Welcome to Bay Area Attached Families!

Our community is focused on attachment parenting, gentle discipline and natural family living.

This group's goals are to:

• come together and support one another in a community of like-minded families 
• provide a community of knowledgeable, resourceful people to help one another learn and grow
• enable our kids to play with other children who are being raised in a gentle/attached environment
• enjoy time with other parents who have an interest in thoughtful, gentle, attached parenting
• see thoughtful, conscious parenting in action to help each of us to be more effective in our own families

Playgroups and events are scheduled at varying times (but generally recurring on a predictable schedule) to accommodate all members - working, stay at home, alternate family structures and everything in between!  Beyond playgroups, we hope to have family picnics, parent's night out events, natural home and family events and other gatherings.  We also hope that our calendar will bustle with community events that are in the spirit of our group - please let us know if you know of any meetings, workshops, events or other things that seem like they belong on our calendar!

Our activities are generally focused on the south Peninsula/north Silicon Valley area but may reach further north (Redwood City-ish) or further south to San Jose, depending on member interest and need.  The core of our activities will take place between Palo Alto and Sunnyvale.

Our members, in addition to generally being attached and gentle, will likely be interested in breastfeeding, extended breastfeeding, natural and organic foods, cloth diapering, elimination communication, co-sleeping, baby wearing, car seat safety, natural toys, imaginative or free play, baby sign or ASL, home birth, natural birth, toxin-free lifestyles, "green" living, veg*n foods or lifestyles, and other related things.  

Want to know more?  What follows are frequently asked questions about the topics covered in this meetup.

So, what is an "attachment parent?"

Attachment parenting is many things.  Popularized in the United States largely by Dr. Sears, attachment parents remain "attached" to their children by responding to cues, cries, needs and signals.  This means picking baby up when they are crying instead of the "cry it out" method.  It also means feeding on demand, listening to your older children when they tell you their needs and many other things.  Early on, this is done through breastfeeding, baby wearing (rather than carrying around that heavy car seat or stroller!), sleeping with or near baby, and more.  As Dr. Sears says, it's a tool, an approach and a base style - not everyone will do everything and not everything will work for everyone!  Part of the beauty of attachment parenting is that you are responding to the child in front of you and meeting their individual needs and the needs of your family.  For more information on attachment parenting, please see: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t130100.asp

You've mentioned "gentle discipline" a lot, what is that?

Gentle discipline, like attachment parenting, is about responding to the needs and individual abilities of your child.  Gentle discipline generally does not include time outs, spanking, harsh verbal reprimand and many other "traditional" discipline staples.  It does include setting boundaries, setting your child up for a lifetime of self-discipline and trust.  For more information on gentle discipline, please see: http://www.llli.org/NB/NBMayJun05p94.html

Thoughtful parenting, then, what about that one?

You'll notice a similarity in the two things listed above - they both require that you listen your children, think about their individual needs and goals and parent them in a way that leads to those things being met.  This is thoughtful parenting. 

I had a c-section at a hospital and my baby sleeps in a crib, am I not welcome in your group?!

You are welcome!  Just keep in mind that many in the group do co-sleep with their babies/children and might be interested in a home birth.  We ask that you be mindful of the intention of the group and keep to the spirit of attachment and gentle parenting.  Likewise, we ask all members to respect that individual choices can be just that; there are many reasons a choice may be necessary.  We do ask that you generally have an interest in the common areas of the group.  If you have any questions, fears or hopes in this area, please feel free to contact any of our organizers!

We are a family with (x) number of parents of (y) gender, are we welcome?

Of course!  We welcome families of all structures, types, cultures, religions and expressions of such.  We ask all members be respectful of everyone's family choices.  Non-group community events (that is, events organized by other groups that appear on our calendar) may have a different focus, please feel free to ask.

Any rules I should know about?
We ask that you: - Treat other members with respect, even if you disagree with them - Respect group health by not attending playgroups or events when you/your children are sick - Respect yourself and your family by letting the group organizers know if there are any issues - Be mindful of varying choices, lifestyles and needs. - Ask questions, learn and support each other!
On a more nuts-and-bolts level, we also ask that you: - Cancel your RSVP or email a group organizer if you can't make an event you've RSVP'd to. - RSVP if you think you will make an event - this helps us know who to look for and what kind of space we need - Let us know if you have an idea for an event or gathering