The big question is are you in natural parenting?? Before you answer that what exactly is natural parenting?? We are a part of the natural environment around us. And the way nature intends us to be, so shall we be. Natural parenting is the way nature designed us to parent. It has been called by many names like gentle parenting, conscious parenting, attachment parenting.
It is referred to as gentle parenting as it encourages children to learn and reach milestones in their own time and pace. It is called Conscious parenting as parents are aware of the conditions and situations and take their own decisions based on facts on not opinions of others. Attachment parenting has gained immense popularity among people as it seeks to strengthen bonds between parents and children. The love and bond between the two determine lifelong emotional health of children. Natural parenting encompasses all of the above.
The crux of natural parenting is focused on meeting the children’s needs. Parents who treat their babies with love, compassion, and respect and who are responsive to their baby’s signals are literally wiring their children’s brains for empathy, trust and the ability to self-regulate stress. As a parent, your interaction has lasting effects on the way your child’s brain develops. According to research infants are more likely to form secure attachments when their distress is responded to promptly, consistently and appropriately. Secure attachments in infancy are the foundation for good adult mental health.
Natural parenting has some basic principles, these are:
- Feed with love and respect.
- Use a nurturing touch.
- Respond with sensitivity.
- Provide constant loving care.
- Practice positive parenting and not strict discipline.
- Aim for balance in personal and family life.
Though the concept of natural parenting may seem unconventional they are logical and authentic and have been practiced for centuries. Natural parenting enriches the connection between parents and children and has a lasting and positive effect on long term emotional health and attitude towards relationships and happiness.
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