It is a fairly simple and sensible approach to parenting. The basic concept is to listen to your child so that you can meet his or her physical, spiritual and emotional needs. When you meet these needs, your child will be able to trust and gain the confidence to become a secure, caring, responsible, and happy human being.It may seem new and "radical" to some, but the truth is it has been around for centuries. We have just lost touch with it through modernization and technocracy which has taken place over the last century or so.

Although each child is different, and this is certainly most important to acknowledge in successful parenting, there are certain things we can do which have been shown to benefit all children. This is what we do;

Take care while pregnant with excellent nutrition, avoiding pollution, harmful substances, emotional stress etc.,

Bond with the baby in utero; Talk to your baby, sing to him, massage and caress your stomach etc., Studies have shown that babies as young as 8 weeks old respond and react to stimulus in the womb!

Have a gentle and natural childbirth; Drugs interfere with the normal progress of labor and birth and also effect the bonding period. Babies are born in such violence these days, and experts are starting to wonder if there is any correlation between these violent beginnings and the tendency to violence later in life. Some things you can do to ease baby's transition to being outside the womb are; have your baby room in with you, or better- have your baby at home, dim the lights, wait to cut the cord, delay weighing/measuring, breastfeed, hold baby skin to skin, no suctioning unless necessary, and no tests or poking. For a healthy infant we find that most tests are in fact unnecessary.

Breastfeed; Breastmilk is the only food which meets all your baby's nutritional needs. While breastfeeding your baby is also held close, and hormones help mother and baby feel relaxed and positive. There has been some discussion as to whether breastfeeding contributes to the love the mother feels towards her baby, because of the release of certain hormones such as oxytocin during breastfeeding.

Wear baby in a sling; Slings are wonderful! They cradle and hold the baby close to mom those first few days of life. Physical contact is extremely important those first few months of life. According to studies at Tulane University, "Baby slings offer the single most successful method for optimum neurological development in infants". Wearing your baby in a sling is very convenient too. It frees your arms so that you can go about doing everyday chores with ease while still keeping your baby close.

Family bed; Several studies have shown that babies have less risk of SIDS when they sleep with their moms. It is a natural continuum from the security of the mother's womb to be cuddled and held close at night. Babies sleep better, and breastfeeding is much easier. You simply pull out your breast and you can easily snooze while baby is nursing.

Respond to your baby's cries right away; The only way small babies can communicate discomfort or a need is by crying. Professionals used to think that if you catered to your baby's every need you would spoil your child. Some people still leave their children in their cribs to cry themselves to sleep so that they can become "independent" and learn to soothe themselves, but those poor children only end up feeling unloved, lonely, frustrated, and rejected. The only message he gets is that he is not important enough for you to respond to him. Little children need to feel that they have some control or they will become insecure and depressed.

I think it is important to follow our motherly intuition. It is given to us for a reason. Our children need our undivided love and attention when they are young, so that they can become secure and independent when they are older. Don't be afraid to give your children love and attention freely.

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Maya Richardson is a 26 year old stay/work at home mother. She is married to Michael and together they have two children, a boy and a girl, ages five and two.

She was born and raised in Asker, Norway, but but also lived alternately in the US during that time. She started studying health at a very early age. Her father was diagnosed with liver cancer when she was eleven, and was given three months to live. He would not accept that as he had a wife and six children to live for, so he looked into alternative treatments, and cured himself naturally. Maya also became interested in health at this young age because of her father's inspiration. She studied countless books by Bernard Jensen and other nutritionists and physicians, and attended conferences held by Dr. Jensen and her father in Norway.

She used to be a dancer and a ballet teacher, and this lead her to study dance kinesiology, fitness, sports nutrition, and weight loss. When she became pregnant with her first child, her interests have expanded to include pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding, and other aspects of parenting. She is self taught in most of her fields of study, and has plans to become a certified midwife in the near future.

On her spare time she likes to design webpages, paint with oils, read, listen to music, dance, and spend time outdoors with her family.