A newborn experiences the most fundamental aspects of nature and the outdoors.  Read More…

5 Comments | Posted in Babywearing, Breastfeeding, Ecological Responsibility, Feeding With Love, Green Living, Love of Nature, Natural Learning, Nurturing Touch

Attachment is used to describe the long-term relationships between humans, particularly within families and between life-long friends. Bonding typically refers to the process of attachment that develops between parents and children. Bonding results through the child’s affection and trust of their parents. It is important that an infant develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and …  Read More…

1 Comment | Posted in Attachment Parenting, Babywearing, Breastfeeding Alternatives, Consistent Care, Cosleeping, Feeding With Love, Nighttime Parenting, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Preparing for Parenting, Responding With Sensitivity, Safe Sleep

When my twins, Gus and Jack, were born, all I wanted to do was touch them. I wanted to hold them and breathe them in and cover them with claiming kisses. Due to their prematurity and the medication from my unwanted c-section, that was not possible at first. I made do with kangaroo care, attempted nursing, and also as much …  Read More…

6 Comments | Posted in Attachment Parenting, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Responding With Sensitivity

Part of nurturing with touch is knowing when not to touch. As a kid, I used to pee my pants during tickle fights. My family didn’t mean to embarrass me, but they didn’t understand. I desperately wanted to participate in the family fun, but it was humiliating to lose control of my body in the course of doing so. And …  Read More…

5 Comments | Posted in Body Image, Consensual Living, Healthy Living, Natural Learning, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Playtime, Responding With Sensitivity

This week we asked: What does nurturing touch look like? Read more about using nurturing touch, for any age, on our resource page, and enjoy this week’s articles on the theme. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post!  Read More…

17 Comments | Posted in Babywearing, Nurturing Touch, Wordless Wednesday

It is five minutes of my life that I will never forget. When I think about that moment, I close my eyes because I can feel it happen all over again. The moment my two sons attached. Brady, the baby, was two days old. Just home from the hospital. We were all hanging out in our bed and my husband …  Read More…

19 Comments | Posted in Nurturing Touch

Babywearing has been around for ages, although many seem to think it’s a more recent phenomenon. There are many different types of baby carriers, from ring slings to wraps to soft-structured carriers. The benefits to babywearing are many, including reduced crying from babies, an increased feeling of parental competence, and increased bonding. We realized all these advantages and more as …  Read More…

16 Comments | Posted in Babywearing, Nurturing Touch, Responding With Sensitivity

The decision to have a child is momentous, beautiful, exciting and inspiring.  It is the deep recognition within us that drives us to think the world should go on, and we’d like to be a part of helping it along.  There are few things that hold as much beauty.  On the flip side of things, the gradual realization that it …  Read More…

5 Comments | Posted in Attachment Parenting, Babywearing, Breastfeeding, Cloth Diapers, Ecological Responsibility, Feeding With Love, Fertility, Green Living, Healthy Living, Love of Nature, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Pregnancy, Preparing for Parenting

An NPN reader asks our natural parenting mentors: I wonder if you can help me. My daughter is 19 months old and still breastfeeding, and neither of us have slept through the night since she was born. Until recently, it didn’t really bother me and I wanted to wait for it to happen naturally. But now I am getting to …  Read More…

9 Comments | Posted in Ask an NP Mentor, Attachment Parenting, Balance, Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Past Infancy, Consistent Care, Cosleeping, Feeding With Love, Nighttime Parenting, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Responding With Sensitivity, Safe Sleep

This week we’re talking about parenting philosophies at Natural Parents Network. For Wordless Wednesday, we asked: What does your natural parenting philosophy look like? If you have a Wordless Wednesday post, please link up below!  Read More…

11 Comments | Posted in Attachment Parenting, Babywearing, Breastfeeding, Continuum Parenting, Cosleeping, Feeding With Love, Natural Learning, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Safe Sleep, Starting Solids, Wordless Wednesday