Celebrate Your Toddler’s “No!”
“No!” is probably the most commonly used word in toddlerhood! It flies out of our children’s mouths before they even have time to really think about what they are saying “no” to. When my five children were young, they were allowed to say “no” as much as they wanted to. I think “no” is an important word for asserting their feelings and desires and, unless it is a matter of safety, they have the right to have their opinion listened to and respected. Here is why Canadian parenting educator Judy Arnall says that children should be allowed to say “no”…
Progressive Parenting: Inspired Thinking or Parental Neglect?
Being a parent in today’s world has become more about the destination rather than the journey. It’s goal-orientated: Collecting our parenting gold stars from how our children perform. It’s conditional on them behaving “correctly.” It’s about getting our babies to sleep through the night, getting toddlers out of nappies, stopping tantrums, enforcing manners, making sure homework gets done, getting kids into college. Apparently, when we hold our newborn in our arms, we know nothing and the voices of society know everything. We should listen to them. Not our instincts. Not our babies. Not our children. Not ourselves. Our culture has reached the point where mother doesn’t know best. Australian parenting educator Chaley-Ann Scott continues…
LAST WEEK’S ARTICLES:
What Happens to the Brain When We “Lose It” by American parenting educator (and API Leader) Kelly Bartlett
Reflections on Motherhood by American poet and children’s author Barbara P. Benjamin
Breastfeeding on Demand is OK
Connecting with Older Children during Pregnancy
Pregnancy Fun (and Mocktails)
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