Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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People are always shocked when I tell them I cloth diapered the girls. What they don’t realize is how easy it really was. Over four years (eight cumulative years) of parenting our twins, I have mastered all the slacker ways to incorporate the AP ideals that work for us. Here are my secrets:
1) Don’t buy a lot of stuff. Contrary to the lists they hand you at Babies R’ us, there’s really very little you need to keep your kids happy. And the less stuff you have the less you have to clean and keep track of. You could get by in the first year with twenty pieces of clothing, cloth diapers, a cup, and somewhere for the kid to sleep. Truth.
2) Breastfeed. Pure and simple it is the one thing that will save you the most time, sleep, and energy. No bottles to wash, no trips to the store to buy formula, and an unlimited supply of food (obviously this won’t work for everyone since not everyone is able to breastfeed but if you can breastfeed, do).
3) Throw out your chemical cleansers. Kids turn people into clean freaks. My kids ate food off the floor until they realized they weren’t supposed to. Guess what? They’re never sick. Antibodies are nature’s gift. And if your cleaner is just white vinegar and water you can put your kids to work as soon as they are able to push down on the spray handle. You’ll be sitting around eating bonbons in no time.
4) Go outside as much as possible. Who needs toys when there are leaves to eat? Even babies are happy sitting on a quilt. I spend many a happy afternoon reading while they rolled around in the sun. Those days are long gone since I now spend my outside time running like a madwoman after them. But that first year was slacker heaven.
5) Feed your kids what you eat. Puree what you’re making for dinner until they are old enough to chew. No separate meals to make and no running out of baby food, ever. And kids get used to spices, etc. before they are old enough to get grossed out.
6) Trust your instincts. People will tell you all sorts of things you MUST DO FOR YOUR CHILDREN. They may have some good suggestions but you know your child best. If you tune out the advice channel you will spend a lot less time trying to do the right thing and a lot more time with your kid.
7) Be good to yourself. The best quote about parenting is: Children’s needs are best met by parents whose own needs are met.” Put your own oxygen mask on first. Know what you need to fuel yourself so you can fuel your kids better. And guess what? Your kids will learn how to play by themselves. The best imagination comes from some time alone.
8 ) Don’t over-schedule your kids. To be honest, we sleep trained some. But we let our kids set their own rhythm and then stuck to it. We stayed home a lot and turned down invitations. But the result is well rested kids who go to sleep like clockwork allowing us time to spend together.
9) Give everyone breathing room. Positive discipline is the hardest thing for me as a parent. I could read a lot of books on it but instead I have embraced the slacker way of doing things, avoidance. I give myself time outs where I go in another room and calm down. When we all leave the situation it’s easier to come back and get along.
10) Cloth Diaper. Yes really, this is for slackers too. try a few systems, find what works, buy used, get some white vinegar, do a load every other day, fold while watching TV. Never run out of diapers again and spend way less time changing clothes and applying diaper cream.
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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
- Attachment Parenting in the NICU — Erica at ChildOrganics shares some strategies to help you parent naturally in some unnatural circumstances.
- 10 Reasons to Choose Baby Led Weaning — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares ten reasons to choose Baby Led Weaning when it comes to solids.
- Choosing to Breastfeed — From selfishness to self-giving, CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy lists reasons why breast is best for her and her family.
- Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Before Little Man — In this reflective post, The ArstyMama discusses ten things she wishes she knew more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
- 10 Things That Helped Me Become a Natural Mama — The Accidental Natural Mama counts down ten things that helped her find her moderately crunchy inner mama self.
- Top 10 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler — Extended breast-feeder Kate Wicker of Momopoly makes her own top 10 list for why she loves nursing her 2-year-old.
- Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting — Mamapoekie of Authentic Parenting offers a list of tips to make the grandparent-parent-child relationship flow smoothly.
- Top Ten “Dad” Things — Liam at In The Now talks about his favourite ways to spend time with his children.
- Top 10 Natural Strategies for Conception (aka How to Get Pregnant!) — Despite facing plenty of health issues, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama found her way to two first-try pregnancies thanks to these natural strategies.
- Top Ten Reasons Why Home Birth Rocks — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud shares her passion for birthing at home – the natural place for natural birth.
- Top 10 reasons why cloth nappies are fun — Tat at Cloth Nappies Are Fun shows how using cloth nappies can brighten up your day.
- Top Ten Ways to Be Present With Family — Amy at Innate Wholeness shares how to make the most of parenting and family life through being present.
- Top 10 Things In My Arsenal of Kitchen Witchy Mama Tricks. — Joni Rae at Tales of A Kitchen Witch shares with us the simple things she would never want to be missing from her cupboards.
- Top 10 ways I’m not very good at natural parenting (and why I keep trying anyway) — Jenny at Babyfingers shares the ways she is imperfect as a natural parent, and why she embraces natural parenting anyway.
- Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent — So what makes us “natural parents,” anyway? A lighthearted look at the Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent by the editors and readers of Natural Parents Network.
- The Top 10 Things Every Natural Household (with children) Should Have — Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro shares a list of the most common natural products and remedies she uses for health and cleaning.
- Top 10 books for raising loving, spiritual children — In her ‘food for the soul’ post, Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her favourite spiritual books. No matter what religion you practise, there’s something for everyone!
- Top 10 Things No One Told Me About Natural Parenting — Adrienne at Mommying My Way explains that the best things about natural parenting are things she never expected.
- Top 10 Flower Essences for Families — Kim of Nature Baby Bloggings lists her pick of the top ten flower essence which can help ease families through the ups and downs of life.
- My Top Ten Parenting Tools — Amyables at Toddler In Tow names the top ten tools that have been helpful to her while learning to parent respectfully and successfully.
- Ten Ways Families Can Enjoy Nature (for free!) — Spring is nearly in the air, and Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction is dreaming of the fun and frugal ways that her family is going to get out and enjoy nature this summer.
- 10 Reasons We Unschool — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains why unschooling is the right choice for her family.
- Must Read: Natural Parenting Top Ten — Amy at Anktangle wants you to do a little reading! She shares her top ten favorite books to help parents prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
- Top 10 Breastfeeding Misconceptions — Sheila at A Gift Universe examines ten reasons women give for why they didn’t breastfeed as long as they wanted, and shows how these obstacles can be overcome.
- Ten Reasons to Plan a Home Birth — Since a home birth can be an incredibly empowering experience, Leslie at Lights and Letters outlines ten reasons why you should plan to have your baby at home.
- Top Ten Books for Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting — Megan at Just Me(gan) writes about the ten books that have helped her the most in her natural parenting journey.
- A Top Ten Letter To Me… — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment writes herself a letter of reflections and bits of wisdom she would have liked to know as a new mama.
- Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can’t Buy — Buying baby gear is fun, but Emily at Crunchy(ish) Mama knows real parenting must-haves can’t be bought in stores (or even on Amazon).
- Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine talks about her Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum.
- Ten Great Spring Activities To Do With Preschoolers — Kellie at Our Mindful Life and her family have come up with a great list of activities to do together this spring.
- 10 Ways to Reuse Yogurt Containers — Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes keeps the stacks of yogurt containers out of her recycling bin by reusing them in both practical and creative ways.
- Top Ten Ways To Have a Harmonious Home — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her natural parenting-inspired methods for maintaining a harmonious daily life with her toddler.
- 10 Natural Baby Items I Love — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares product ideas to support your natural parenting.
- The Pandas’ Top Five Crunch-osophies — Top five crunchy philosophies, as employed at the Panda Residence by Ana at Pandamoly.
- Top 10 Reasons to Leave Your Son Intact — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children has shared 10 reasons why you should leave your newborn son intact.
- Ten things everyone should know about unassisted homebirth — Olivia at Write About Birth shares practical tips for women considering an unassisted homebirth and debunks some common myths
- 10 Most Popular Ways To Treat Cloth Diaper Stains — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey gives ten easy tips to make your diapers like new.
- 10 Lessons in 1 Year — Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter shares 10 parenting lessons that she has learned throughout her first year of motherhood.
- Top 10 Ways to Get Breastfeeding Off To a Good Start — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes shares 10 effective ways to ensure breastfeeding gets off to a good start.
- Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out — If you are uncomfortable using time-outs in an attempt to control your child’s behavior, try one of these gentler alternatives. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares her Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out.
- My Top 10 Parenting Scriptures — Dulce de leche is learning to integrate faith and parenting. Whether it is breastfeeding, babywearing, comforting her children, or gentle discipline, she finds that the Bible has beautiful passages to encourage her on her journey.
- Natural Cleaning Ideas – Top 10 — Laura at Laura’s Blog lists the ways she keeps her house clean and clear of chemicals.
- My Top Ten (plus two) Life Altering and Growth Inspiring Books — A top ten list of books from MJ at Wander Wonder Discover that changed her life as an individual, a parent, and an earth dweller.
- Top 10 Ways to Use Natural Parenting for Children with Special Needs — Danielle at Mommy Makes Cents feeds the needs of her family and special needs child through the use of Natural Parenting.
- Ten Fundamentals — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante gets philosophical with a list of the fundamentals that drive her natural parenting.
- 10 reasons why I chose breast over bottles — Becky at Old New Legacy writes a quick list of why she chose breast over bottles.
- Top Ten Natural Tools for the Work of Play — Lori at Beneath the Rowan Tree offers insight into 10 natural toys that will span the early years (and save you money).
- 10 differences between pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US — Megan at Ichigo Means Strawberry gives her impressions about differences in pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US.
- Natural Parenting Benny & Bex Style — Pecky at Benny and Bex explains why Natural Parenting principles work best for her boys.
- Top 10 Reasons to Co-Sleep — 10 practical, emotional, and completely selfish reasons to co-sleep and share a family bed from Lily, aka Witch Mom.
- My Top Ten New Mommy Moments — Melissa at The New Mommy Files recounts the ten most memorable moments of her daughter’s first year.
- Top Ten Things Every Breastfeeding Mother Needs to Know — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood believes knowledge is power and wants all moms to be well informed.
- Top 10 Nursing Positions / Situations — Momma Jorje uses her 5½ years of nursing experience to share her Top 10 Nursing Positions/Situations. She includes some adorable photos of her youngest daughter at the breast.
- Ten Top Ways to Connect Kids with Nature — Terri from Child at the Nature Isle offers 10 ways to immerse ourselves in the natural world and develop a love affair with the Earth.
- Top 10 Slacker Ways to Natural Parent — Guavalicious is happy to show you how to parent naturally the slacker way.
- Simply what it looks like — Andrea!!! from Ella-Bean & Co. offers a glimpse into natural parenting through the eyes of mama and babe.
- Top Ten Reasons Why Natural Parenting Dads Are So Attractive — Nada at miniMOMist sure digs her husband, but it’s not just his good looks — it’s his parenting!
- 10 Family Systems and Routines That Work for Us — See what routines, organizational systems, and parenting approaches work for Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings to help avoid conflict and maintain sanity in a family with three young children.
- Top 10 reasons to choose midwifery care — Lauren at Hobo Mama lists the features that drew her to midwives’ care for pregnancy and birth.
- 10 Ways to Cloth Diaper on a Budget — Michelle at The Parent Vortex shares her best thrifty cloth diapering tips.
- Ten Reasons it Felt Sew Good To Make My Own Play Food — Brittany at Mama’s Felt Cafe lists her 10 (OK, 11) favorite reasons to grab a needle and start sewing your own felt play toys.
- Top10 Ways to Spark Interest, Learn, and Have Fun With Everyday Tasks! — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon gives you her top 10 ways of incorporating fun and lessons into everyday tasks and chores.
- Postpartum Gift Ideas — Alicia at I Found My Feet suggests a top 10 list of gifts for mother’s after giving birth.
- My Top Ten Shows Worthy Of Screen Time — Tree at Mom Grooves shares her top ten list of shows that she believes are positive, educational, kind, joyful, and a nice way to share some downtime with your children.
- The Top 10 Ways to Succeed as an Working Attachment Parent — That Mama Gretchen shares tried and true ways to succeed with attachment parenting even when working away from home during the day.
- Top Ten Books for Natural Parenting — Pregnancy, herbs, cooking, and healthcare the ten books Asha at Meta Mom the most.
- Preparing for a Hospital VBAC: My Top 10 — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis shares 10 ways she’s preparing for her upcoming hospital VBAC.
- Top Ten New Mom Survival Tools — Wolfmother shares her most beloved motherhood survival tools at Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
- Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives her top 10 list of Montessori principles parents can use to encourage their children s natural learning.
- Going Granola — Tashmica from The Mother Flippin’ Blog describes the 10 ways that natural parenting sneaked up on her. She never expected to go all granola on the world.
- Step Away From the Amazon List — Stefanie at Very, Very Fine wishes she hadn’t bought so much useless stuff.
I love your top ten ways and don’t think they are slacker, just laid back?
Love it! It’s good to point out that we aren’t all trapped in a high-performing mindset to parent naturally. Almost like we are born knowing some of this stuff!
(If you will allow me to add one for older kids: keep the children’s plates, bowls, and snack foods within reach so that they can get their own snacks.)
I need to start doing this. My hope is that it will direct them towards healthier snacks.
My girls (almost 5 and 6) want to eat ALL. THE. TIME. So I put all our fruit in the bottom hydrator and told them they could eat it any time, without asking first. It is so wonderful to not hear “Mooommmmmy I’m huuungryyyyy,” 80 times per day, and they’re eating a lot more fruit than before!
This is such a refreshing perspective!
Very good. Tongue-in-cheek with a very solid base. Also, a good way to counter the “I’m too lazy…” argument. Thanks for this.
love this title! Peaceful parenting had an article like this once, Lazy parenting or something
What a fantastic list! That is definitely a driving force in my attachment based parenting choices–the other stuff requires so much more energy! I even practice elimination communication because I’m too lazy to wash a load of diapers every other day.
Love this post! We definitely figured out the hard way that it is cheaper to parent naturally. The first time we had a crib, monitor, cradle, bottle warmer (I have no idea why we wanted that, because I breastfed) and a bunch of other stuff. Now we don’t need any of that. I did splurge on some nice cloth diapers this time, but I got a great deal on some used ones. I was pleasantly surprised upon starting to cloth diaper, which we did about 8 months in with #1, that the dirty disposable diaper trash was far more aggravating and stinkier than a bag of dirty cloth that had only been sitting for a day or two. One of my favorite things about cloth diapering!
Hah! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this NP idea is not only philisophically ideal but, hey, actually easier than the rat race others seem to be participating in.
I totally agree with your list, especially #s 1, 2, 3, & 10; they’ve made our house our home, you know?
I wish I had read this list before I had my daughter. I might have tried cloth diapers. I was going to, but got overwhelmed and intimidated…
I felt peaceful just reading your list, which is really how I want my daughters life to feel.
Thanks!
I agree that many NP practices are totally easy – but it was SUPPOSED to be a secret. Darn you woman!
This is awesome! I identify as a slacker parent too. Instead of scheduling “enriching” and “educational” activities for my kid, I just bring him where I go and include him in what I do. Much easier and probably better for him, too. I almost choked when I read a blog post recently where the mom was glad she was putting her child in daycare because, “After all, I’m not qualified to teach early childhood education.” The only qualification you need to teach a baby is love! Professionals like to make it sound more complicated than it is because they don’t want to put themselves out of a job.
Love this post and so agree with all of your points! My husband especially liked the #1 as he was reading over my shoulder!
Wonderful list! I bough WAY too much with my first child and am now blessed to pass on lots of my extras. With the next one, I won’t need a thing!
Thanks for sharing
I really like the “don’t overbuy” tip. We buy a lot of our stuff at mega-consignment sales that are held every August/February. That has been a huge money saver, and I feel good about recycling perfectly good stuff!
From one slacker to another, I love this post!
I love the point about using vinegar so they can start cleaning for you — I TOTALLY do that!
Yea for spray bottles!
And #5: I was so lazy I didn’t even bother with the purees. They give it the fancy name of baby led weaning, but it’s just slacker behavior to me.
Love it. I am totally a slacker, I honestly think that if you do it naturally ‘slacking; is built in LOL
Lori
http://www.beneaththerowantree.com
Come & Join the Playdate!
Love your list!
#1 I’ve recently caught the minimalist bug. I wish I’d known to get less stuff when I first got pregnant. Better yet, when I first left my ex-husband. It was a great opportunity for a fresh start and I wound up with so much junk!
#2 Best Lazy Tip Ever!
#5 We do “Child Lead Weaning.” That means I’m even lazier than you on this one! I just gave her solid food. What she couldn’t chew came back out. She still (at 1½yo) eats directly off my plate a lot!
#6 Excellent advice! It is too much to stress what everyone else thinks you should do as a parent. They’re YOUR kids!
I love this list! I’m totally a slacker mom as well. I hear a lot from other parents about how they would love to do (insert thing I do) here, but they just don’t have the time, but as you say, it actually takes less time to nurse than to bottle feed, to hang around outside instead of cleaning the playroom, etc!
Yes yes yes! I totally agree with everything on this list (and have twins, as well!). I am a huge slacker and often it has served me well in terms of parenting. I think simplifying, relaxing and taking a step back are often incredible tools for maintaining sanity and peace, as well.
Thanks!
Love it. I’m going to chill out even more from now on!