Parenting Resources
What is Grace Based Parenting?
What is Attachment Parenting?
Gentle Parenting Links and Resources
What is Parenting with Grace?
- it is responsive parenting, rather than reactive
- it is NOT authoritarian parenting
- it is NOT permissive parenting
- it is NOT lazy parenting
- It is parenting without violence
- cooperation comes out of respect, not out of fear of punishment
- discipline through firm guidance and encouragement
- providing or allowing consequences, rather than a focus on punishment
- Grace-based parenting mirrors God’s love, and reflects His forgiveness
What is Attachment Parenting?
Dr William Sears and his wife Martha developed what is now known as Attachment Parenting, with their 8 children. A devout christian family, they discovered the keys to gentle parenting without violence, by creating a healthy parent-child relationship based on love and respect. It is not a prescriptive method, as each family has different needs, but some of the hallmarks of attachment parenting are:
- forming a close loving bond with your child from newborn
- responding quickly to your babies' needs, rather than
'training' them
- holding and cuddling your baby frequently
- breastfeeding on cue
- sharing sleep with your baby
- being aware of developmentally appropriate behaviour
- responding rather than reacting
Other Selected Gentle Parenting Resources
There are many books and information sites about grace-based parenting and attachment parenting, but here is a small selection we particularly like:
By Dr William Sears
There are many valuable books by Dr Sears, including the extremely popular:
"The Baby Book"
"Christian Parenting and Childcare"
website: http://www.askdrsears.com
By Tim Kimmel
"Grace Based Parenting"
By Pastor Crystal Lutton, Arms of Love Family Fellowship
Pastor Lutton has written several wonderful articles available on the AOLFF website, as well as the books:
"Biblical Parenting"
"Grace Based Living"
website: http://www.aolff.org
Gentle Christian Mothers
This website has available a large resource of articles about gentle christian parenting, as well as a wonderful forum for parenting discussion.
website: http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com