Living & Parenting with Intention

“Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least." Goethe.
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Living with intention is difficult. Parenting with intention is even more difficult. When you have children, your days get very busy and it becomes so easy to just go through the motions of daily life to simply make it through. Days turn to weeks and it all just becomes a blur. You don't intend for it to happen, but suddenly you wake up and wonder where all your time has gone to. I know this feeling all too well. It's difficult to remember that we have choices. We can CHOOSE to live and parent differently. We can CHOOSE to live and parent with intention and purpose. We can CHOOSE to embrace only those things which are most important to us and we can create a family life we love, not just a life of going through the motions.

Many of you know that we practice Attachment Parenting for these reasons (parenting with intention and purpose). In addition, we are continually striving to create a home for Eliot that is consistent with our values, which nurtures and supports him completely. This is hard work. We are not perfect and many days I'm tired and frustrated by the difficulties of our daily life. At the end of a long day, I don't always feel like focusing on and creating a harmonious home environment. But it's important and it's so worth it. I just purchased these two books to help us along this journey and I can't wait to get them and starting reading. Wherever you and your family are on your own journey - Godspeed to you!

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Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children
Sharifa Oppenheimer

As we witness the shifting of old forms that once stood as the foundation of our daily lives, parents—who must prepare the next generation to meet this changing world—have more questions now than ever before. Although our culture and the nature of the family may be changing, the atmosphere in the home continues to create the foundation of a child’s life. In Heaven on Earth, parent and educator Sharifa Oppenheimer reveals how to make the home environment warm, lively, loving, and consistent with your highest ideals.

Heaven on Earth balances theoretical understanding of child development with practical ideas, resources, and tips that can transform family life. Readers will learn how to establish the life rhythms that lay the foundation for all learning; how to design indoor play environments that allow children the broadest skills development; and how to create backyard play spaces that encourage vigorous movement and a wide sensory palette. Through art, storytelling, and the festival celebrations, this book is a guide to build a "family culture" based on the guiding principle of love. Such a culture supports children and allows the free development of each unique soul.

The Creative Family
Amanda Blake Soule

When you learn to awaken your family’s creativity, wonderful things will happen: you’ll make meaningful connections with your children in large and small ways; your children will more often engage in their own creative discoveries; and your family will embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together. With just the simple tools around you—your imagination, basic art supplies, household objects, and natural materials—you can transform your family life, and have so much more fun!

Perfect for all families, the wide range of projects presented here offers ideas for imaginative play, art and crafts, nature explorations, and family celebrations. This book embraces a whole new way of living that will engage your children’s imagination, celebrate their achievements, and help you to express love and gratitude for each other as a family.