I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Save The Natural Child Project
The Natural Child Project is one of my favorite parenting sites on the web. Overflowing with quotes, articles, and tips for parents. It promotes attachment parenting and gentle parenting in a common sense way. And right now, they need help to keep going. This is an email I got earlier this week:
Save The Natural Child ProjectThe Natural Child Project has promoted attachment parenting and natural learning since 1996. We love helping families, but the current economic climate has made it difficult for us to continue.
We are sending this one-time message to our newsletter subscribers to ask for a small donation. If everyone gives just $5, we can continue to encourage and inform attachment parenting families around the world.
Our vision is a world in which all children are treated with dignity, respect, understanding, and compassion. In such a world, every child can grow into adulthood with a generous capacity for love and trust. Our society has no more urgent task.
“I want to thank you so much for your site, it has made a profound difference in my life.” – Darlene Walsh
How can you help?
Donation online with credit card or PayPal: www.naturalchild.org/donate
Or by mail:
The Natural Child Project
Box 3183
Sunriver, OR 97707Please freely share this message on Internet forums, and with others who appreciate our work and website.
Thank you for your support.
Jan Hunt, M.Sc., Director
The Natural Child Project
www.naturalchild.org/
Global Children’s Art Gallery
www.naturalchild.org/gallery
If you have a little bit to spare send some their way to help them keep going. Or head to their book shop and buy one of the awesome books they sell. When Evan was just a few months old I bought a copy of The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart by Jan Hunt and it’s been a favorite of mine since. If you’re going to buy one book, buy this one. One of my favorite sections from it is a small section comparing how we treat children to how we treat adults. It was such a “duh” moment for me, it really clicked over in my head.
The Parenting Golden Rule:
“Treat all others as you would like to be treated yourself.”
1. Physical Punishment
The wife accidentally spills coffee on her husband’s new jacket. He hits her.
Will the wife be more careful with his belongings in the future? Or might she have him arrested for spousal abuse?
2. Time-out
The husband starts to argue with a visiting friend. The wife tells him “It’s not nice to argue with your friend! I won’t have this! Go sit in the bedroom for half an hour!”
Will the husband become less argumentative? Will the embarrassment of the situation set him straight? Will he feel like apologizing to his friend?
3. Consequences
The wife is out driving, forgets to fill the tank, and runs out of gas. She phones her husband to ask him to take his car to buy some gas and bring it to her. He refuses, explaining that she has to learn from “logical consequences” to be more responsible.
The next time the tank is low, will the wife remember to get it filled? Or will she be too preoccupied with fantasies of divorce to think about less important matters like car maintenance?
4. Counting
The wife reminds her husband, who is reading the newspaper after dinner, that it is his turn to do the dishes. He murmurs, “Mm hmm,”, and keeps on reading. The wife says firmly, “You have to do the dishes now! Ten, nine, eight, seven, …”
Will the husband feel like cooperating with his wife? Or will he conclude that he’s married a lunatic? And would he feel the least bit loved?
Hi – Came over from MomSparks Entrecard group to drop my card. Love your blog =) Lori
Sounds like a great book and an even better cause!!