I am a big advocate for gentle discipline for children. But I am the first to admit that I struggle with gentle parenting all of the time. Having children can be an amazing, wonderful, and frustrating time. Just as they’ve finished one stage, they’re entering another and changing the game all over again. It can be difficult to remain calm when you are struggling to understand what’s happening with your child, and I have more than once lost my patience with Tatum when I was stressed out.
Having resources available (and support from your partner, friends and family!) is so important to be successful and to better understand how to parent your child in a way that benefits him/her. All of our children are so different and have different needs, and using a one-size-fits-all approach to discipline is not going to be effective in the long run. Using gentle discipline can directly address what your child specifically needs when they (and you!) are going through a rough time. I’ve rounded up my favourite resources for gentle/peaceful parenting that I’ve collected over the years in hopes that it helps and encourages parents to continue striving to be the best parents you can be for your little ones — but realize that we are all human, and we all make mistakes. Especially when we have a toddler screaming in our ear 
If you have any other resources to share, please leave them in the comments here or on our Facebook page!
Let’s Lasso The Moon – Lots of great information from gentle discipline, to family activities and more!
Hands Free Mama – This is an amazing site that highlights the importance of connecting with our children and families instead of being connected to cell phones/internet/etc. 24/7. Lots of great parenting information.
Rhythm of the Home - I follow Waldorf philosophies in our home, and it really is a gentle way to raise and enjoy your children. Rhythm of the Home has wonderful ideas for following a gentle rhythm based on Waldorf teachings in your home.
peaceful parenting – This website has been my go-to for many years now. Including amazing information on breastfeeding, circumcision, and gentle parenting, I am constantly going to this website to re-read articles I have in the past, to help other moms learn more about gentle parenting, and to encourage myself when I’m having a rough parenting day.
The Parenting Passageway - The tagline for this site reads “Peaceful Parenting for a Hectic World.” Some days we feel like we barely have time to inhale a sandwich and pee much less be connected, gentle parents to our children. These days, I find that life moves so quickly, and before I know it, the day is over and I haven’t had a chance to tell Tatum how I’m proud of her, or I’ve maybe snapped at her when I shouldn’t have. The Parenting Passageway has so much great information on slowing down, gently parenting and really listening to our children.
Aha! Parenting – This website has information ranging from pregnancy and birth to the teenage years! No matter what parenting stage you’re in, this site will have useful, effective information for how to better understand your child and how you can parent them to your best ability.
Raising Natural Kids – A great page that helps us to raise our children in the best environment possible to benefit their overall well-being.
Positive Parents - This has been another great website for me over the last little while. Their tagline reads “Parenting without blaming, shaming, yelling or hitting” and that is how I strive to parent Tatum. Great information!
Living Peacefully with Children – Awesome attachment parenting advice. Their page also has a list of resources you can look at to expand your gentle disciplining library!
Practice Positive Discipline – This is my go-to site for anything attachment parenting related. This site is home to Attachment Parenting International, a non-profit organization that supports parents in parenting their children as gently as possible. There’s so much information from breastfeeding and baby-wearing, to how to parent your teen effectively. Love this site!
Parenting is not an easy job. I find that using a band-aid method of parenting (time-outs, 1-2-3 magic, etc.) is not as effective as focusing on what the root of the problem is and working from there. I am not a parenting expert whatsoever (cookies for breakfast are ok, right? 
), but I want to make sure Tatum grows up feeling secure, happy and loved. Disciplining in a more gentle way can make your home feel much more peaceful and relaxed, and can result in a happier family!
{Franki}
