Shape

Right now, the custom of hanging out with friends is new to both my daughter and me. I have to find new ways of relating with Elia and setting boundaries to protect family time while respecting her time with friends and nurturing her growing self-autonomy. 

What are the milestones and transition points your family has celebrated this month?

I have a new baby in my family. He is now 17 months old. My last baby was born 10 years earlier. The baby before this baby was born two years prior to my second. My older children are ages 11 and 13.

How do you follow your child's lead in your parenting?

My 5-year-old is happy as long as she's around me. As a baby, she would spend all day content in a sling that I wore.

In what way is your child lovingly unique? How can you let your child know you love and appreciate him or her?

How often are you off in another world when you are with your child? We all struggle to give our children enjoyable, undivided time together with us.

Let's begin by taking a deep breath.

My nearly 3-year-old daughter knows what she wants and wants it "right now, Mama, right now!" She has also been involved in some "push and shove" dialogues with other children. The immediacy of her needs is expressed verbally with as much drama and whine as she can muster and is occasionally punctuated with a push or kick, especially when the other person isn't doing what she wants.

How do you help your child resolve a playdate misunderstanding?

Nurturings tucks the research-based Eight Principles of Parenting into 3 parenting skills that academic literature shows are irreducible requirements for children to flourish.

When have you shared time together with your child today?

Celebrate with us this month with a "walk" through Nurturings' last 30 years with daily posts on our Facebook page!

I found that building a relationship with my babies was easy. All I needed to do was cuddle, feed, and care for them. Naturally as my children grew, our relationship grew. I saw that what we did together as a family were ways for my husband and I to share our family values and stay connected over time.

What traditions and stories do you honor, share, and create as a family?

On this 30th anniversary year of Nurturings, the co-founders share about our organization’s history and impact on the wider culture

I remember when the first edition of the book, Attached at the Heart, was released in 2009 – Nurturings’ 15th anniversary since its founding by the book’s coauthors, Barbara Nicholson and Lysa Parker.