API Blog – Page 29

API’s Blog Celebrates its Second Anniversary

Today, API Speaks, the blog of Attachment Parenting International, celebrates its second anniversary. On April 15, 2008, API Speaks launched and became part of the Attachment Parenting International publication family. During the past two years we’ve seen our readership grow and we’ve had some great bloggers share their attachment parenting stories through the blog.

Here’s an excerpt from the very first blog post, which helps share a little bit about why the blog was started.

Like so many of API’s other offerings in the realm of education, research, and support, API Speaks is volunteer-operated and provided as a free service to the AP community. Our mission is to capture the real stories of life as an AP family and to highlight the fact that, despite all the varied family structures, cultures, religions, and dynamics that exist in the world, there is one thing that unites us: Our love and compassion for our children.

That mission continues today as bloggers give us a little glimpse into their daily lives. From Gentle Baby and Toddler Sleep Tips to learning how you can be a patient parent, you’ll find a wide variety of parenting topics discussed here on API Speaks.

As we enter our third year I’d like to thank all of you for following along as our blog has grown. I’m looking forward to what the future brings as the API Speaks blogging team continues to share their first-person accounts of parenting…attachment style.

Respond With Sensitivity Blog Carnival Deadline is April 9

The deadline for the next of the 2010 monthly parenting blog carnivals is coming up quickly. If you’re interested in submitting a post on API’s 3rd Principle of Parenting, Respond With Sensitivity, the deadline is Friday, April 9.

Here’s an excerpt from API’s 3rd Principle of Parenting:

You can build the foundation of trust and empathy by understanding and responding appropriately to your infant’s needs. Babies communicate their needs in many ways including body movements, facial expressions, and crying. They learn to trust when their needs are consistently responded to with sensitivity. Building a strong attachment with a baby involves not only responding consistently to his physical needs, but spending enjoyable time interacting with him and thus meeting his emotional needs as well.

The Respond With Sensitivity Principle goes beyond establishing that strong attachment with your baby and goes into learning how to respond to older children as well. Think of a two year old having a tantrum, how do you respond sensitively to this emotional outburst?

Think beyond that to the childhood years. For those of you with older children, how have you responded to your child with sensitivity in mind?

To submit a post for the Respond With Sensitivity Blog Carnival, please use the API Speaks Contact Form. Also review the blog carnival details to ensure that your post has the required text.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day

Today, April 2, is World Autism Awareness Day. In late 2007, the United Nations decreed that April 2, 2008 would be the first World Autism Awareness Day to coincide with National Autism Awareness Month, which is recognized every April. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 110 children in the United States is on the autism spectrum. I am the mom of two of these children.

My two children on a New Year's Day hike in the beautiful Arizona desert.

I was an attached parent prior to the time that my children’s autism symptoms presented and I’m an attached parent still today. I actually thank my attachment parenting style for helping me understand my children a bit more. Now this is not to say that mothers of children on the spectrum that don’t practice attachment parenting don’t understand their children but for my children, and me, my parenting style has been a tremendous help.

I’ll be sharing more of my story in an article that will appear later this month on The Attached Family online but I also want to share a bit of it here with you, the readers of API Speaks. My youngest child, now six, was diagnosed with classical autism the day before her third birthday. She had very little language and most of what she had was echolalic and not functional.
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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.
Continue reading “Feed With Love and Respect Blog Carnival – 2010”

Feed With Love and Respect Blog Carnival Deadline is Friday

The second of the 2010 Attachment Parenting International Principles of Parenting Blog Carnivals is quickly approaching. This month’s blog carnival will focus on API’s 2nd Principle of Parenting – Feed With Love and Respect – and the submission deadline is this Friday, March 12, 2010.

Here is an excerpt from API’s 2nd Principle of Parenting:

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.

Feeding With Love and Respect goes beyond the infant and preschool years and extends throughout childhood. In addition to stories about nurslings and toddlers, I am looking forward to reading about how families with older children continue to practice this principle beyond the nursing years.

To submit a post for the Feed With Love and Respect Blog Carnival, please use the API Speaks Contact Form. Also review the blog carnival details to ensure that your post has the required text.

Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting Blog Carnival – 2010

Welcome to the first of the 2010 Attachment Parenting International Blog Carnivals. Today’s carnival focuses on the 1st Principle of Parenting – Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting.

Here is an excerpt from the 1st Principle:

The remarkable journey of new life is a positive, transformative experience. Pregnancy offers expectant parents an opportunity to prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally for parenthood. Making informed decisions about childbirth, newborn care, and parenting practices is a critical investment in the attachment relationship between parent and child. Education is a key component of preparation for the difficult decisions required of parents and is an ongoing process as each stage of growth and development brings new joys and challenges.

We received several submissions for our first carnival. 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 2nd Principle of Parenting – Feed with Love and Respect. The submission deadline is March 12. 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 have Prepared for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting. Please note that these links will open in a new window.
Continue reading “Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting Blog Carnival – 2010”

How Not to Practice Positive Discipline

I came across this YouTube video several months ago and just chuckled because the first thing I thought of was that this is a shining example of how not to practice positive discipline. The rabbits were obviously having a disagreement and the chickens immediately responded with physical punishment. Okay, obviously a chicken isn’t going to be able to discuss the rabbits’ reasons behind the altercation and chat about alternatives but the video did lead me to reflect upon API’s 7th Principle of Parenting – Practice Positive Discipline.

The following is a short summary of the basis of positive discipline as well as the impetus behind my decision to practice positive discipline.

Attachment Parenting incorporates the “golden rule” of parenting; parents should treat their children the way they would want to be treated. Positive discipline is an overarching philosophy that helps a child develop a conscience guided by his own internal discipline and compassion for others. Positive discipline is rooted in a secure, trusting, connected relationship between parent and child. Discipline that is empathetic, loving and respectful strengthens that the connection between parent and child, while harsh or overly-punitive discipline weakens the connection. Remember that the ultimate goal of discipline is to help children develop self-control and self-discipline.

I wanted to be connected to my child.
Continue reading “How Not to Practice Positive Discipline”

Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting Blog Carnival

Attention attachment parenting bloggers. The first of the 2010 Attachment Parenting International Principles of Parenting blog carnivals will be posted on February 19, just two weeks away. The February carnival will focus on API’s first Principle of Parenting, Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting. Although the submission deadline for this carnival is still a week away, February 12, I’ve already received a few entries.

If you are interested in submitting a post for the carnival, please have it published on your blog with the following text (including hyperlinks), by the 2/12/10 submission deadline.

This post is part of the 2010 API Principles of Parenting blog carnival, a series of monthly parenting blog carnivals, hosted by API Speaks. Learn more about attachment parenting by visiting the API website.

Continue reading “Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting Blog Carnival”