Attached at the Heart: 8 Proven Parenting Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children by Barbara Nicholson and Lysa Parker
Why are there increasing numbers of children experiencing depression, anxiety, aggression and other serious mental, emotional and behavioral problems? Mental health experts agree this crisis is due largely to their lack of substantive connectedness to parents and community.
This crucial finding requires a major shift in societal attitudes and our treatment of children. Our culture can be toxic to children and many children don’t feel any true connection to their families, their schools or their communities. A new book by respected family educators and parenting consultants Barbara Nicholson and Lysa Parker, Attached at the Heart: 8 Proven Parenting Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children provides parents with the tools they need to develop and maintain close emotional relationships with their children based on a foundation of a deeper understanding about the role of ‘attachment’ in breaking the cycles of family dysfunction.
By presenting the ‘big picture’ to parents and professionals, Attached at the Heart is supported by some of the most recent scientific evidence; busting some of the most popular parenting myths and providing simple strategies for parents to help them in implementing the eight principles on a day to day basis:
• Prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting
• Feed with love and respect
• Respond with sensitivity
• Use nurturing touch
• Ensure safe sleep, physically and emotionally
• Provide consistent and loving care
• Practice positive discipline
• Strive for balance in personal and family life
“Attached at the Heart was written to give parents the science, with an abundance of resources to begin their parenting journey,” Nicholson says. “We not only tell them where to go for good information, but why it is so critical that they educate themselves and be more conscious in their choices.
” “With problems such as autism at epidemic levels, parents can’t afford to sit back and let someone else make decisions for them,” adds Nicholson. “They must see that even though there is a lot of responsibility, there is tremendous joy and satisfaction in parenting. We want to help remove the fear and anxiety with facts and practical strategies.”
A guidepost for attachment parenting, Attached at the Heart offers evidence-based parenting advice for raising more compassionate children. The book also:
• Dispels many myths and misconceptions about children and childrearing – backed by sound science
• Focuses on raising children with a purpose in mind — to raise compassionate children who have a positive effect on society
• Represents one of the only published parenting books that explains attachment theory and the importance of why we need to nurture our children
• Gives readers a blueprint for changing society and preventing violence or abuse
• Is written by trained parent educators who are also parents
“Over the years,” Parker says, “we have been working with and talking to professionals in the fields of child development, psychology, anthropology and neuroscience and were passionate about getting the new supportive evidence into the hands of parents.” “There are hundreds of parenting books written every year that claim to have the answer to every childrearing issue. The problem is very few understand the parent-child attachment relationship and the science behind it, so our goal is to provide the ‘big picture’ so parents better understand why nurturing parenting is important not only for the family but for society as a whole.”
No other parenting book is as comprehensive in its scope, from an overview of attachment theory and current child development research to practical strategies for everyday situations. Attached at the Heart is a vital blueprint for change that begins in the home.
Barbara Nicholson, M Ed, is co-founder of Attachment Parenting International (API). For fifteen years she served as President of the Board of Directors of API. Barbara has a Masters of Education degree specializing in learning disabilities and has been a breastfeeding and parent support group facilitator for over 27 years. Barbara speaks to various groups and conferences and has given workshops about parenting as a prevention model for societal violence.
Lysa Parker (Lisa), MS ,CFLE, received her bachelor’s in education and her master’s degree in human development and family studies. She earned her designation of Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) from the National Council on Family Relations in 2004. As cofounder of Attachment Parenting International (API), she served as the executive director for thirteen years, focusing on program development, public relations, and fundraising.
Prior to her involvement with API, she worked as a special education teacher helping children with multiple handicaps and learning difficulties.
Currently Lysa is a writer, speaker and parenting consultant in private practice at www.parentslifeline.com. Attached at the Heart can be purchased from www.iuniverse.com, www.amazon.com and through any major bookseller. Website: www.AttachedAtTheHeartBook.com
