H1N1 Vaccine

for all you parents who are struggling with the decision about whether to vaccinate yourself and your child with the new H1N1 vaccine that is becoming available, i'd encourage you to take a look at this article on dr. sears' website.

dr. sears has written extensively on parenting issues, and he is my "go-to" reference for most parenting issues. i have relied on his book "The Vaccine Book" in making decisions to stagger kitten's vaccination schedule and how exactly to do so.

i also use his reference book, "The Baby Book" as my everything child-rearing reference guide. along with google, of course. ;)

dr. sears coined the phrase "attachment parenting," ("AP") and i am mostly AP parent. without going extensively into what AP is, here's the wikipedia article. my friend maria also practices AP and blogs about her experiences.

from wikipedia:

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Per Dr. Sears' theory of attachment parenting (AP), proponents such as the API attempt to foster a secure bond with their children by promoting eight principles which are identified as goals for parents to strive for. These eight principles are:

1. Preparation for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting
2. Feed with Love and Respect
3. Respond with Sensitivity
4. Use Nurturing Touch
5. Ensure Safe Sleep, Physically and Emotionally
6. Provide Consistent Loving Care
7. Practice Positive Discipline
8. Strive for Balance in Personal and Family Life

These values are interpreted in a variety of ways. Many attachment parents also choose to live a natural family living (NFL) lifestyle, such as natural childbirth, home birth, stay-at-home parenting, co-sleeping, breastfeeding, babywearing, homeschooling, unschooling, the anti-circumcision movement, natural health, cooperative movements,naturism and support of organic and local foods.

However, Dr. Sears does not require a parent to strictly follow any set of rules, instead encouraging parents to be creative in responding to their child's needs. Attachment parenting, outside the guise of Dr. Sears, focuses on responses that support secure attachments.

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anyway. i thought dr. sears' H1N1 article gave a lot of relevant, useful information that i've not yet found elsewhere in such a concise manner. i hope it is helpful to you in making the decision whether or not to submit yourself and your family to this new vaccine.