Mayim Bialik is one of those moms who’s not afraid to speak her mind when it comes to how she raises her children, even if her style is a bit more non-traditional than the average mother. The 38-year-old stopped by The View yesterday and let the ladies in on what “gentle discipline” is all about.
Photo Credit: ABC/The View
“They’re 6 and 9 so I only breastfeed one of them” the Big Bang actress joked, referring to the flak she received for breastfeeding her son, Fred, until he was 4-years-old. Now that her sons are beyond the toddler stage she shares a different take on parenting.
“One of the most important parts of attachment parenting, which people don’t really think about, is something called gentle discipline, which is the notion that children deserve to be listened to. It doesn’t mean you have to bow to every one of their requests. But, it’s important when a child knows that it matters that they don’t want that flavor of yogurt. You can say ‘okay I hear that you don’t want that flavor of yogurt, it’s all I got, that’s breakfast.'”
“The notion of gentle discipline even when breastfeeding’s done and co-sleeping and birth, and all that stuff, is there’s still a notion of parenting that goes beyond… and children deserve more than just ‘go sit in the corner or you’re going to get a time out,'” the star continued.
Bialik is a vocal proponent of attachment parenting, a phrase coined by Dr. William Sears, which denotes a style of child-rearing that includes breastfeeding and co-sleeping. It focuses on the nurturing connection that parents can develop with their children.
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