Your Blog Could Be Featured on API!

Open call for AP Month Carnival of Blog Submissions

Blog about your “support team” and join in the AP Month celebration as we round up the secrets of group support! We’ll be showcasing selected blog posts in our Blog Carnival in October so warm up your fingers and let us hear about ways social support (groups) have been beneficial to (or absent from) your parenting – and your sanity!  Ideas you might cover (but are not limited to):

  • ways you regularly rely on, access or wish to gain social support
  • ways you find social support to be stress reducing
  • benefits you’ve found from social support
  • surprising benefits
  • breakthrough moments
  • struggles getting regular support

 

Publish your post to your blog with the following text (including hyperlinks):

This post is part of the Attachment Parenting Month blog carnival, hosted by Attachment Parenting International.

3.  Kindly remove any promotional and advertisement features from your posts.

4.  Once your post is completed, submit a link to your submission via email toapispeaks@attachmentparenting.org with a short message that the post is part of the AP Month 2012 blog carnival.

Submissions will be accepted until September 15!

Please note that in order to participate in the AP Month 2012 blog carnival, the post must be published and publicly viewable.

If you do not have a blog, but would like to submit a guest post for AP Month, please emailapispeaks@attachmentparenting.org to make arrangements.

Check out AP Month! 

Blog Carnival: Attachment Parenting is for Everyone

attachment parenting

Time for some clarification and a reality check about why attachment parenting is for everyone!

Do AP parents work? Do AP parents get any sleep? Do they have sex? Do you have to practice all the principles to be AP? Isn’t AP just babywearing, breastfeeding and bedsharing? Do your children rule the home? Aren’t AP parents judgmental? Is the baby literally physically attached all the time? Do the children breastfeed until they’re 5, 6, 7…? Do Attachment Parents never go out or have personal time?

Interesting interpretations about Attachment Parenting are filling blog posts, news sites and comment threads. From professionals to media, it’s not just parents who are discussing Attachment Parenting. API responds here: What is Attachment Parenting?

The API Principles are written to be accessible to any parent and provide encouragement and support for parents to discover and practice relationship/learning-based discipline.  The research that supports the Principles has been shown to promote healthy parent-child relationships and positive child outcomes.

The parents out there living the Attachment Parenting lifestyle every day are in the best position to answer some of the big questions. We want you to clarify the misinterpretations and open up a real discussion.

Tell us what AP is like from your POV! API’s Eight Principles of Parenting stand as inclusive, broad guides to optimal development,  but we want to hear from attachment parents the diverse, real-life applications.  We believe that our stories are proof of the diversity of healthy parenting.  Tell us how you implement the API Principles in your family.

1. Submit a post that shares:

  • How one or more attachment parenting principles plays out in your family
  • How you came to attachment parenting
  • What are you most misunderstood for by those critical of your practice attachment parenting principles
  • What you wish for others to understand about the way you choose to parent
  • What can we, as those practicing AP, do better to increase understanding/decrease misunderstanding about attachment parenting

API subscribes to non-violent communication and urges posts to be expressive and authentic at the same time as being respectful and encouraging. Our mission is to inform and create awareness that AP is for everyone, that parents can find support and the resources to help them on their journey.

2. Publish a post on the above topic to your own blog with the following text (including hyperlinks):
This post is part of the Attachment Parenting is for Everyone blog carnival, hosted by Attachment Parenting International. Learn more by visiting API Speaks, the blog of Attachment Parenting International.

3. Once your post is completed, submit a link to your submission via email to webeditor@attachmentparenting.org with a short message that the post is part of the What Attachment Parenting is for Everyone Blog Carnival.

Submissions will be accepted until April 11!

Please note that in order to participate in the blog carnival, the post must be published and publicly viewable.

If you do not have a blog, but would like to submit a guest post for Attachment Parenting is for Everyone, please email webeditor@attachmentparenting.org to make arrangements.

Attachment Parenting Month 2011 Blog Carnival

The theme for Attachment Parenting Month 2011, Families at Play, inspired many of you to share your thoughts about what play means for you and your family. Check out these posts submitted to the AP Month 2011 Blog Carnival to see how important play is to other families.

I Will Not Have My Child to Raise Over Again at Poppies & Pencilshavings

Just a little reminder to myself that I cannot afford too many “maybe later’s,” or “not now’s.” I love my work, but I love my child more. I need money in the bank, but money cannot ensure my child’s happiness the way my love can.

The Blessing of a Bear Encounter at Every Breath I Take

The car seat has never qualified as a “happy place” for my daughter. At two years old, she has no problem letting me know that she isn’t interested in riding in it. She often slides out before I can even fasten her in. And a [fun-for-her] game of chase ensues inside the car.

Uncovering Hidden Feelings Through Play at High Needs Attachment

It wasn’t until becoming a parent that I saw more deeply the unique ability of play to tap into a young child’s inner life. Recently when engaged in imaginative play with my three-year old, he was having animals act out a scenario where they went to a local coffee shop and ordered blueberry bagels with butter and breakfast sandwiches with cheese.

The Meaning of Play at A Secure Base

For children, play comes naturally. Children can find play hiding in boxes, under trees, in mud pies, between mom’s never-to-be-worn-again dresses in the closet, and on top of the neighborhood’s tallest hill. Children need no reason or goal in their play. They just play because they want to and they can.

Que Juegos Podemos Jugar en Familia? at Esposa Perfect

“Cualquier tipo de juego que guste al niño, lo importante es que ambos disfruten de compartir ese momento, los niños se sentirán muy felices al jugar con sus padres y serán momentos que el niño jamás olvidará. Los juegos pueden utilizarse en las actividades cotidianas o en momentos dedicados exclusivamente para jugar.

Attachment Parenting Month: Families at Play at City Kids Homeschooling

We use the city as the backdrop for our family’s play, often taking advantage of its many playgrounds and museums and festivals, but also tapping into its capacity to trigger spontaneous, creative play.

Nothing Is Really Work Unless You Would Rather Be Doing Something Else* at Seventh Acre Heaven

This month is Attachment Parenting Month and to celebrate, API (Attachment Parenting International) has chosen a theme of “Families at Play.” At first I felt a huge guilt about this. My child often refuses to play.

Nurturing Parent-Child Relationships Through Play at The Hippie Housewife

When we talk about playing with our kids, the typical things usually come to mind: imaginative play (dinosaurs, cars, house), creative play (Lego, crafting, colouring), or board games (Candyland, Go Fish, Snakes & Ladders).

Playtime Grows Up

Young children play effortlessly. Kids are naturally predisposed to play, and it doesn’t take much to engage a child in a silly game or role-play. Through play, kids express feelings, needs, thoughts and ideas that they might not yet have the words to articulate. Playing together lets parents connect and communicate with kids beyond a conversation and provides insight into their world.

A Family that Plays Together Stays Together!

Last year, I gave my sweet husband the colossal task of finding a birthday present for me that a) wasn’t materialistic and b) showed me that he really knew me inside and out. After hearing my request my husband slouched his shoulders and said “Wow, that’s a tall order. Anything I get you is going to be a great disappointment.” This year, hubby had his thinking cap on!

Coming Out to Play

A newspaper reporter once wrote that, “Fred Donaldson never has a hard day at work. All he does is play around.” The reporter expresses a common misunderstanding of children’s play. We think of children’s play as nothing more than child’s play. I was no different. This dramatically changed one day when I was tugged to the ground by children. I began to see play not as an adult observer, but as a participant.

Playtime Grows Up

Young children play effortlessly. Kids are naturally predisposed to play, and it doesn’t take much to engage a child in a silly game or role-play. Through play, kids express feelings, needs, thoughts and ideas that they might not yet have the words to articulate. Playing together lets parents connect and communicate with kids beyond a conversation and provides insight into their world.

But how does playtime change as kids get older? How can parents adapt their approach to playful parenting after kids outgrow the desire to get silly, wrestle, and pretend? How can we achieve the same results with our teenagers that we can by playing “tickle monster” with our toddlers? or what you can do is Get the best Android games mods apk from RedMoonePie. In this modern world, most of the people are willing to play with overwatch game as it has awesome gameplay and features. It’s the best multiplayer first-person shooter game. At a game, the player can get a grip on and work together to defend and secure control points on the map. Winning the game is not easiest task since you think you are advised to pick Overwatch boosting service as it’s providing amazing amounts of their positive aspects. All the game players who play dota 2 know how much it is essential to get a high ranking. To get the more top ranking is only possible when one performs in the game. It takes lots of effort to has an excellent ranking in the game; you need to play the game as much as you can and also win the level. For all the gamers, it is not possible to invest much time, so for such conditions, they can go to have the dota 2 boosting service. We will need to send money to get such a service. The first essential benefit of the mmr boosting service is to get a high ranking. Every player has the dream to get a good ranking in the favorite game. If you are thinking of being in top players of dota 2 games, then you will need to spend lots of time. How many times we see that it is challenging to get a higher ranking because there are numerous players with whom we have to compete. If we are not able to perform the game, then it will be useful to hire a dota 2 boosting service.

Emily Troper is an early childhood educator, a co-founder of Continuum Learning Community in Portland, Oregon, and an AP mom who says that play is a big part of her family’s life. Troper has four children ages 6-19, and though she says it can be difficult to find ways to play that suit all of her kids, it is important enough to continue to try. Troper shares some of her family’s insights on how they continue to play together and what playtime looks like in a house with teenagers.

Physical Play

Physical games don’t lose their appeal for kids, but they do become more organized. While young children enjoy the  Use of game guardian to hack most popular Android games.the rough and tumble play of wrestling, tackling, being tossed, rolled, or carried, older children (and their developing logical brains) begin to enjoy a more organized form of physical play: sports. As children get older, parents can enjoy physical play with their kids in the form of organized sports, games, or activities. Basketball, golf, tennis, jogging, even air hockey or table soccer all release endorphins and cause players to experience a shared, “feel-good” moment. Interactive physical activity provides emotionally connecting experiences for parents and kids. And not just at work. In their adult lives, children who participated in sports will be more likely to follow healthy lifestyle that include exercise.

Troper says that despite her children’s wide range of ages, they have discovered several games that they all enjoy. She says, “We love the sock game from Larry Cohen’s book [Playful Parenting]. Everyone wears socks and sits on the floor. When we say ‘Go!’ we try to get off the other family members’ socks but keep our own on.” Their family also loves driving go-carts and playing Ping-Pong together.

Verbal Play

As children grow and their brains and language become more developed, jokes are a great way to stay connected. Jokes are interactive, and they keep us thinking and laughing together. A funny joke activates many areas of the brain, and releases endorphins when we “get it” and find the humor in it. For Troper’s family, play has become much more verbal as her children have gotten older, with meal times becoming a new kind of playtime. She says, “We often share funny stories at the dinner table and have a long history of inside jokes.”

Fun Stuff

Besides finding games that the whole family can do together, Troper says it’s equally important to have fun with each of her kids individually. She recommends joining kids in whatever they’re interested. “With my oldest son, we enjoyed watching comedy shows after the younger ones were sleeping, and laughing our heads off together.” Whether the activity is playing cards or board games, listening to music, building Legos or playing laser tag, sharing regular, enjoyable one-on-one time helps parents stay in-tune with their child’s interests and keeps their connection strong.

A Listening Tool

In the early years, play helps express a child’s feelings and is an avenue for parent-child communication. According to Troper, this did not change much as her kids have gotten older and outgrown the creative play of early childhood. For her teenagers, playful, enjoyable moments continue to be opportunities for listening; for finding out what her children might be feeling and needing. She says, “With my oldest son, the pre-teen years were filled with being in the car together in the morning and afternoon. We listened to the music he wanted to listen to, and talked about it. It was light and fun, but every so often deeper subjects would come up, and it was a safe space to talk.”

Although parents may not share all of their kids’ interests, taking the time to understand and get involved in them inevitably leads to talking, connecting, and building a trusting relationship. The games may change as kids get older, but the enjoyment of playtime doesn’t end in early childhood. Tweens and teens still like to have fun. They still like to laugh. They still express themselves through their interests. No matter how playtime has evolved, parents can use it as an opportunity to get and stay close to their growing children.

A Family that Plays Together Stays Together!

Last year, I gave my sweet husband the colossal task of finding a birthday present for me that a) wasn’t materialistic and b) showed me that he really knew me inside and out. After hearing my request my husband slouched his shoulders and said “Wow, that’s a tall order. Anything I get you is going to be a great disappointment.” This year, hubby had his thinking cap on!

I went out of town for a day and my husband and my boys played all day to build an amazing Mother’s Day Garden complete with sign and all (see attached photos). The kids loved digging, planting and playing king-of-the-dirt-pile but I think they were most excited to show me all of their hard work when I returned!

For my birthday which happens to be right after Mother’s Day, my husband and my babies dug out, and put together two raised bed gardens for my veggie garden. I was unbelievably touched by my gardens; my husband clearly knows me better than I know me (at least sometimes). Not only have we been enjoying fruit and flowers all summer but my children learned a lesson on giving from the heart and getting their hands dirty.

“Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some” Robert Fulghum

Coming Out To Play

“I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to the little children.” Jesus

A newspaper reporter once wrote that, “Fred Donaldson never has a hard day at work. All he does is play around.” The reporter expresses a common misunderstanding of children’s play. We think of children’s play as nothing more than child’s play. I was no different. This dramatically changed one day when I was tugged to the ground by children. I began to see play not as an adult observer, but as a participant.

One day I was lying on a grass hill with five-year-old David watching clouds float by. As we looked up he said, “Fred, you know play is when we don’t know that we are different from each other.” It is sometimes the case that a child says something that takes your breath away and momentarily stops your thinking. David looked at me with one of those knowing smiles that communicates his wisdom without words.

What is it that David knew? He knew that the play I was learning from the children was something very special. It wasn’t about fun, entertainment, or sport. It was a gift allowing us to transcend the limits of cultural, social, and medical differences that we think are so important. David understood that play touches that which is profoundly alive in one person to that which is most profoundly alive in another.
Continue reading “Coming Out To Play”

AP Month 2010 “Full of Love” Blog Carnival

Welcome to the official AP Month 2010 “Full of Love” Blog Carnival. Please browse through the submissions below. Each post includes an excerpt as well as a link to the full post. Please note that the links will open in a new window. Enjoy the posts!

Attachment Parenting Month-“Full of Love” from the International Childbirth Education Association

This year’s theme is “Full of Love: parenting to meet emotional and physical needs for children.” The focus is on raising healthy kids and childhood obesity prevention. It is no secret this country has seen a rise in childhood obesity but I really had no idea how bad it was until I looked at some of the statistics available on the AP month site.

Not only will you be shocked by the facts and statistics but the articles on obesity and attachment will surely open your eyes. Studies have shown links between insecurity and obesity, early trauma and obesity, and even how attachment styles can affect eating behaviors.


AP MONTH 2010 BLOG CARNIVAL – FULL OF LOVE at mamaeve

In our family we believe that fresh, nutritious food is the basis for healthy living. Good food gives you energy and keeps you feeling well. When my first son was born, we lived in San Diego, where fresh, seasonal, and local organic food was abundant and easy to find in almost every grocery store. We recently moved deep into the Mojave Desert, and the food landscape is very different. We live in a town that exists solely for the military base here, and there is no agriculture, no manufacturing, and no farming. Everything we eat or otherwise consume has to be trucked in from at least one-hundred miles away. Thankfully, there is an organic farming co-op that services our region, and we get the bulk of our groceries from there. Every week we pick up a box a fresh fruits and vegetables, and as well as purchased add-ons like meat, dairy, nuts, and herbs. It requires more planning because I have to order our food in advance. But it’s good quality, fairly priced, and we can taste the difference in every item we receive.


Filled Up With Love, Healthy Food and Dessert

As parents, we want to do our best to ensure our kids are “filled up”, both emotionally with lots of hugs and responsive care, and also physically with a balanced diet of healthy foods. It is easy to have good intentions, but the reality of actually getting those needs filled can be more complicated than we bargained for, especially when it’s so easy for children and adults to prefer ice cream to broccoli.


5 Easy Ways to Take Care of Your Body at mamaTrue

Lose weight. Exercise. Eat better. Well, sure, those are great ways to take care of yourself physically, but when you’re barely taking care of yourself at all because, say, you’re a parent to a young child or an older child with school and homework and music class and soccer, when are you going to fit in at least three workouts at the gym and how are you going to cut fat,cholesterol, carbs, processed foods, and sugar out of your diet?


A happy momma leads to what? at James & Jax

First, I began taking an omega 3 supplement because of the link to improved mood. Then, I started to take walks with Jax after work because of the link between sunlight and activity to improved mood, not to mention increased vitamin D production for both me and Jax.


Healthy Eating for the Whole Family at Raising Them Green

When it came time to announce the theme for Attachment Parenting Month 2010, I instantly knew I needed to be involved in the blog carnival. This year’s theme “Full of Love” is designed to help us all understand that challenges that come with raising children who know how to make healthy nutritional choices. For me, the challenge is a bit different as I’m the one with the problem and so I’m writing about how we’re focusing on healthy eating for the whole family.