Natural Parenting Blog Party

Today is the first day of the Natural Parenting Blog party over at http://thepeacefulhousewife.com ...This is a great way to find other natural parenting blogs and learn more about each other as well.

GIVEAWAY TIME

It is a Fabulous Natural Parenting Blog Party Giveaway! Who doesn’t love a giveaway? This Giveaway is for one of our Beautiful Rainbow Stacking Toys

Come and ENTER TO WIN

To begin we are asked to participate in answering some questions to get to know each other better:



How many children do you have, and how old are they?

I have three children a son who is nine years old, a daughter who is six years old and another daughter who is three years old.

Do you have a partner, or are you a single parent?

Yes, my husband and I have been married for 12 years this year. I am so glad we have each other .


What are your “hot button” parenting issues?

Circumcision HIS BODY, HIS DECISION .

Vaccination Over Six years of studying the risks and the benefits and I have yet to find any benefits NO VACCINES FOR US

Breastfeeding. When you look at the feeding recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) you will find that the first choice for infant feeding is breastfeeding. If that is not possible the choices are:
“The second choice is the mother’s own milk expressed and given to the infant in some way. The third choice is the milk of another human mother.The fourth and last choice is artificial baby milk (infant formula)” Every baby deserves Breastmilk. If you have trouble contact Le leche league

Homebirth....Had my daughter Peace at home in under two hours. It was bliss and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Pregnancy is not an illness, Trust birth.

Have you made any parenting choices that you didn’t think you would make before you were a parent, i.e. cloth diapering a child when you had previously thought it was disgusting?

Hmm thinking back there was nothing I ever thought was disgusting but I can share my first experiences with cloth diapers.
I had no experience with them and had only seen flat diapers. This was back in 2001 and we didn't even have internet access at the time.
We went to our local drugstore and bought a package of flat gerber prefolds, plastic covers and diaper pins. At the time I thought I was so cool.
I struggled with how to fold the diaper and get it secure with pins on a wiggling baby. The diapers also didn't hold anything and leaked all the time.
I finally gave up and said "Why, do people use those things they are such an inconvenience."

If I had only known about All in ones, wool longies  and pocket diapers.

It makes me happy knowing there are so many choices today. That you do not have to get leaky prefolds and pins and you can get awesome set like this one:

Is there one book or person in particular that’s heavily influenced your parenting choices?

Summerhill:A Radical Approach to Child Rearing. This book was given to me by a friend. When I saw the book at first it was old looking and kinda tattered. I didn't think much of it and set it on the shelf for later reading. One day I found myself with nothing to do, my son was away visiting his Grandmother and my husband was out working. So I pulled the book off the shelf and started reading. Right away from the the beginning I loved the book.

One of my favorite quotes of his is :

"The function of the child is to live his own life - not the life that his anxious parents think he should live."

If you had to describe each of your children using only one word, what word would you use?



Imaginative


Is there one parenting decision that you regret more than others and wish you could change?

I wish I knew more about natural parenting when I had my first child. Back then I was a mainstream mom.
I vaccinated,used Pampers and had no support with breastfeeding. My doctor even recommend using CIO method but mostly I wish I was more educated on Vaccines. If I could turn back time I would have never vaccinated him.

Is there an area of your parenting you wish you were better at?

Organization...Seems like no matter how hard I try I can never keep things organized. Be it clothes, books, cabinets, art supplies they end up all over the place. I have tried using baskets, boxes, crates you name it . Nothing helps. I know where everything is but I just can't stand the clutter. Any tips and advice much appreciated!!

Now for the fun questions – is there one particular food or type of food that you could eat every day?

My smoothies...I love them so much and how I can create something new everyday.

Vanilla ice cream or chocolate?

Chocolate

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Delicious homemade caramels...need I say more!

If you could be part of any television show, which show would it be?

Hmm I do not watch television