Bonding with your future child begins before conception! Life is in love with itself. As William Blake said, "eternity is in love with time." What we call bonding is just that, which begins with mother and her infant and expands to embody the entire universe. - M. Mendizza
FAMILY GUY. an article in Scientific American Mind, May 2010, by Emily Anthes. Fathers influence children in unique ways and in today's families, more and more men are opting to stay home and care for the children, while mom goes to work. Studies show that mothers spend 22% of their time interacting with their children while dads spend 40% of their time. Just a generation ago dad's rarely changed diapers or fed bottles to their babies... now it's a growing trend.
The Secret Spiritual World of Children by Tobin Hart, Ph.D.Children open our hearts and minds to a world of wonder, wisdom, and pure joy.It is the gift they give to us, a reminder of our greater possibilities.This deep connection to the spiritual realm can include divine encounters and visions of ethereal worlds beyond our own. But such spiritual experiences are often dismissed, or worse, labeled a pathology by adults with no map for understand- ing them. This "signal" can close down a child's and parents' commitment to a shared spiritual pathway of learning and ultimately enlightenment.
The Continuum Concept, In Search of Happiness Lost, by Jean Liedloff. "A book we all should read...to help us become nurturing parents and advocates for our child within, to understand what we have missed, and to restore it". Gloria Steinem.
The author spent two and one half years in the South American jungle living with Stone Age Indians. This book published in 1975 is revised. The author's experience demolishes western preconceptions of how we should live. It is listed as child care anthropology. For more information contact:
The Liedloff Continuum Network P.O. Box 1634 Sausalito, CA 94966
Giving Birth to a Better Brain - Do Babies Sharpen Parents' Minds? Women with small children have long been saddled with an unflattering stereotype: incompetent, dull-witted, frazzled, and preoccupied with domestic affairs...New fathers escape the brunt of maternal prejudices. But research in mice suggests they may still enjoy some of the same brain boosts of parenthood, as well as some of the biochemical changes exhibited by females... by Erica Noonan.
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the NewbornPregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Simkin, Whalley, & Keppler, Simon & Schuster. Covers nutrition, prenatal procedures, health care providers, birth places, labor support techniques, medical interventions, exercises, relaxation, and breastfeeding, with strong presentation of parental choices; excellent charts.
A Love Like No Other, Stories From Adoptive Parents, Edited by Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe. "This collection offers an exploration of raising adopted children as multidimensional as the experience itself". Kate Washington, a writer in Sacramento, Ca.
A Mind at a Time, by Mel Levine, M.D. Dr. Levine helps parents and those who care for children how to identify individual learning patterns, explain how they can strengthen a child's abilities and either bypass or help overcome the child's weaknesses, producing positive results instead of repeated frustration and failure.
The Prize of Privilege by Madeline Levine, Ph. D. "Kids can't find the time, both literal and psychological to linger in internal exploration, a necessary precursor to a well developed sense of self. Fantasies, daydreaming, thinking about oneself and one's future even just 'chilling' are critical processes in self-development and cannot be hurried. Every child has a different timetable and most are ahead of the pack in some areas and behind in others. We would do well to remember 'late bloomers' like Albert Einstein, John Steinbeck, Benjamin Franklin and J.R.R.Tolkien. Sometimes a nudge is helpful but a shove rarely is."
Parenting, Using Natural Learning Rythyms to Nurture the Whole Child by Ba Luvmour. A comprehensive, thoroughly researched, easy to understand system of child development and family dynamics--to create environments for optimal well-being. Natural Learning Rythyms is a practical, yet transformative, vision that promotes greater depth and meaning in family relationships and helps children communicate with adults in their lives.
Rhythms of Life by Russell Foster and Leon Kreitzman."Why can't teenagers get out of bed in the morning? How do the bees tell the time? Why do some plants open and close their flowers at the same time each day? Why do so many people suffer the misery of jet lag? Why Johnny Can't Name His Colors - There is a surprising disconnect between what children seem to know about colors and numbers and what they actually know when tested. Nailing down just what "red" or "three" means is a difficult hurdle in mastering language, and even older children sometimes slip up and reveal a less than expert grasp of the concept. We dis- covered in our lab that the way we use color and number words in everyday English actually impedes kids' learning. By Melody Dye, cognitive science researcher at Stanford University. Sc A Mind May/June 2011.
How to Say It to Your Kids by Dr. Paul Coleman & How to Say It to Teens by Richard Heyman, Ed.D. A book that combines preparation for parenting from the younger child through the difficult teen years with strategies that resolve conflict, covers important topics from anger to violence and other complicated topics. A guide with real-life examples.
Baby Signs Program. Parent Workshops offered by independent certified instructors, Baby Signs Classroom Kits and Early Childhood Educator Trainings.Learn about: Mealtime, Bath Time, Bedtime, Pets, Park, Getting Dressed, Feelings, Outside, Safety, Farm, Zoo, Birthday!
The Science of Parenting by Margot Sunderland. How today's brain research can help you raise happy, emotionally balanced children. Introduces an entirely new way to raise children backed by solid evidence from the latest studies into the impact of parenting on children's brain development. The book includes the experiences of real families dealing with day-to-day realities.
Misery in Motherhood - A deep despair mars the first year of motherhood for as many as one in five women. Without treatment, postpartum depression can weaken critical bonds between a mother and her child. By Katja Gaschler, Feb/March 2008, Scientific American Mind.
For information on preventing stillbirth: Go to www.babykickalliance.org. Missing Angels and Baby Kick Alliance are beginning a public awareness campaign this year about the importance of counting a baby's movements during pregnancy to detect fetal distress.
Bonding Bondingby Marshall H. Klaus, M.D., John H. Kennell, M.D., Phyllis H. Klaus, C.S.W., M.E.C.C. - When newborns are alert for their parents and responsive to their parents' efforts to communicate, the parents' feelings are enhanced in the process that Klaus and Kennell have labeled as "bonding." This book brings into focus the many valuable ways both professionals and parents can participate to enhance these opportunities.
"Infants are born with far greater spatial-temporal abilities than previously understood, ready for enhancing with the right environment." Gordon L. Shaw, Ph.D.Keeping Mozart In Mind.
"A serious dispute over vitamins should concern every woman of childbearing age who wants to protect her unborn child against a serious and sometimes fatal birth defect of the spine or brain. And not just women who are planning to become pregnant. Half of all pregnancies in this country are unplanned, so every woman who could become pregnant--including teenage girls, many of whom fail to anticipate having sex, let alone becoming pregnant--should act now to prevent these defects." For Women and Babies, Another Form of Protection, by Judy E. Brody.
Family WisdomFamily Wisdom by Susan Ginsberg, Ed.D. Encompassing a remarkably rich spectrum of reflections, inspiration, and advice, this book spans centuries and cultures to offer 2,000 of the most perceptive, exhilarating, helpful, and humorous remarks on the subject of parenting, children, and family life.
On Becoming Baby Wiseby Gary Ezzu, M.A. and Robert Bukman, M.D. - From a pediatrician's perspective, this is a sigh of welcome and relief for sleepless, weary parents.
"Some fathers enjoy visualizing what the baby is like, putting their hands on the mother’s belly and sending their own loving message to their child. Making an effort to connect with their infant has helped many fathers feel more like participants rather than merely onlookers in this period.” Marshall H. Klaus, M.D. and Phyllis H. Klaus, C.S.W., M.F.C.C. Your Amazing Newborn
The Happiest Baby on the Block The Happiest Baby on The Block by Harvery Karp, M.D. - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer. "The best way I've seen to help crying babies" - Steven P. Shelov, M.D., editor in chief, American Academy of Pediatrics, author of Caring for Your Baby and Young ChildCaring for Your Baby And Young Child.
And Baby Makes ThreeAnd Baby Makes Three: The 6-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives, by John Gottman, PhD. & Julie Schwartz Gottman.
It's So Amazing ! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families. From the author and illustrator of It'sPerfectly Normal, Robie H. Harris. Illustrated by Michael Emberly. "How does a baby begin? What makes a baby male or female? How is a baby born? How is a baby adopted? In a reassuring and age-appropriate way, this book provides accurate, unbiased answers to nearly every conceivable question, while giving children a healthy understanding of their bodies."
The Birth Partner:Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth by Penny Simkin, P.T. "Destined to becomethe birth partner's bible. We have needed something like this for a long long time."--Marian Tompson, cofounder of La Leche League.
Pregnancy for Dummies by Joanne Stone, M.D. and Keith Edleman, M.D. Get the advice you need to keep you and your baby healthy.
What Every Baby Knows. by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. Covers: Quiet Child/Active Child, Sibling Rivalry, Discipline, Sleep, Separation & Divorce, Crying, Middle Child.
Baby Minds. Linda Acredolo, Ph. D. and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D. Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love.
Baby Signs.Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D,Doug Abrams. How to talk with your baby before your baby can talk.
Good Night -The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep And Better Health by Michael Breuss, Ph.D. Founder of Sound Sleep Solutions. "Sleep your way to greater success. Whether you're a traveler, new parent, working mom, or just plain tired, Dr.Breus can show you how to get a restful night's sleep and gain all the energy, focus, and productivity you need to live abalanced and successful lilfe." --Jack Canfield, CEO, Chicken-Soup for the Soul Enterprises: coauthor, The Success Principles The Success Principles.
Sleep, The Brazelton Way.T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. & Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. - Covers Sleep Problems & Solutions, Includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
My First Baby Signs. Linda Acredolo, Ph. D. & Susan Goodwyn, Ph. D. Helps parents communicate with baby before they can speak. Decreases frustration, tantrums and helps baby talk sooner.
"The Indigo Child is a boy or girl who displays a new and unusual set of psychological attributes, revealing a pattern of behavior generally undocumented before. This pattern has singularly unique factors that call for parents and teachers to change their treatment and upbringing of these kids to assist them in achieving balance and harmony in their lives, and to help them avoid frustration." The Indigo ChildrenTHE INDIGO CHILDREN by Lee Carroll, Jan Tober
"Parenting is one of the most challenging, demanding, and stressful jobs on the planet. It is also one of the most important, for how it is done influences in great measure the heart and soul and consciousness of the next generation, their experience of meaning and connection, their repertoire of life skills, and their deepest feeling about themselves and their possible place in a rapidly changing world." Everyday Blessings,The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zin.
"Relationship is the key. The infant in the womb has a symbiotic relationship with the mother's body, but this is a limited relationship. Only through separation from this matrix can a larger matrix be explored....Nature provides that each division, separation, and addition in child development takes place in proper sequences. If nature is violated, overall maturation must fail." From Bonds of Power, Magical Parent Magical Child, Bonds of Power, Magical Parent Magical Child by Michael Mendizza with Joseph Chilton Pearce.
"I have read,The Art of Perfect Parenting and enjoyed it as a father and as a professional. Dr. Yellen understands the parentalstruggle to provide appropriate structure while allowing children to grow in their own individual manner. It offers parents a pragmatic way of managing their family while maintaining their sense of humor. I recommend it wholeheartedly." Leslie I. Forman, Ph. D., Dir. Adolescent Services, Northridge Hospital Med. Center, about The Art of Perfect Parenting by Andrew G. Yellen & Associates.
Wild Tulips, by Beth Bruno. "Beth Bruno combines wit and wisdom in her superbly written book. Drawing from a background as a psychologist, wife and mother, her essays explore family life, personal insights and the joys and challenges of raising children in a contemporary society. Wild Tulips is a veritable treasure house of useful and enlightening messages-- a book readers will return to again and again." says Jerry Labriola, M.D., pediatrician and author.
Is it right to show emotion at what a child has done? If you feel upset, should you show it right away? What if everyday brings a new crisis? At what age do you think limit setting should be introduced so that it is effective? You can find answers to these questions and more in What Every Baby Knows What Every Baby Knows by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.
Parenting Magazine's Baby Must-Haves: the essential guide to everything from cribs to bibs.
About the Authors
Conscious parenting is informed, thoughtful parenting, in which the mind and heart of the parent resonate to the needs of the child. The findings in the fields as deverse as neuroscience, cell biology, and psychology demand that conscious parenting starts at conception. Ideally, every child should be a planned and wanted child. Every child deserves to be cherished and loved from the start.
Marshall H. Klaus, M.D. Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. A distinguished neonatalist and researcher, he is the author or co-author of several standard works in the field, including: Maternal Infant Bonding, Parent-Infant Bonding, Care of the High-Risk Infant, The Amazing Newborn, Mothering the Mother, and an editor of the Yearbook of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine.
John H. Kennel, M.D. is Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Chief of Child Development at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to his ongoing research on the doula and on perinatal influences on parents and infants, his teaching and patient care, he continues to participate each year with medical students who serve as apprentice-physician doulas for mothers. He is the co-author of Maternal-Infant Bonding, Parent-Infant Bonding, and Mothering the Mothers.
Phyllis H. Klaus, C.S.W., M.F.C.C. formerly on the faculty of the Department of Family Practice, Michigan State University, now teaches and practices at the Erikson Institute in Santa Rosa, California, and also practices in Berkeley, California providing psychotherapy and especially working with the concerns, both medical and psychological, of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. She consults nationally and internationally, does research, and is the co-author of the Amazing Newborn and Mothering the Mother.
