Suddenly my child, who'd embraced her surroundings with the wonder we all aspire to, had somehow become jaded. For her world had categories. And these categories not only elevated some things, but they also made others worse. What could it mean to a developing toddler, to feel she has to rank someone above the person who for her whole life was her safe place? How might that compromise her feeling of safety, of attachment?

For many people, "creativity" is a term synonymous with artistic expression. But not every child or adult is naturally geared toward music, art, creative writing, culinary skills, landscaping, textile design, inventing, photography, ballet, theatre or another "creative" endeavor. Does that mean that the more logical thinkers among us are naturally un-creative?

It’s strange to look back on it all now, as it seems obvious we would be here now, but you could never have told that to the old me back when my 15 year old was born. You see, he taught us how to attachment-parent him. Attachment Parenting (or AP, as it’s commonly abbreviated) is basically unschooling for babies.

Attachment Parenting International (API) doesn't take a stance on schooling choices, but however parents decide to educate our children, API supports making informed choices throughout the parenting journey and that includes our child's learning environment. One of my favorite people to discuss this topic with is Carolina Blatt-Gross, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Art at Georgia Gwinnett College, who lectures on art education. She is the mother of 2 very active children and a proponent of progressive learning environments.

We spend our lives wanting and needing to be heard and understood. From the moment we first lay eyes upon our mother's face, we feel we belong. We feel safe. We are home. From that point forward, through each experience, through all the light, through all the darkness, the ways in which we experience love and family evolve and take on lives of their own.

As a psychologist, I spend the majority of my time retraining people's behavior that arises out of the skills missed in childhood, skills that are circumvented, repressed or ignored. Most of these skills are acquired through children's play.

This post was originally published on October 6, 2008, but it's a great reminder that one way to connect with our children is to let them into our grownup world.

Researchers noted that affectionate parenting is associated with low aggression levels and good language development in children. This observation may indicate that affectionate behaviors of parents can facilitate language learning and the learning of acceptable alternatives to physical aggression. However, it is also possible that low aggression levels and good language development in children encourage parents to be affectionate toward them.

This warm feeling of connection has a word in Danish. They call it "hygge." My New Year's resolution last year was to bring more hygge into our lives. The simple changes I made brought our family closer and changed our whole feeling about our home. The spirit of the holidays can indeed live thorughout the year!

Whatever your experiences with your child, I hope you will understand that I love my daughter very much, am attentive to her, hold her, nurse her and do my very best to parent her from my heart. That said, there are times when I feel overwhelmed by her tantrums.

At the end of the day, it's our children who remember our reactions, who absorb our behavior and who will benefit from a deep breath, followed by a positive response.

Today, I want to share with you a beautiful, mindful way to ring in the New Year as a family. It is a way to check in and connect with your loved ones and mindfully, playfully, agree on some core values.

"Safe and Sound:

New Directions in Promoting Safe Infant Sleep"

I don't know about you, but every year as the winter holidays begin to creep closer, I start to have a moment of panic. Well, maybe it is not so much panic as much as dissociation about how many gifts to purchase and what it all really means.

While my daughter will certainly get the gifts that she has expressed interest in or requested, I do not want the receiving of gifts to be what she equates with Christmas, no do I want it to be the cause of most of her joy surrounding the season. Instead I want her to hold most dear the traditions we partake in as a family: the art of giving and the act of charity.

Estonia has banned all corporal punishment of children, including in the home, becoming the sixth State to do so this year. The Child Welfare Act 2014, which was passed by the Estonian Parliament last week, explicitly prohibits the “use of physical force for the purpose of punishment” in all settings. The total number of States worldwide to have enacted a ban now stands at 43.

It is easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of this time of the year and lose focus on what's important. While I love watching the magic of Christmas come alive for my children on Christmas morning as they open presents, I want the presents to be one part of a much bigger picture.

Your ancestors' lousy childhoods or excellent adventures might change your personality, bequeathing anxiety or resilience by altering the epigenetic expressions of genes in the brain.

A few toys can be fantastic, but the fact is most of us have MORE than a few; many of us have homes filled to the brim to toys and we can’t take any more! Too many toys can push a child’s imagination right under the bed and will eventually wreck the planet our children have got to enjoy for the rest of their lives. 

But friends, Aunties, grandparents and neighbours want to show loooove! It’s the kid’s BIRTHDAY! It’s CHRISTMAS!