While there are particular aspects of parenting styles that most suited me early on in motherhood, I have found myself gravitating towards various types of developmental models throughout different stages of my little girls growth.
What I’m finding now is the essential element of self trust, in all of the sifting I wind up doing in my passionate pursuit of self evolution as a mother. As a breastfeeding mother, attachment parenting really sits well with me however blending this with the RIE approach to parenting has been an enormous game changer.
Since adopting the RIE (respectful infant educaring) approach in my relationship with my daughter, I have found a huge difference in our ability to move past any situations that I would have once feared as tricky and intimidating (such as tantrums).
I am finding that particularly now as my little girl is 2, at the boundary learning stage of development, that Respectful Educaring is invaluable in helping me communicate to her and help her feel at ease where boundaries are made clear, with confidence…not only for her benefit, but mine as well. And we all know, when a mother is fulfilled (happy), then the whole family has harmony.
As I watch my little girl grow, with confidence, sharing parts of week with other like minded families at playgroups, I am so proud and excited about her growth and learning each step of the way.
I am also loving the beautiful philosophies of Waldorf Steiner education blended with Montessori. I know there are families and parents drawn to one style of parenting over the other, but I have loved the journey of evolving in my own blended mix of the combination.
I take some and I leave some as it’s not all for me. And I feel that given we are all so unique, one model or approach will hardly ever be perfect completely for any one individual in a rigid sense.
Just as EC (elimination communication) is a practice that some mothers use in attachment parenting, and other parents use cloth nappies part time…I have found that adapting my own way of parenting…is so much fun. I could not imagine stressing about following one path strictly at the cost of my own personal beliefs and philosophies.
