Why I Never Force My Kids to Kiss Their Grandparents (Or Anyone Else) | The Official Mayim Bialik Blog at Kveller

Mayim Bialik is quickly becoming my parenting hero.  I think it's great that she  is helping normalise attachment parenting and RIE into the mainstream. Our culture has been in need of a public figure who openly discusses how important the choices we make as parents are. 

 I love the fact she's so open about breastfeeding too. I'm not sure why we're afraid to talk about breast feeding, but it's wrong.  Breastfeeding needs to be discussed (and practiced) in public in order to normalise it for the next generation.

And finally,  what's really awesome about Mayim is that she's taken time out during award season to write this lovely blog about how and why its not a good idea to force your kids to display an emotion they don't feel

"Forcing (even gently) children to kiss people they don’t want to indicates to children that they don’t know their own sense of safety, comfort, their bodies, and what to do with them. Period. I know I’m overly cerebral. I know I think too much and I know that Attachment Parenting people like me are accused of giving our children too much of a voice, but you know what? I’ve seen this done a lot of ways and I like my kids having a voice. And I wouldn’t trade one over-thought moment with my children for anything, because they always tell me exactly what they need and I then get to handle it. If for whatever reason my children don’t feel like being physically affectionate, I honor that. Period."

You can read the  whole blog here The Official Mayim Bialik Blog at Kveller

 It's a nice article and true. Our kids need to be comfortable enough to express their emotions clearly whether or not it conforms to the expectations of others, and it is our job as parents to offer them support when they feel they are being pressurised to do something against their instincts.