I remember feeling lost as a new parent, wanting to parent differently than I was raised, but not knowing where to start or how “differently” might even look. I struggled to know how to treat my child in the way she deserved, with unconditional love and acceptance, because I had no foundation from which to begin. I struggled to see beyond my child’s behavior, which made it difficult to understand what need she was trying to communicate through her behavior. I needed help shifting my perspective, and over the years a number of L.R. Knost’s articles helped me make that shift.
When my daughter was almost three I was already responding with empathy, reflecting her big feelings, and guiding her gently, yet I still felt something was missing. When I read “Toddlers, Tantrums and Time-Ins, Oh My! I discovered even more tools to help me draw close to my daughter during her emotional struggles; it also helped me find a place of calm inside while my daughter was storming because I didn’t feel like I was to blame, and I didn’t feel judged. Likewise, Why Whining is a Win was just what I needed to help me transform my view of whining from “that unnerving, endless, nails-on-a-chalkboard, make-your-head-explode” behavior into a sign that my daughter was actually “growing up and…gaining self-control.” Talk about a paradigm shift!
L.R. Knost advocates for gentle parenting with love and grace. She holds the unique ability to show us the hearts of our children beyond their behavior, and she reveals an important truth: when we see past our children’s behaviors we are able to see the true light of who they are inside. And when we truly see our children we are able to accept and appreciate them fully and with great joy. L.R. Knost writes from a place of compassion not only for children, but also for each of us as parents, offering us grace and understanding as we stumble and struggle along our parenting journey. Over the years L.R. Knost helped many of us transform our focus from behaviors to needs and from control to connection. She provided a new lens through which to view our children’s behavior, and a new perspective of our roles as parents. And for this bountiful gift I am tremendously grateful, as I know many of you are grateful too. Today L.R. Knost is facing a difficult health situation, which she shared with her online community (Post by L.R.Knost – Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources). I know many of you would like to offer your encouragement and support, so I’ve pulled together a few ways we can support her and her family:
- Contribute to the GiveForward campaign to help L.R.Knost in her cancer fight and in her work to share the gift of gentle parenting!
- Share your stories. Share how you and your family have benefited from her her posts, books, workshops, and online community. Leave a comment below or email me your story).
- Share her articles and memes, book reviews and workshop links on Social Media networks, in Newsletters, in parenting and book groups, or simply talk about them with friends, family and neighbors.
- Buy her books and workshops for yourself, friends, family, parenting groups, places of worship, suggest them for book clubs, etc.
- Carry her totes and wear her t-shirts, or buy them for your children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, godchildren, etc.
- Take a moment to review her books on Amazon.
- Write her letters and cards
I look forward to reading and sharing your stories with L.R. Knost and her family, and watching our parenting communities come together to give back to an amazing woman, mother, author, child advocate, parent educator, colleague, and friend. Thank you for choosing to use your valuable time in this way. with gratitude and everything good,
Amy
Watch a book trailer featuring L.R. Knost and four of her 6 children for best-seller ‘Whispers Through Time: Communication Through the Ages and Stages of Childhood’ Click here –> http://tinyurl.com/kyols9p About L.R.Knost: Best-selling parenting and children’s book author, L.R.Knost, is an independent child development researcher and founder and director of the advocacy and consulting group, Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources, as well as a monthly parenting and education contributor to The Natural Parent Magazine. She is also a babywearing, breastfeeding, cosleeping, homeschooling mother of six. Her children are a 26-year-old married father of two; a 24-year-old married Family Therapist working with at-risk children and families; an 19-year-old university pre-med student on scholarship; 15 and 8-year-old sweet, funny, socially active, homeschooled girls; and an adorable and active toddler. Two Thousand Kisses a Day: Gentle Parenting Through the Ages and Stages; Whispers Through Time: Communication Through the Ages and Stages of Childhood; The Gentle Parent: Positive, Practical, Effective Discipline; and Jesus, the Gentle Parent: Gentle Christian Parenting are the first in the Little Hearts Handbook series of gentle parenting guides by L.R.Knost. The next book in the series, Raising Bookworms: Life, Literacy, and Learning, is due to be released in November 2014. Other works by this award-winning author include a children’s picture book, A Walk in the Clouds, due to be released September 2014, and Petey’s Listening Ears, the first in her Wisdom for Little Hearts series for ages 2 to 6, which are humorous and engaging tools for parents, teachers, and caregivers to use in implementing gentle parenting techniques in their homes and schools. Contact Information for L.R. Knost: Email: littleheartsbooks@live.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleheartsbooks Twitter: @LRKnost_Author Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lrknost/ Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/lrknost
