anywhere from 73.5 to 86 years of age. As the 48-year-old mother of a three-year-old, if I kick when I am 73.5, I’m going to be pissed.”

“I most definitely enjoy the extra special love and treatment on […]

Cyma Shapiro Interviews Elizabeth Benedict, Author of What My Mother Gave Me

Q: Mothering is a complex topic fraught with so many aspects and adjuncts. What was the impetus for writing this type of book?

A: Obsession is the impetus for most books, and this was no exception. The last gift my mother gave me was a beautiful black wool scarf with pastel embroidery – quite striking and gorgeous – that she’d bought from a holiday vendor at the assisted living place where she lived at the end of her life. I wore it for many years over the neck of my winter coat, and got compliments on it all the time, and was always asked where I got it. It was always hard to answer, both because I couldn’t direct anyone to a store, and because it came from my mother, with whom I’d had distant and fraught relationship.

After she died, I became silently obsessed with the scarf, and went into a panic when I thought I’d lost it. For years, I thought about what the scarf meant to me – that it kept me warm, that it stood for my mother, that we’d had this distant relationship. After a lifetime of not feeling close to her, I felt an intense attachment to the scarf. I eventually wondered if other women had such a gift from their mothers, a gift that opened the door to the whole relationship. I started asking writers, and the result has just been published. […]

Birthday Parties with Special Needs…

by Julia Garstecki

Raising a child with a special need certainly has its ups and downs. An impending birthday party, either for your child or a peer, can be a roller coaster ride of emotions for both you and your child. With creative planning and realistic expectations, your child can be a part of the fun.

If you are hosting….

Let your child guide the planning. What does your child like? What are they able to do? If your child doesn’t like chaos on a daily basis, they certainly won’t have fun with a house full of kids amped up on cake and ice-cream! You can still decorate and get a cake, even if there are only a few guests to make it special. […]

Priceless…

http://www.motherhoodwtf.com

I’m the mom who makes you feel better about your parenting.

Quote of the Day

www.angelasouthern.com

(Psssst: she makes cards for Trader Joe’s)

International Women’s Day (3/8/13)

Dear Reader: I can honestly say that if every woman around the world was given the gift of one day off, the result would be: Priceless.

http://www.internationa lwomensday.com/about.asp

Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: An Interview with Author Renee Peterson Trudeau

Q: Many of your book’s supporters — Harville Hendrix, Jennifer Louden, Vicki Abeles — talk about the timeliness of this book, which you stress in the introduction. Why is this?

A: Nurturing the Soul of Your Family was born from a movement I started in 2009 — inspired by my late father–called Live Inside Out. Live Inside Out challenges people to slow down and live more intentionally. More than ever, thousands of us are hitting the pause button and reflecting on what’s really important in life…Men and women — particularly parents — are doing more soul searching than we have in the past. We’re ready for a new way of being. We want our lives, careers and relationships to have more meaning, to be more personally fulfilling. We want to feel more connected — to ourselves, to those we love and to humanity. We want to align our actions with our core values. And, we’re desperately looking for teachings and tools to help us find this balance. Not in a “this would be nice” kind of way, but in an “I’m sick and tired” of feeling bad and having my sense of happiness come from “out there.” […]

Meditations for Mothers

by Rachel Snyder

Leap

Once you warm up with baby steps, you’re ready to take your next leap. Take a leap of faith and know you can make it. Decide to leap over tall buildings with a single bound. Close your eyes and open your own business. Take the leap! March yourself into the recovery center and tell them you’re ready to heal. Make your leap! Take a leap into a second marriage and take the kids with you. Leap off the edge of your personal zone of comfort and feel the feelings you’ve been stuffing for years. Tired of small-town living? Leap into something larger. Frustrated by fear in the city? Leap over the freeway and onto a farm. You’re ready for the big stage and you know it, so take your leap. You can’t keep playing small forever. Take your leap! Keep your eyes on the prize. Let your feet touch the skies. Take a hard running start. Now leap!

http://www.rachelsnyder.wordpress.com