The Benefits of Natural Parenting

Posted on November 7, 2007
Filed Under Parenting

by Aja Mink
Raising your kids by your gut feeling and instincts, that what many people consider natural parenting. This is the way millions of parents all over the globe raise their children. There are other parenting styles as well. Guide parenting is one of the alternate styles, where parenting skills are taught by books, articles, research, and other techniques. Usually such people are walking encyclopedias on matters regarding parenting — however, in real life; they are as puzzled by the subject as any other parent.

Parenting instincts are born into most animals. Every species raise their young and care for their young in a particular manner, whether it be fish, dogs, cats, birds, or wild animals. Human beings have their own style as well. And if left to the gut feeling, they can manage pretty well, too. However, there is too much information floating around in so many forms, which confuses parents and make them flounder in this basic task.

As an example, it is completely natural to breastfeed an infant. Normally, one need not teach the mother or the baby how to do this. However, there are so many advertisements, articles, and TV shows on the “right way” to do it, that the mother feels lost even on this basic matter. The same applies to more complex matters such as nutrition, how to feed a child, and other such basic matters.

If you go back some 30 or 40 years you will find that natural parenting was very common and quite successful. Today when parents attend parenting workshops, make unending appointments with the pediatrician, keep researching on every aspect of bringing up children, parenting loses its charm, warmth and spontaneity.

You will find that today natural parenting has taken a back seat. Instead of relying on their instincts, today’s parents tend to fret over every latest piece of research, some of which are blatant nonsense. Unfortunately, the results are not so good when natural parenting takes the back seat. There is a slow movement to bring it back in the driving seat, and once this happens, children will again be carefree and happy — instead of feeling they have to do the ‘right’ thing at all times.

It is very difficult for a natural bond to form between parent and child when the child is raised according to someone else’s idea of what is proper and correct. Rather, it needs the ‘I feel right about this’ method of parenting. This is what natural parenting is all about, i.e. trusting your own gut feelings while making decisions about raising your children — and that is the ways things should be.

Author: Aja Mink. At www.parentplaza.com you can get parenting information and advice, as well as babysitter resources.

Article Source: Article-Junction

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