Pratt's Parenting Page

It is so much fun watching my children grow. I cannot believe how fast children grow and learn new things. It is amazing that a women can bring into this world such small people and they end up being bigger people. I will always love being a parent and I hope you enjoy it also! 

What is attachment parenting? I have wondered what it was and many others have wondered that same question.

We feel attachment parenting is very important and we practice it in different ways. Below, you can read about the different ways we follow attachment parenting.

Natural Childbirth

Before my daughter was born, I wanted a natural childbirth and I did. I did not take have any form of medication or an epidural to kill the labor pain. It did hurt but I knew I could handle it because it would be over soon. I only went through the hurting stage for just over an hour. My labor only lasted seven and a half hours before I gave birth to my daughter. I knew I would be in more control if I had a natural childbirth and my body would not be filled with drugs. I would know what natural childbirth was like and I could breast feed my daughter after she was born. I knew I did not need drugs because I can handle pain. I really did not have time even to think about medication or an epidural because my labor was so fast for a first time mother.

Crying & Spanking
Updated 6/3/02

We feel it is important not to let our children cry and cry. We like to pick them up when they need our comfort or just want to be held. We did have to let our daughter cry while she learned to sleep through the night (but that was when she was 21 months old). We did that because I was too tired to nurse her during the nighttime; since I was pregnant. You can read this experience in her journal.

I let my son cry during the night starting on March 11, 2002.  He was 28 months old.  Sometimes I will go and pick my son up (and he falls right back to sleep).  It happened just recently (late May 2002) and it was because he had gas and had to let it out.  He feel right back to sleep.

I feel if you let a baby cry they will then think that you don't care and trust you in later years to come; especially when they are younger.

We also feel spanking is not necessary. We discipline our children by telling them nicely what they have done wrong and what they need to do the next time. We show love in our home and we feel love is important in building a trusting bond and relationship with our children.  

Stay At Home Mom

I stay at home with my daughter and son. I feel it is important for me to teach her the things she needs to know and not for other people; besides my husband. I love staying at home with her everyday. I would miss all the laughter and kisses; if I were not at home with her. I would also miss all the main events that take place in my children's lives.  I love them very much.

Nursing
Added 1/26/05

I nursed my first daughter until she was 25 months old and my son until he was almost 32 months old.  (See below.)  I am now nursing my 2 month old daughter.

Extended Breastfeeding
Updated 1/26/05

I breastfed my daughter until she was 25 months old. She self weaned when her baby brother was born. You can see more about my breastfeeding experience and links to breast feeding and breastfeeding while pregnant on my Breastfeeding Page.

I stopped nursing my son during the night about March 12, 2002. I stopped his naptime nursing around April 22, 2002.  Sometimes I have to put my head down by him and he usually falls asleep.  I completly stopped nursing him in July 2002 (right before he turned 32 months old).  I just couldn't do it anymore and my milk was gone.  It was more of a comfort thing and something to get him to go to bed at nightime.

Home Schooling
Updated 6/3/02

I was a certified teacher through November 2003. However, you do not have to be a certified teacher to home school your children. You just need to find out is what your state or country requires to home school your children. When our children are school aged or even before, we plan to home school them. We feel it is important to do this part of their learning. We can teach them so much more since the regular school system can't do what every child is interested in and what every child needs at that time. You can find out some other reasons why we are going to home school our children on my Educational Resources page.  There are lots of resources there (including home schooling).