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WE Believe...... • that all parents need support for themselves and their children. • that children should be treated with the same dignity and respect given to adults. • that community involvement is a value worth passing along to our children Please join us for support meetings, playgroups, bookgroups, Family Potlucks and more. |
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Links Section
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PROTECTING THE PARENT- CHILD CONNECTION
Respect for Children. Support for Parents. Outreach to Our Community.
API of Snohomish County is a collaborative community of families aspiring to practice the ideals of Attachment Parenting. Our "worthy purpose" is to lovingly guide our cherished children through affection, empathy, and respect. The mission of Attachment Parenting International (API)of Snohomish County is to promote parenting practices that create strong, healthy emotional bonds between children and their parents through monthly group meetings. These practices nurture and fulfill a child's need for trust, empathy, and affection, providing a lifelong foundation for healthy, enduring relationship.
As parents look for better ways to raise secure and loving children, many are turning to Attachment Parenting to meet the needs of their family. Attachment Parenting emphasizes physical and emotional closeness between a parent and child as a way to encourage positive bonding to aid in creating lasting, enduring relationships for the future. Attachment Parenting is a style of parenting that fulfills a child's need for trust, empathy, and affection while at the same time keeping the whole family balanced. Attachment Parenting offers a variety of tools for a family to choose from to aid in making the attachment in their family strong emotionally and physically. Every family is unique; therefore, each family will have in their possession their own personalized parenting values.
"Let's raise children who won't have to recover from their childhood." - Pam Leo
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Monthly Meeting Schedule and Topics:
API of Snohomish County meets on the 2nd Monday of the month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Bridge Church, 2500 Lake Avenue in Snohomish. The meeting is in the Church Hall. The address is 2500 Lake Avenue (formerly 6016 99th Ave SE, Snohomish). A left (east) at King Charley's Restaurant and a right at the stop sign will take you to the Bridge Church on the right. We also offer an online discussion group.
Our 2008-2009 Meeting Topics:
AUGUST: Infant Massage
SEPTEMBER: Siblings in Harmony
OCTOBER: Wholesome Kid-Friendly Foods
NOVEMBER: Creating Your Birth Plan
DECEMBER: Living Attachment
JANUARY: Family Resolutions and Balance
FEBRUARY: What Is Nighttime Parenting
MARCH: The Creative Family
Family Potluck: Contact Marianne at marianne@amesrgi.com for details
Monthly Play Group: Contact Marianne at marianne@amesrgi.com for details
Monthly Crafters Group: Contact Marianne at marianne@amesrgi.com for details
1. Prepararing for Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting
2. Respond with Sensitivity
3. Feed with Love and Respect
4. Use Nurturing Touch
5. Engage in Nighttime Parenting
6. Provide Consistent and Loving Care
7. Practice Positive Discipline
8. Maintain Balance in Your Personal and Family Life
1. Become Knowledgeable About Your Child's Development and Cognitive Levels
2. Stay Emotionally Responsive
3. Strive for Optimum Physical Health
4. Maintain a High Touch relationship
5. Develop and Maintain Positive Sleep Routines
6. Be Present and Available for Your Children
7. Use Positive Discipline
8. Maintain Balance in Your Personal and Family Life
Who is Attachment Parenting International (API)?
Attachment Parenting International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit member organization, networking with parents, professionals, and like-minded organizations around the world. In addition to providing assistance in forming Attachment Parenting support groups like those in the Snohomish County area, API provides educational materials, research information, consultative, referral, and speaker services to promote the concepts of Attachment Parenting.
"Every stage in a child's life is there for a purpose. If we can respect and respond to her needs fully during each stage of her life, she can be done with that stage and move on." —Naomi Aldort
Attachment Parenting is a philosophy based in the practice of nurturing parenting practices that create strong emotional bonds, also known as secure attachment, between the infant and parent(s). This style of parenting encourages responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops trust that their emotional needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment helps the child develop secure, empathic, peaceful, and enduring relationships.
Through education, support, advocacy and research, API seeks to strengthen families and increase awareness of the importance of secure attachment, ultimately helping to reduce or prevent child abuse, behavioral disorders, criminal acts and other serious social problems.
We have an online Yahoo group community availalbe to you 24/7 to help gain insight, comfort, support or tips from other families. You'll find our calendar, information, support and conversation there.
