Resources

A recently published study suggests that babies riding in outward-facing strollers are significantly less likely to laugh, "talk", and positively interact with their caregivers than those in strollers facing the pusher. The study was conducted by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Developmental Psychologist at Dundee University's School of Psychology. Zeedyk asserts that the emotional isolation and poor verbal interaction experienced by babies in outward-facing strollers carries serious, negative implications for babies' brain development.

Click here for a summary of the study:
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2008/prnov08/babybuggies.htm

The study, in its entirety, can be found here:
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/Buggy_research.pdf

Recently, there has become a clear distinction between co-sleeping and what experts now refer to as bed-sharing. In order to decide what is best for your family, it is important to know the difference.

According to Attachment Parenting International (API), the definitions are as follows:

"Co-sleeping refers to sleeping in 'close proximity', which means the child is on a separate sleep surface in the same room as the parents."

"Bed-sharing, also called the 'family bed', describes a sleep arrangement where the family members sleep on the same surface."

by Hannah Sullivan

...I once told a group of environmental activists, "You can save a forest today, but if we don't raise children consciously, it will be cut down tomorrow." From this perspective we see that the well being of children sits at the root of every endeavour. With out happy, healthy children, we have no forest, no peace, and no world.

A powerful body of research grounded in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, biology and genetics points us towards the importance of the early years and how bonding, or the lack of it, dictates a child's sense of his relationship to the world and himself. We as parents literally have in our hands, the ability to create a violent culture or a peaceful one.

Anya Clowers is a registered nurse, author of Jet With Kids, travel expert, consultant, world-traveler, and mother. She has combined her many areas of expertise to facilitate traveling for families with children, covering both practical and medical aspects.

In addition to her numerous world travels, Anya also travels for business purposes, attending medical conferences and trade shows, interviewing experts and manufacturers in various fields, speaking to niche groups, and judging events (i.e., JPMA awards). She also responds to media queries and contributes to various blogs, sharing her knowledge and helping parents and grandparents navigate the ever-stressful terrain of traveling with children.

Visit Jet with Kids here:
www.jetwithkids.com

And find her popular chapter on flying with unrestrained "lap children" here:
http://www.jetwithkids.com/book_freeChapter.html

Have you ever wished for world peace, but feel it is something only possible in fairy tales?  What if there was a scientifically proven plan for achieving world peace, would you be interested?

Anthropologist Zoe Weston has finally compiled 17 years of research into a simple easy to read guide book - 5 Steps to World Peace: Women's Wisdom that can Change the World.  Anyone serious about wanting a more peaceful world will want to read this!

www.continuum-concept.org

The aim of the Continuum Concept, shaped by Jean Leidloff, is to raise well-integrated children who have strong self-preservation instincts and the ability to peacefully discern and articulate their needs. Leidloff observed the peaceful ways of the children while living with Stone Age Indians in South America, and has enlightened us with an alternative to the Western way of raising children through discipline, doting and parental absence in the guise of child independence. Leidloff advises keeping your child on your body at all times during the infant stages, including sleeping with your children, allowing them to have their own experiences through self-exploration, and not reacting adversely to your child's actions, but instead remaining neutral.

Peaceful Parenting for a Peaceful World

www.attachmentparenting.org

Attachment Parenting is a philosophy based on the practice of nurturing parenting methods that create strong emotional bonds, also known as 'secure attachment', between the infant and parent(s). This style of parenting encourages responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops trust that their emotional needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment helps the child develop secure, empathic, peaceful, and enduring relationships.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity - Only at Birth

www.cordblood.com

This web site has a tremendous amount of information about cord blood stem cells, why they are important to our body's defenses, how they are collected, when they are frozen and how and when they can be used in the future to correct potential problems. The cord blood is extracted from the umbilical cord and placenta just after delivery, preferably while the cord is still pulsing. The cord blood contains special stem cells, building blocks of the blood and immune system and are genetically unique to each family. Collecting and freezing your newborn's cord blood is a kind of safeguard and can potentially save his or her life one day. Siblings have up to 50 % chance of being able to use the stem cells as well.

www.empoweringpeople.com and www.positivediscipline.com

Jane Nelsen wishes to change our perception of discipline to a more positive, affirming way of interacting with our children (or students - she does a lot of classroom training too). Rather than punishing a child for doing 'bad', it's the parent's responsibility to realize the deeper reason for the child's 'mis' behavior and communicate with the child as an equal. She also emphasizes fostering a connection between the child, their family and their community, giving younger members a voice to have meaningful input so they feel useful and develop a sense of belonging. This concept picks up where the Continuum Concept leaves off, around age two.

www.sign2me.com

• Be less frustrated
• Actually speak earlier
• Have a higher IQ
• Develop a larger vocabulary
• Show enhanced self-esteem
• Become a better reader