It is important to set limits on behavior and it is important to instill within our children a sense that there are wise and unwise choices, but how do we do this without also ingraining shame?

Working on the "Parenting Without Shame" issue of Attached Family was unlike any that have come before. I didn't realize, when I began, of how little I knew about shame as a topic. "Shame" is a term used often in parenting and parent education circles, but do we really know what shame is? So much of putting this issue together came down to doing the research -- and soul-searching -- to really understand this emotion.

From the Attachment Parenting perspective, positive discipline embodies the “golden rule” of parenting -- in other words, treat children the way you would want to be treated if you were the child. Here's how.

"Parenting without shame" is a hot topic on search engines. Google pulled up more than 5 pages for me of links with this search term. It seems that many parents are looking for ways to raise their children without shame. But is this possible?

"The share of U.S. mothers who spank their young children or endorse physical discipline has declined significantly over the past two and a half decades, according to an analysis of four national surveys.

The findings, out Monday in the journal Pediatrics, came from an analysis of data from 1988 to 2011. Researcher found that 21 percent of median-income mothers of kindergarten-aged children endorsed physical discipline at the end of that period — down from 46 percent at the start.

Children hear the word "no" about 400 times a day. Being told "no" constantly doesn’t feel good and often times can be frustrating. The more children hear it, the more likely they are to have tantrums and power struggles, and feel disconnected from their parents. Creating a "yes environment" can help families to feel happier and more connected. Mother of 3 and API Leader, Kelly Shealer shares how to do this.

In his book Playful Parenting, Dr. Lawrence Cohen points out that through play, children explore the world, work through challenging situations and get connected with the people they are close with. Mother of 3 and API Leader, Kelly Shealer shares real-life examples of how Playful Parenting has enhanced her relationships with her children while setting boundaries on their behavior.

"The Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act passed in the House and Senate as part of H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes a section addressing treatment and screening for maternal depression. The legislation builds on state and local efforts toward helping women suffering from PPD and offers federal funding to train health care providers to screen and treat mothers."

"These results, while quite preliminary, suggest that simply completing this brief course with their kids changed the parents’ brains and possibly made them more empathetic and able to recognize and regulate their own emotions."

"When taking time off after giving birth means risking a paycheck, everything becomes arduous — healing, bonding with the baby, breastfeeding. Clearly breastfeeding should not be a luxury afforded only to those fortunate enough to have jobs with generous paid leave policies or wealthy enough not to miss one parent’s income. Governments need to invest in guaranteed paid family and medical leave and other policies so that families don’t have to win the job lottery to give their children the healthiest start to life."

I’m trying to learn not to take anything for granted by feeling grateful for the little things of life, by living and appreciating each moment. It’s not easy to do and it takes a diligent and conscious daily effort -- similar to meditation. API Cofounder shares how the daily practice of gratitude can enrich our personal lives and help us reach our peaceful parenting goals.

Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday gives us an opportunity to remember to give thanks for the blessings in our lives. API encourages you to make thanksgiving a daily practice. Learning to be grateful for even the most simple things in our lives can change us profoundly, creating overflowing capacity for joy and peace in both our individual lives and our parenting. Gratitude is one of the most-written-about features of Attachment Parenting. Here are 10 tips on gratitude from APtly Said posts through the years.

"Even these two controversial parenting styles may be closely similar, there is a thin line that separates the two. Attachment parenting focuses on the emotional bond or attachment between the parent and the child while helicopter parenting is focusing too much on the children that it becomes quite irrational and unwarranted."

"In developing strategies and policies, avoid the conceptual trap that youth are either victims or perpetrators, or only a risk factor - draw upon the increasing evidence that demonstrates that youth are largely peaceful agents and assets."

API received amazing contributions to this year's Attachment Parenting Month Photo Event. Every photo included in this community of peace -- in honor of this year's AP Month theme: "Nurturing Peace: Parenting for World Harmony" -- communicated how parents around the world strive to raise their children with peace and harmony. Just for fun, API asked you to "heart" your favorite photos. Here are your top 10 favorites from API's Community of Peace.

"Lack of paid leave and outdated maternity care are barriers to breastfeeding that disproportionately impact families of color. This is the first study to show how these disparities translate into differences in health outcomes."

"Spanish for Breastfeeding Support will help you provide effective breastfeeding support to Spanish-speaking mothers. CEU's no longer available.

This book will help lactation consultants, breastfeeding peer counselors, nurses, physicians, midwives, childbirth educators, and others to:
• Converse with nursing mothers in Spanish about common breastfeeding topics
• Listen to and understand mothers speaking about breastfeeding in Spanish"