The privilege of parenthood is such a blessing. The mind of a first time parent is ever wandering. At least mine is and I constantly wonder if I’m doing this parenting thing right.
I’m always searching for the best way to handle a stage or a situation.
Enter my parenting mentor and friend – Brandy! She is today’s #40Thanks winner.
I have known Brandy for a long time. To be exact, I’ve known Brandy for 12 years! We were roommates our first semester of college. Another fun fact about our friendship is that we have the same birthday! Cool, huh?
Well, since college Brandy and I have gone our separate ways but social media has kept us in contact through the years.
Social Media is how I’ve come to learn about gentle and positive parenting. Brandy has three beautiful kids and shares openly about her gentle practices.
I should add that Brandy has been my pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding mentor as well. With the “terrible twos” setting in to our household, there was no doubt in my mind how Farm Fit Daddy and I wanted to discipline our child.
I have absolutely no desire to yell or scream at my child or spank. To me, those relay bad habits and a child growing up in that environment practices the same behavior. Peaceful parenting is simply positive parenting. The child is still being disciplined, but the words are interchanged to SOUND positive. For example, instead of saying:
“No, you may not have the cookie”
The peaceful way would be:
“If you’d like a snack, you may have some fruit or vegetables.”
Basically, you give the child the other option and set the limits accordingly. There are so many tips and tricks out there to accomplish the peaceful approach. I have a lot to learn, but I think what we are doing at this point in time is working great.
When I reached out to Brandy about wanting to learn more about gentle parenting, she did not even hesitate to take me under her wing. She added me to some very helpful peaceful parenting Facebook groups and shared some great resources.
There are many many advantages we are seeing with the peaceful parenting approach. The obvious advantage is communication. By using our positive words with Farm Fit Girl, she is learning to communicate with us instead of recoiling back due fear of a spanking.
I’m blessed to have a wonderful and knowledgeable mentor. My goal is to raise a confident, strong, and kind woman. I’m definitely seeing those qualities already in Farm Fit Girl.
Thank you so much, Brandy! I appreciate all your encouragement and advice in my journey as a peaceful parent. I know that God is leading you on a journey of your own and through you, he is speaking to me and guiding you in being my fabulous mentor. 🙂
Until Next Time,
Farm Fit Mama