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Changing The World With Our Parenting Choices

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Author: MotherWise

Hello Wise Mamas! I am Kristen Tea; I’m a 30-year-old happily married, attachment parenting, unschooling, home-birthing, work-at-home mother of two boys. I was a single mother to my first son for four years, until I married my best friend in November 2013. I am passionate about many things: social justice, human rights, equality, peaceful parenting, healthy living, music, art, literature. I try to help people however I am able, and I believe that making conscious, fully informed parenting choices has the power to change the world. Thank you for being part of my MotherWise community!

Can Baby Books Cause Postpartum Depression? Study Says Yes

Posted on September 23, 2017 by MotherWise
Can popular baby books be linked to postnatal depression? A new study from Swansea University, published by the Department of Public Health, Policy, and Social Sciences, says yes. Researchers looked at the link between baby books and maternal anxiety --...Read More
Harsh Truths For New Moms

14 Harsh Truths All New Moms Need To Know

Posted on September 19, 2017September 21, 2017 by MotherWise
Originally published at Mothering.com Congratulations! You just had a baby. Holy crap! It's intense isn't it? Here are 14 harsh realities about new motherhood.   1. Your body will change. New mom, you just carried a human in your body...Read More
Kate Hudson Called Her C-Section Lazy. Here's Why That's OK.

Kate Hudson Called Her C-Section “Lazy.” Here’s Why That’s Okay.

Posted on September 19, 2017 by MotherWise
Actress Kate Hudson recently stated the laziest thing she's ever done was get a c-section. Here's why that's ok. In an interview for the October issue of Cosmopolitan, actress, athletic wear designer, and mother Kate Hudson answered a list of...Read More

Teething Pain: 8 Natural, Soothing Options

Posted on September 9, 2017September 10, 2017 by MotherWise
Written by Crystal of Owl Heart These easy, at-home remedies for teething pain will please any natural mama. Teething has begun. Sleep schedules are thrown off; night-waking and unusual fussiness may occur. Every child teethes differently; some very peacefully and...Read More

10 Ways to Stop a (Grown Up!) Temper Tantrum

Posted on September 6, 2017November 29, 2018 by MotherWise
Tantrums aren't just for kids -- parents are prone to them too. If you've ever had a long day, felt overtired, over-hungry, just over it and on the verge of a meltdown, these tips are for you. Dealing with the...Read More
8 Things Attachment Parenting Is NOT

8 Things Attachment Parenting is NOT

Posted on September 5, 2017September 5, 2017 by MotherWise
Originally published at Mothering.com Attachment Parenting has proven benefits, but it's often stereotyped as a great way to "spoil" children. It's important to know what Attachment Parenting is, and what it isn't. A few years ago, when my now 9-year-old was...Read More

Please Don’t Force Your Kid To Share With Mine

Posted on September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 by MotherWise
Originally published at Mothering.com Making kids share is often considered "good parenting." But is it really? Not necessarily. If you've ever been at a play date or in a public play place, you've witnessed the inevitable -- two kids tussling...Read More
No Lesson Plan, No Homework- Why I'm Unschooling My Kids

No Homework, No Lesson Plan: Why I’m ‘Unschooling’ My Kids

Posted on August 31, 2017October 11, 2017 by MotherWise
I vividly remember the moment I decided to unschool. I had a toddler, and I'd decided to go back to school, so I used the Early Education center on my college campus. My child was sixteen-months-old when he started attending,...Read More
5 Reasons White Women Should Support Black Breastfeeding Week

5 Reasons White Women Should Support Black Breastfeeding Week

Posted on August 28, 2017August 29, 2017 by MotherWise
It's Black Breastfeeding Week. And that seems to cause a lot of ~feelings~ for white women. Every year, Black Breastfeeding Week celebrates the different lived experiences of black women, and highlights the racial disparities in breastfeeding support which impact infant...Read More
Age Gaps Between Children

10 Reasons Why A Big Age Gap Between Kids Is A Wise Idea

Posted on August 26, 2017August 27, 2017 by MotherWise
Originally published at Mothering.com Age gaps between children: It’s something many parents weigh carefully as we plan our families. How many kids should we have? Should we have them close together? Should we have them far apart? The reality is...Read More

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    motherwise.life

    MotherWise
    Accurate. Via Be Kind Of Witty https://instagra Accurate. 

Via Be Kind Of Witty

https://instagram.com/be_kind_of_witty

#cosleeping #attachmentparenting #gentleparenting #parenting
    Yep! This also triggers people when we don’t sha Yep! This also triggers people when we don’t shame our kids the way others want us to. 

Via @thecarbonessence #attachmentparenting #gentleparenting #parenting
    How I approach social media as a gentle parent: we How I approach social media as a gentle parent: we talk. A lot. We talk a lot, over and over, about social media. About how amazing it is to be connected to people all over the world. And also the negative effects. 

We read the research together. We watch the Social Dilemma together. I stay off social media when my kids are around, and if I have to be on my phone for work, I explain to my kids what I’m doing so they don’t think I’m zoning out on social media. 

We talk about the unearned dopamine hits, the instant gratification, the impact on body image, and more. I show my kids funny memes and videos from Facebook and Instagram. And then we talk some more about their developing brains and the research that continues to come out about social media and how it affects kids. 

This way, my kids and I are on the same team when it comes to making these decisions. Our lives our unique and this won’t apply to everyone — some kids rely on social media as a social lifeline. My kids don’t do video games or YouTube or anything that really requires a lot of technology or media, so this works for us. Regardless of each specific scenario though, risks of negative impact on body image and mental health are still there, and need to be addressed. 

#parenting #consciousparenting #gentleparenting #socialmedia #mentalhealth
    A controversial take, but it needs to be said. T A controversial take, but it needs to be said. 

There are so many elements of gentle parenting, including healing our own childhood trauma, learning positive discipline techniques, dismantling capitalism so caregivers are able to provide patient nurturing with less stress, etc. 

And also, sometimes it’s just about not being a jerk to kids. It’s about treating them as we’d like to be treated. It’s about speaking to them in a way we hope they will go on to speak to others. 

Parenting can be hard. Systemic changes need to happen. Parents need more support, more rest, more leisure time. As do kids. Caregivers need access to therapy and therapeutic experiences so generational trauma can heal. Everyone needs housing, water, food, green space, education. 

And, also, we need to stop being a jerk to kids. 

#gentleparenting #gentlediscipline #consciousparenting #positiveparenting #parenting
    #happynewyear #newyear via @luckylittlequeer #happynewyear #newyear via @luckylittlequeer
    📣 📣 📣 #breastfeeding #chestfeeding #atta 📣 📣 📣

#breastfeeding #chestfeeding #attachmentparenting #parenting #motherhood #holidays
    Solidarity. For real though, parenting during th Solidarity. 

For real though, parenting during the holidays can be hard. Give yourself, your kids, and others extra grace and compassion. 

#attachmentparenting 
#gentleparenting 
#toddler 
#toddlerlife 
#toddlerhood
#childhood
#christmas
#holidays
    *Emotions aside from anger. #emotionalintelligen *Emotions aside from anger. 

#emotionalintelligence #smashthepatriarchy
    Breastfeeding is feeding a child, and feeding a ch Breastfeeding is feeding a child, and feeding a child is a normal healthy part of life. The more we do it in public, the more we normalize it for new mothers and future generations.
    👏 👏 👏 #capitalismkills 👏 👏 👏 

#capitalismkills
    They want moms perpetually exhausted and pitted ag They want moms perpetually exhausted and pitted against each other in fabricated “mommy wars” so we don’t revolt and demand fair compensation for the unending labor that is caregiving. 

Image via Josie & the Pussycats Leftist Agitprop and Leopard Print Fabric Co-op. 

#gentleparenting #attachmentparenting #parenting #motherhood #revolution
    Via @meaningfulideas #gentleparenting #parenting Via @meaningfulideas 

#gentleparenting #parenting #attachmentparenting
    Via @mrsmombastic #gentleparenting #peacefulparent Via @mrsmombastic #gentleparenting #peacefulparenting #parenting #attachmentparenting
    This is everything! With gentle, conscious, positi This is everything! With gentle, conscious, positive parenting, we’re not aiming for immediate compliance or obedience. We are nurturing kids who have ample empathy, can troubleshoot problems with patience, understand the value of cooperation, and can handle emotions in a healthy way. None of that comes from bossing kids around, shaming them, or generally being mean to them. 

@the_peaceful_parent @drlauramarkham_ahaparenting #gentleparenting #consciousparenting #parenting
    “For nearly 100 years, we’ve been using the sa “For nearly 100 years, we’ve been using the same practices of behaviorism - punish bad behavior and reward good behavior. This came about based on the idea that all behaviors are based on simple stimulus-response reactions. Thanks to advances in neuroscience, we now understand that behavior is much more complex and involves internal factors that cannot be punished away. 

A child’s thoughts, emotions, experiences, and sensations affect behavior. Trauma, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, and a slew of other brain and body differences also contribute. We now understand that behavior isn’t simply naughty or nice, but a clue to the complex internal world of the human being. 

To understand behavior, we have to look beyond the action itself, to the root. We must take into account the child’s experiences, temperament, conditions, environment, and emotions. Sometimes the behavior is an autonomic response to the nervous system’s perception of threat. Neurodiverse children require different solutions than neurotypical children do. The key point is that all children are unique, and the one-size-fits-all behaviorism solutions are outdated and ineffective.

The dichotomy of punishments and rewards - naughty and nice - does not help children do better. Threatening to “tell Santa” only trips more alarms in the brain. Likewise, threats to “cancel Christmas” or get nothing but a lump of coal only serve to make children feel worthless. If better behavior results, it is but a temporary and desperate attempt by the child to control a brain that is not yet developed enough to comply.”
    Impact over intent. Impact over intent.
    Make mine a kombucha ✨ Make mine a kombucha ✨
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    An inspiration ✨ An inspiration ✨
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