728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Newborn and Infant Months › Earth Mother

Earth Mother

Raising Your Child With a Back-to-nature Approach

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

There's a small, gentle movement in the parenting world that is gaining attention as it ribbons its way among the more traditional mothering styles. Some call it attachment parenting, while still others, eschewing labels, call it natural mothering.

These are the earth mothers, the ones who look for organic baby foods, all natural fabrics and "green" cleansers. Many espouse extended breastfeeding, family bed and homeschooling. Whether or not you agree with some of their beliefs, their ideas are spreading and being embraced by women who want to raise their children in a more natural, emotionally supportive manner.

Being an Intuitive Parent

Elizabeth Kamath, mother of one from Wilsonville, Ore., isn't very fond of the name attachment parenting, but uses it as a short-cut way to describe her style of mothering. "I actually think of it as intuitive parenting," she says. "I think it is what comes naturally if a parent is emotionally centered and mindful in their living. I think of attachment parenting as focusing on having a loving, close (but not suffocating) relationship with your child rather than one based on coercion."

Attachment parenting (AP) believes that infants are all about emotion – in their responses and development. Kamath says that one example of this idea is that AP recognizes that infants don't know that it's safe to sleep alone in a house at night.

"Eons of evolution have conditioned infants to seek companionship at night, and to remove this just because adults know the infant is physically safe is to ignore the emotional needs of the infant," she says. "Similarly, breastfeeding, wearing a baby whenever possible, etc., are vital for emotional bonding and helping the child learn trust and feel secure. We still don't have a stroller and never carried our child in a car seat out of the car."


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.