So what is this “natural family living” thing? For us, it’s a mix of attachment parenting, urban homesteading, and living a simpler life. I recently came across the term “natural family living” in an article at mothering.com by Peggy O’Mara. She listed some of the basic ideas for this lifestyle which include, but aren’t limited to:
~Pregnancy and birth are normal processes that do not require drugs or interventions.
~Breastmilk is the optimum food for humans.
~Co-sleeping helps to facilitate successful breastfeeding and bonding.
~Mothers and babies need to be together, especially during the first three to five years of life
~Human babies have a need to be touched and to be held in arms.
~It is important to cultivate a community of like-minded families for friendship, information, and support.
~Eat food that is in as natural a state as possible.
~The human body has the capacity to fight off illness without the use of drugs and interventions.
~Unstructured play is essential to the full development of the human imagination.
~Hitting and punishment are unnecessary when children’s natural desire to cooperate is engaged to resolve conflicts.
~Pregnancy and birth are normal processes that do not require drugs or interventions.
~Breastmilk is the optimum food for humans.
~Co-sleeping helps to facilitate successful breastfeeding and bonding.
~Mothers and babies need to be together, especially during the first three to five years of life
~Human babies have a need to be touched and to be held in arms.
~It is important to cultivate a community of like-minded families for friendship, information, and support.
~Eat food that is in as natural a state as possible.
~The human body has the capacity to fight off illness without the use of drugs and interventions.
~Unstructured play is essential to the full development of the human imagination.
~Hitting and punishment are unnecessary when children’s natural desire to cooperate is engaged to resolve conflicts.
As I read this list, my heart soared! It’s felt so good to be validated for my innate knowingness, even though what I knew to be true usually is in direct conflict with the mainstream. I find most mainstream parenting to be very detached and cruel. There, I said it, CRUEL! For example, letting a baby cry doesn’t teach them to sleep, it teaches them to give up because no one is coming to get them. Absolutely NOT something I want Eli to EVER learn! My goal for this blog is to help educate about a non-mainstream way of life while also providing links to experts and other articles. It isn’t just about natural parenting, but natural living.
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