Today a friend and I went to a community parenting meeting and invitation to a Conscious Discipline conference. The parents who held the informational meeting were generous to include information they have gleaned from Becky Bailey’s successful approach and share their own struggles and aha! moments. I recommend Becky Bailey’s website, http://www.consciousdiscipline.com/ and her excellent book Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline. I warn you, though. Like everything worthwhile, it will take work on the parents’ part to make it work. It’s not only a “do this, and your child will do this” type of speedy read.
It’s a parent overhaul too — in the good sense. It challenges parents in workshop fashion to make changes in their personal lives, to confront ugly truths and ultimately transform their relationships and themselves for the better. With solid research backing it up, Conscious Discipline is not just a fad, but a real way to parent. I struggle every day as a parent raising my two children, and I have gleaned great golden nuggets from this approach. And I’ve just scratched the surface.
Attending this session made me realize I could dedicate some more time to attending to the basics again. Parenting is truly the toughest but most wonderful job in the world. Here are my favorite seven parenting books (I am in the process of reading on right now, though — not included):
- The Baby Book
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
- Playful Parenting
- Adventures in Gentle Discipline
- The Natural Child
- Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline
- Raising Children, Raising Ourselves
Dear Sagira
I came across your blog and thought you might be interested in knowing about the Holistic Moms Network (HMN)- a national non-profit connecting parents who are passionate about natural health and green living. Founded in 2002 by a handful of moms, today HMN has 120+ chapters across North America. HMN encourages families to parent from the heart, trust their instincts and make informed healthcare decisions. Members come together at monthly meetings in non-judgmental environments to learn from each other, give support, and share information. Meetings often feature guest speakers who are professionals in their field and explore a variety of interesting topics, from healthy eating to homeopathy. HMN’s newly released cookbook, Growing Healthy Families: Cooking With Holistic Moms, contains 300 recipes from HMN members and guest chefs. A special section features recipes for homemade baby food and formula, non-toxic cleaners, and herbal remedies. For more info, please visit http://www.holisticmoms.org, or call (877) HOL-MOMS. Thanks!