Links

Informational/Educational Sites:

• Consciously Parenting Project - The website of Rebecca Thompson MS, the Founder and Executive Director of The Consciously Parenting Project. Based in America, this project is a collaboration of professionals and families who are dedicated to providing up-to-date information, resources and support for conscious decision-making in all areas of family life. (Speaking from personal experience, Rebecca's interactive, web-based courses and conferences are highly recommended.  We experienced significant breakthroughs during her course, and can recommend her as a wonderful, knowledgeable, and warm teacher.  Thank you, Rebecca!)

• Parent 2 Parent U - The educational website of author and parent educator, Lu Hanessian (author of Let the Baby Drive - her other website is mentioned below).  Lu is also on the Board of Directors of Attachment Parenting International. From her website: "Through a blend of cutting-edge science, compelling real-life stories, original videos, parent Q&A, digital handouts and interviews, Parent2ParentU offers transformative courses for parents who want to parent wholeheartedly, make sense of their own stories for deeper joy and connection with their children, and cultivate optimal well-being, emotional security and resilience." (Lu has been very generous with her time in recommending some titles for our store, and in answering our questions.  We can recommend her as a passionate and highly informed teacher! We've personally enjoyed her online courses, and will definitely be signing up for more. Please note that her 2011 programme of online classes has now ended. Be sure to keep an eye out for her 2012 programme, once this has been finalised!)

• Aha! Parenting - The website of Dr Laura Markham.  Fabulous, easy-to-navigate website, just bursting at the seams with information, articles, and resources for inspired, mindful parenting of children of any age.  There is much guidance and wisdom to be found here.  Enjoy! 

• Kindred Community - In 2002, Kelly Wendorf (formerly known as Kali Wendorf) began publishing a natural parenting and sustainable living magazine here in Australia, called byronchild. Four years later, due to its success and positive endorsements, byronchild relaunched as Kindred magazine. In 2009, Kindred stopped publishing as a print magazine, and moved to an exclusively online format. Today Kindred is no longer publishing, but provides access to its archives of hundreds of articles, and hosts dozens of online columnists.  Well worth a visit!

• The Neufeld Institute - The Neufeld Institute provides education and training to adults involved with children using the attachment-based developmental model created by psychologist Gordon Neufeld. An exciting range of online and distance education courses are available, as well as books and DVDs etc (for purchase).  The courses look wonderful ... we will definitely be enrolling in them!

• Intuitive Parenting - Intuitive Parenting is an online, natural and attachment parenting community based in Australia.  It is a support forum for these parents who already practice (or would like to learn more about) attachment parenting. Their online community strongly advocates mindful parenting, breastfeeding, baby wearing, gentle discipline, co sleeping, home education, alternative schooling, natural therapies, and sustainable living practices.

• Attachment Parenting International - Attachment Parenting International (API) is a non-profit organisation with a mission to educate and support all parents in raising secure, joyful and empathic children in order to strengthen families and create a more compassionate world. It's founders, Barbara Nicholson MEd and Lysa Parker MS CFLE, are the authors of Attached at the Heart.

• Attachment Parenting Australia - Attachment Parenting Australia (APA) is a non-profit association that aims to provide information and support for parents interested in or practising attachment parenting. It also aims to provide information about attachment parenting for health professionals and researchers.

• Dr James McKenna and the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame. Information about how to co-sleep safely and what research says about co-sleeping.

• Hand in Hand - The website of Hand in Hand Parenting, an organisation founded by Patty Wipfler that provides resources, training, articles, and lots of support for parents of young children and the professions who work with them. There is much to be found here!

• Center for Nonviolent Communication - The website of Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD, author of Nonviolent Communication, Teaching Children Compassionately, and Raising Children Compassionately

• Alliance for Childhood - While promoting a broad range of policies and practices essential to childrens well-being, the Alliance for Childhood works intensively on a few critical issues. Among these are the loss of creative play and hands-on activities in childrens lives, and the excessive amounts of time spent in front of screens instead of in face-to-face engagement with other children, caring adults, and the natural world. They also work against the commercialisation of childhood, the misuse of high-stakes testing, and increasing levels of childhood obesity. The Alliance offers free access to an abundance of articles and videos etc, as well as a thorough recommended reading list, for those interested in these critical issues.

• Alliance for Transforming the Lives of Children

• Naomi Aldort - The website of Naomi Aldort, author of Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves.  Lots of gentle parenting advice available ... Read her response to many parents' questions (published in Mothering magazine), or visit her Lectures page for access to her many audio and video resources. She also has many articles available to read online.

• Alfie Kohn - The website of Alfie Kohn, author of Unconditional Parenting, The Homework Myth, and Punished by Rewards (among many others).  A wonderful site, with free access to a plethora of Alfie Kohn's articles (a prolific writer!), as well as many audio and video links.  His speaking schedule is also available ...  I'd love to see him speak live!  

• Conscious Discipline - The website of Becky Bailey, author of Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline and I Love You rituals ...  A very easy site to navigate, with lots of information, articles, and resources for both parents and teachers!

• Aware Parenting Institute  - The website of Aletha Solter, author of The Aware Baby, Helping Young Children Flourish, and Raising Drug Free Kids.  Aletha Solter has made freely available a huge range of her articles, on a wide range of aware parenting topics. 

• Connection Parenting and Optimal Child Development  - The website of Pam Leo, author of Connection Parenting.  Again, Pam Leo has made a wide range of her articles freely available to all who are seeking and embracing this connected style of parenting. Enjoy her wisdom!

• The Continuum Concept - The website of the late Jean Liedloff (passed away on 15 March 2011), author of The Continuum Concept. The site offers many of her articles and suggested links. There is also a Continuum Forum that you are able to join.

• The Natural Child Project - The website of Jan Hunt MSc, Director of The Natural Child Project, and author of The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart.  Jan has an extensive library of articles available.

• Let the Baby Drive - The website of Lu Hanessian, Director of Attachment Parenting International, and author of Let the Baby Drive.  A gorgeous, well-laid out site, with information and Lu's Joyride! ezine to support conscious, mindful parenting.

• Playful Parenting - The website of Lawrence Cohen, author of Playful Parenting.  Lawrence has made numerous articles available in his Resources section, and also offers a newsletter that can be signed up for.

• Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning - This journal seeks to bring together an international community of scholars exploring the topic of unschooling and alternative learning, which espouses learner centered democratic approaches to learning. JUAL is also a space to reveal the limitations of mainstream schooling.  Archived copies of all articles are generously and freely available online. 

• AERO - The website of the Alternative Education Resource Organisation. One of AERO's areas of expertise is democratic process and democratic education, but equally important is the networking of all forms of educational alternatives. It is through their work and mission that they hope to create an education revolution. An abundance of free videos, links, a global list of Member Schools, and other resources. Fabulous site for those interested in alternative education.

• Montessori (Australia) - The website for Montessori in Australia, including an abundance of information on Dr Maria Montessori's educational philosophy, Montessori schools in Australia, resources and national/international links. "Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities." Dr. Maria Montessori

• Steiner (Australia) - A website with a plethora of links regarding the Steiner education movement within Australia ... everything from exploring anthroposophy, to finding Australian Steiner schools, resources, and Steiner-inspired businesses.

• Summerhill School - AS Neill's Summerhill School, a co-educational boarding school in Suffolk, England, is the original alternative 'free' school. Founded in 1921, it continues to be an influential model for progressive, democratic education around the world. Enjoy the site!

• Sudbury Valley School - At Sudbury Valley School (USA), students from preschool through high school age explore the world freely, at their own pace and in their own unique ways. They learn to think for themselves, and learn to use Information Age tools to unearth the knowledge they need from multiple sources. They develop the ability to make clear logical arguments, and deal with complex ethical issues. Through self-initiated activities, they pick up the basics; as they direct their lives, they take responsibility for outcomes, set priorities, allocate resources, and work with others in a vibrant community. 

• David Gribble - David Gribble is an expert on democratic education.  He taught at Dartington Hall School for almost thirty years, and was then one of the joint founders of Sands School. Since retiring he has visited democratic schools all round the world and written books about them. This site includes articles he has written, talks he has given, and much other information.

• Education For Life: - The roots of the Education for Life system lie in the philosophy of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi.  Yogananda emphasized the unity of all religions and their common purpose in helping people experience joy, love and peace. Within Education For Life, the goal of education is the same as the goal of life: to help children become, on every level - heart, mind, body, and spirit - more balanced, mature, effective, harmonious, and happy.  It is an educational philosophy that strongly emphasises developing children's values and ethics.

• AAPAE - The website of the Australasian Association for Progressive and Alternative Education, including links to its Member Schools.  According to their website, "the AAPAE is for all those interested and involved in progressive, alternative and democratic education. It is for learners and educators regardless of age. It is for all in the community who wish to share and extend their experience and knowledge of such education. AAPAE provides a forum for discussion, debate, and research, a network for sharing and support and an incorporated association of like-minded individuals, schools, learning centres and education institutions working together on common issues."

• Home Education Association of Australia  - The HEA was formed in April 2001 to promote the practice of homeschooling in Australia and to provide members with an online community forum, insurance, and membership benefits which would be difficult for individuals or smaller groups to obtain.