I copy below what I know about author and the Aware Parenting style from what someone wrote on a Yahoo Group I am in called Peachhead- a group for families who live in West LA. It made me interested to check it out.
"Aware Parenting is based on the work of Dr. Aletha Solter. For more information, please see Dr. Aletha Solter's books,
The Aware Baby,
Helping Young Children Flourish,
Tears and Tantrums, and
Raising Drug-Free Kids.
Doctor Solter is a Swiss/American developmental psychologist, who is recognized internationally as an expert on attachment, trauma, and non-punitive discipline. She studied with the Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget, at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, where she obtained a Master's degree in human biology in 1969. She then earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1975, after which she taught psychology at the University of California and conducted research for a few years.
Aware Parenting Consists of:
Attachment-style parenting
Natural childbirth and early bonding
Plenty of physical contact
Prolonged breast-feeding
Prompt responsiveness to crying
attunement
Non-punitive discipline
No punishments of any kind (including spanking, "time-out", and artificial "consequences")
No rewards or bribes
Search for underlying needs and feelings
Anger management for parents
Peaceful conflict-resolution (family meetings, mediation, etc.)
Prevention and healing of stress and trauma
Recognition of stress and trauma as primary causes of behavioral and emotional problems
Emphasis on prevention of stress and trauma
Recognition of the healing effects of play, laughter, and crying in the context of a loving parent/child relationship
Respectful, empathic listening and acceptance of children's emotions
The 10 principles of Aware Parenting
1. Aware parents fill their children's needs for physical contact (holding, cuddling, etc.). They do not worry about "spoiling" their children.
2. Aware parents accept the entire range of emotions and listen non-judgmentally to children's expressions of feelings. They realize that they cannot prevent all sadness, anger, or frustration, and they do not attempt to stop children from releasing painful feelings through crying or raging.
3. Aware parents offer age-appropriate stimulation, and trust children to learn at their own rate and in their own way. They do not try to hurry children on to new stages of development.
4. Aware parents offer encouragement for learning new skills, but do not judge children's performance with either criticism or evaluative praise.
5. Aware parents spend time each day giving full attention to their children. During this special, quality time, they observe, listen, respond, and join in their children's play (if invited to do so), but they do not direct the children's activities.
6. Aware parents protect children from danger, but they do not attempt to prevent all of their children's mistakes, problems, or conflicts.
7. Aware parents encourage children to be autonomous problem-solvers and help only when needed. They do not solve their children's problems for them.
8. Aware parents set reasonable boundaries and limits, gently guide children towards acceptable behavior, and consider everyone's needs when solving conflicts. They do not control children with bribes, rewards, threats, or punishments of any kind.
9. Aware parents take care of themselves and are honest about their own needs and feelings. They do not sacrifice themselves to the point of becoming resentful.
10. Aware parents strive to be aware of the ways in which their own childhood pain interferes with their ability to be good parents, and they make conscious efforts to avoid passing on their own hurts to their children."