For 13 years, the blog of Attachment Parenting International (API) – originally called API Speaks, later renamed APtly Said – has been encouraging and supporting and giving voice to parents around the globe who have embraced API’s vision for a changed society…one where peace and compassion triumphs, not only for our children but for our wider culture.

As API cofounder Lysa Parker put it: “You can’t change generations of behaviors in one generation, but you can begin the change. …”

"This way of relating to our babies and children may be very different than the mainstream parenting culture where you live. It does require a shift in thinking away from the past few generations of advice that derived from the counter-biological idea that parents shouldn’t develop healthy emotional bonds with their children.

"I started reading books about Attachment parenting (Dr. Sears was my absolute favorite). We had a rocky start, and I was as complete of a mess as I sound like in this writing, but we made it!

"I would like to thank you for this wonderful event, and this fantastic curriculum! It means a lot to me and to the Hungarian mothers of course." Certified Attached at the Heart Parenting Educator Anna Tamas spoke about API and AHPP Online for an online weekend program for mothers, through the „Mothers” (Edesanyak) Facebook group of 50,000 members based on responsive parenting.

The New York Times recently published an article entitled “I Love You. Leave Me Alone.” This headline has since been softened to “Why I Need to Hide From My Kids.”

Dr. William Sears 2020 NBJ Summit Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation

Much deserved, congratulations, Dr. Sears! ~Attachment Parenting International

Much talk surrounding the foundations of a robust national economy ignores the role of healthy families, especial

Balance in personal and family life, many parents agree, may be the hardest principle of all to follow.

Sometimes, balance seems impossible to attain in our child’s current developmental stage or a particular calendar season.

Other times, we may really be trying…giving a list of ideas a fighting chance…but it just doesn’t seem to be making any difference. You’re drained, stressed, and it’s spilling over into your family life.

"In the more than 20 years the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, childhood was transformed by smartphones, tablets, and an overwhelming array of apps and games designed to hook kids, monopolize their attention, and mine their personal information for profit. And while our advocacy evolved to match the digital techniques used by corporate marketers, our name hadn’t. Until today. 

Join Brandie Hadfield, MCHC, CAHPE, with Dr. Andrew Doan, for Digital Sugar v. Digital Veggies, a free webinar with live Q&A on Wednesday, July 14, at 6:00 pm EST.

Link: zoom.us/i/2265690355/

Passcode: realbattle

Have you stepped out of the paid workforce to care for your children?

"Connection, closeness, responsiveness are three words that can have a very important meaning as parents, perhaps even more so during the COVID pandemic. How has this affected our lives? How are we experiencing the post-pandemic?

"Sometimes, this NYT article points out, extroverts and introverts may find themselves in the same family. Misperception of the other temperament can create challenges in the family dynamic including in the quality of parent-child relationship.

Bob Fox, AP father and husband of "Being There" author Isabelle Fox, has a new book to help families be mindful about medical care: 

"Furthermore, the missed group had the same increased risk for poor health outcomes as those who were identified. The language change also meant that many had an ACE score of at least four, which can impact access to certain services. Dolson’s research, when applied on a national scale, means that there could be as many as 18 million women who experienced childhood sexual abuse but were overlooked by the original screener."