Welcome
What is Natural Parenting?
For us, natural parenting is mostly about trust. For example, it’s about trusting your body to be able to give birth without unnecessary intervention. A normal, healthy birth is just that – normal and healthy. Pregnancy and childbirth are not illnesses! It’s also about trusting your body to provide the best possible food for your child, and thus choosing to breastfeed. Or trusting your body’s natural healing powers and choosing gentle, holistic treatments for minor ailments. Natural parenting is also “natural” in the sense of ecological. There are many threats to the environment that we really can’t control as private individuals. But we can decide how much impact our families will have on the environment. By recycling, using less plastic (like disposable nappies, shopping bags, etc.) and otherwise reducing the amount of rubbish we produce, we can provide our children with a cleaner, safer world.
Natural parenting is also about trusting your children, and yourself. Attachment parenting is a term coined by an American paediatrician, William Sears. Attachment parenting is a set of principles and techniques that help parents and children bond – for example breastfeeding, wearing your baby in a sling or carrier, or sharing a family bed. Attachment parenting is responsive parenting, learning to listen to your child’s cues and responding quickly and appropriately. The key word here is “appropriately” – attachment parenting is not about “giving in” to your children’s demands – it’s about understanding what your child is actually asking for and knowing when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” Remember that attachment parenting is a flexible approach to family life – it’s not a religion! It’s simply a set of tools for you to use, not rules that you need to follow. Every child, and every family, is unique.
Whether you’re talking about natural parenting or attachment parenting, putting these ideals into practice can be difficult. That’s what The Baby Orchard is all about – we want to help you by providing solid information; a place where you can meet with other parents and share your questions, experience and advice; and, of course, great products.
We’d like to thank all of the contributors who have written articles for us (please contact us if you have an idea or would like to contribute!) Most of all, we’d like to thank you for visiting – welcome to our community!