Feed With Love and Respect Blog Carnival – 2010

Welcome to the second of the 2010 Attachment Parenting International Blog Carnivals. Today’s carnival focuses on the 1st Principle of Parenting – Feed With Love and Respect.

Here is an excerpt from the 1st Principle:

Feeding a child involves more than providing nutrients; it is an act of love. Whether providing for the very intense hunger needs of a newborn, or serving meals at the family dinner table, parents can use feeding time as an opportunity to strengthen their bonds with their children.

Below is an excerpt from each contributor as well as a link to read the post in its entirety. If you didn’t get a chance to participate this month, join us next month as we celebrate API’s 3rd Principle of Parenting – Respond With Sensitivity. The submission deadline is April 9. Click to find out more about participating in on of API’s monthly parenting blog carnivals.

Without further ado, here’s how other attachment parenting families Feed With Love and Respect. Please note that these links will open in a new window.

Love – The Secret Ingredient For Healthy Self-Esteem

In my house, like the maternal figures who came before me, I mindfully love my children through the language of food.* Special occasions especially provide a wonderful opportunity for me to go all out. New baby on its way while I’m in labour? No problem, just pass me the flour and let’s make a welcoming cake! And what better way to show love to a new arrival but with the milk that flows from our breasts.

How to teach your children healthy eating habits in 10 simple steps

A lot of people struggle with teaching their kids how to eat healthy and stay away from salty, fatty and sweet snacks. Teaching them a healthy eating pattern shouldn’t be very difficult if you respect of the following set of simple rules.

Feeding and Eating With Love and Respect

For me, feeding Baby with love and respect has meant drastically changing my diet. It seems to be common knowledge in the breastfeeding community that a few foods, like broccoli and chocolate, can sometimes cause gassiness and fussiness in babies (Although many breastfeeding websites, including La Leche League, dispute even that, as seen here.) But as my baby and I learned the hard way, there are many, many foods that can bother the sensitive tummy of a baby.

The Power of the Breast

Those of us that choose to breastfeed to do for a variety of reasons… because we know it is healthiest for both ourselves and our babes, because it’s free and convenient. Most of us continue to breastfeed, though, because of the amazing bond that it creates.

Respect and Trust the Fussy Eater

Having a fussy eater in the family can be the cause of much anxiety and tension. Young children, by nature, tend to be picky about their food. It seems that they love to turn their noses up at the meals over which we labour all day to serve them.

I nurse my children…

I’m a low supply mom, and as such, I don’t make enough milk for my children. We knew this was a possibility before our first child was born, but that didn’t make it feel any less devastating to me when it was confirmed. I wanted to breastfeed my children.

When Toddlers’ need R.E.S.P.E.C.T

The time my midwife handed me my baby wrapped in towels for her very first introduction to her mommy’s milk, I thought “this is going to be a breeze!” The next morning, I was in tears. I was up all night with my ribs feeling like they were caving in and by morning, I was no longer fitting in the one blouse I had brought with me.

Overcoming Challenges to Build a Strong Breastfeeding Relationship

I had a lot of struggles breastfeeding Zoë. I talk a little bit about it here and here. Even with all of the struggles and frustration, we made it to 13 months because I took the time to work through the issues because it was important to me.

Breastfeeding Against Medical Advice

Last week I was told by my daughter’s pediatrician to stop breastfeeding. Brianna is already on the lean side and had lost a little weight. “You need to stop nursing her. You are keeping her from being hungry for other foods. It is best if you just stop cold turkey – that will be easiest,” she said.

Feeding Sadie with love and respect

Following the principle, Feeding with Love and Respect, has been pretty straightforward so far. I first typed “easy,” but then I remembered it took us 12 weeks (!) to get into the swing of breastfeeding, so I had to retract that statement.

Yummies for Aiden’s Tummy

From the moment I learned of my pregnancy with Aiden, I became super careful of what I put into my body. I drank so much water and when I did occasionally have a soda it was a Hansen’s and not a Pepsi. I added more fresh fruits and vegetables to my diet and cut out red meat completely

Attachment Parenting Carnival: Feed Me

During my pregnancy, like many other mothers I did as much research as I possibly could and wanted to be sure that my husband and I were making the best decisions not only for us but of course for the baby.

Feeding with respect: Stopping when they’re full

Let your children decide how much they want to eat. That’s my advice. As a caveat right off, it might not be applicable in certain instances. I can think of several medical conditions off the top of my head where following my advice might be dangerous, and I can think of situations where older children, not raised with such freedom, might abuse it.

How to Set Up a Food Tree

Food trees are a way of providing a person or family with food when they could most use some help, like when a new baby enters the family or someone has surgery, a death or any other kind of need.

Dinner Time

One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting at the dinner table with my family. We almost always ate together and often spent quite a while sitting at the table talking together after. I was in high school before I found out how rare family dinner time is in many homes.

Feeding My Family with Love and Respect

During this chapter of early parenting years, I personally feel a great sense of my own femininity when nurturing my children with their daily sustenance. I feel connected to all other mothers in the world through this practice — including animals — especially birds for some reason. Funny that one of my 20-something nicknames was “Monnie Bird.”

Feeding With Love (An API Blog Carnival Entry)

When your baby is born, one of the first things you do is hold her, comfort her, and then feed her.

Feed with Love and Respect at Any Age – Attachment Parenting Carnival

Dylan is just over 2 and is still breastfeeding. It’s not that often anymore – in the morning, before naptime on days I’m not at work, before bedtime and sometimes at night. OK…so maybe that seems like a lot – but it’s nothing compared to the every hour on the hour schedule we used to be on!

Author: API Blog

APtly Said, Formerly API Speaks launched in April of 2008 as part of Attachment Parenting International's larger effort to offer interactive content through their newly-redesigned web site: http://www.attachmentparenting.org. All contributors to APtly Said, as with so many of API's staff, are volunteers who donate their time and energy to promote Attachment Parenting world wide.

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