Welcome to the January Carnival of Natural Parenting: Learning From Children

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Learning From My Children: I Am So Honored

Through all this, my children are seeing their mother change. Sometimes it's for the good, sometimes it's not for good. All in all, my children have helped me.

My children have shown me who I am. Not who I want to be or who I present myself to others as...but the real, hard core me.

And sometimes, it ain't pretty.

There are times when I lose my patience and hurry one of them away while I try to tackle the more "important" things. When I notice that child being a bit more demanding than usual later in the day, I'm reminded how each and every little act of harsh parenting, like shooing them away, affects their tender hearts. Only then, do I look into their eyes and see the hurt, hope and forgiveness that's there.

So, I ask for forgiveness and am granted it, so easily, with a big smile and hug.

My children remind me that all we really need is love. Love, in vast amounts. Love, in the tiny small gestures. Love, in the short time it takes to make your child's day.

Today I made the decision to shoo the computer away so I could sit and enjoy a tea party with my preschoolers. Just one of the many special moments I have to share that will all too soon be gone, never to be experienced again.

My children have taught me what really matters. And it all begins and ends with them. The reason why I do what I do.

My children teach me love.

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon January 11 with all the carnival links.)

1. Affection — Alicia at I Found My Feet has finally become a hugger and kisser, now she has someone sweet and small to snuggle with. (@aliciafagan)
2. Learning from Daniel — Amy at Anktangle hopes that she and her husband will always be open to learning from their son. (@anktangle)
3. Kids Cultivate Awareness of Universal Truths — From forgiveness to joy, Amy Phoenix at Innate Wholeness has become aware of deep truths that come naturally to children. (@InnateWholeness)
4. What the Apple Teaches the Tree — Becky at Future Legacy has learned about imagination, forgiveness, and strength.
5. A Lesson in Slowing Time — Bethy at Bounce Me To the Moon revels in the chance to just be with her baby.
6. Learning From My Children: I Am So Honored — WAHM Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey is learning to choose tea parties over work. (@MyMotheringPath)


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~



7. P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E — Now that she's a mother, Danielle at born.in.japan is finally learning about a personality trait she lacked. (@borninjp)
8. Top 5 Homeschool Lessons My Children Taught Me — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares what she learned from homeschooling her (now grown) children. (@DebChitwood)
9. Learning to Live in the Present By Looking to the Future — Dionna at Code Name: Mama finds the patience to be a gentle parent, because she knows how fleeting childhood really is. (@CodeNameMama)
10. The watchful Buddha boy — At Dreaming Aloud, they are learning to cherish their thoughtful, sensitive child in a action-driven, noisy world. (DreamingAloudNt)
11. What My Children Taught Me — Dulce de Leche's children have taught her to value herself for the wonderful person and mother she is.
12. Lessons from the First Year — Having a child made Emily at Crunchyish Mama realize that her decisions affect more than just herself. (@CrunchyishMama)


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~



13. Lessons from Loss — Erica at ChildOrganics learned so much from the love — and loss — of her sweet Bella, five years ago. (@ChildOrganics)
14. The Socratic Baby — Erin at Multiple Musings has so-called "identical" twins to serve as a daily lesson in nature vs. nurture. (@ErinLittle)
15. Learning to be a Mother — Farmer's Daughter learned the type of patience that enabled her to calmly eat one-handed for months and change clothes seven times a day, before noon. (@FarmDaughter)
16. A Few Things Being a Mom Has Taught Me — Heather at Musing Mommy shares the curious, hilarious, and sometimes Murphy's Law-like tidbits we learn from our children. (@xakana)
17. I Feel You — Motherhood has taught Jamey from At the Bee Hive empathy, and it extends beyond just her child. (@JameyBly)
18. Lessons From My Child… — Jenny at I'm a full-time mummy shares the inspiring ways she's learned to expect the unexpected — and have a camera ready! (@imaftmummy)


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~



19. My child is my mirror — Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama has seen herself in her children – and it's not bad. (@crunchychewy)
20. There is enough to go around… — Kellie at Our Mindful Life learned that love doesn't diminish when it's shared.
21. Learning From Our Children, Every Day — Kimberly at Homeschooling in Nova Scotia, Canada is continually inspired by her children. (@UsborneBooksCB)
22. Life Lessons From My Children — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood has learned that every slug is fascinating, doing the dishes is fun, and sharing a banana is a delight. (@crunchymamato2)
23. Things I've Learned From My Children — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings uses pictures to share what she has learned from her children. (@sunfrog)
24. Beyond the questions lies the answer — Lauren at Hobo Mama stopped wondering and started knowing — loving and liking our children comes naturally. (@Hobo_Mama)


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~



25. Learning from Children — Lily, aka Witch Mom, finds out just how enchanting balloons can be. (@LilyShahar)
26. Life-long Learning — Lindsay at Living in Harmony has learned that what works for one kid might not work for another. (@AttachedMama)
27. Walking alongside my daughter — Lindsey at Mama Cum Laude is learning to give the clock less power over her family's life.
28. Things my baby taught me about me — Luschka at Diary of a First Child is proud of how she has grown as a mother. (@lvano)
29. From my children, I have learned — Mama Mo at Attached at the Nip has a litany of beautiful lessons, from selflessness to sleeplessness.
30. The Little Things in Life — In a simple and lovely prose poem, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children shows how adults worry about the wrong things and forget the little, important ones: watching ladybugs, jumping in leaves, cherishing each moment as it comes.


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~



31. The Virtues of Motherhood — Melissa at The New Mommy Files has had opportunities to learn from children as both a teacher and a mother. (@NewMommyFiles)
32. My Kids Have Taught Me That It's Time To Stop Blogging — Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! has learned that childhoods fly by too fast to blog. We'll miss your wonderful online presence, Melodie, and we wish you much peace and happiness. (@bfmom)
33. Having Kids Has Taught me a Thing or Two — Michelle at The Parent Vortex learns all day long — from fun facts about hedgehogs to tying a complicated wrap with a screaming child and an audience. (@TheParentVortex)
34. We Could All Learn from the Children — Momma Jorje takes time to get on the floor and play so that she can see the world through her child's eyes.
35. Teaching Forgiveness — Mrs Green at Little Green Blog has a daughter who's taught her unconditional love — even when she feels like she does't deserve it. (@littlegreenblog)
36. Parenting as a joint venture — Olivia at Write About Birth appreciates watching the astonishing way her children learn. (@writeaboutbirth)


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~




37. Beginner's Mind — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns from a child who builds bridges to nowhere, calls letter magnets his numbers, and insists dinnertime is truck time. (@RachaelNevins)
38. A baby's present — RS at A Haircut and a Shave presents a short poem on the differences between a baby's mindfulness and ours.
39. Self-Confidence Was Born With My Daughter — Sara at Halfway Crunchy learned to trust her instincts by responding to her child's needs — and saw her self-confidence bloom.
40. From the Kids — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante has one list of earnest and one list of silly things she has learned as a parent. (@seonaid_lee)
41. Lessons my children have taught me — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes learned that attachment parenting was the best way to meet the needs of her child and herself. (@Sheryljesin)
42. Till the water is clear — Stacy at Mama-Om has learned that her energy can affect the weather patterns of her house. (@sweetskystacy)


~January 2011 Carnival of Natural Parenting~



43. I Hold It — Stefanie at Very, Very Fine has learned that the ability to communicate is much more important than the number of words a child knows.
44. What My Children Taught Me About Letting Go — Summer at Finding Summer is learning from her kids to laugh in the face of heartache. (@summerminor)
45. Finding My Tools — The Artsymama has applied some of what she's learned as a mama in the classroom, with great results!