What a wonderful Carnival! Thanks to all the bloggers who wrote so eloquently from their hearts and a huge thanks to all our readers and commenters.

Next Steps

If the posts this week resounded with you and you are or you want to strive to be a gentle parent there are several things you can do:

Show the world that you are a Gentle Parent!

If you have a blog or website or you post on message boards you can add the Gentle Parent Badge to your site/signature.  Please keep the link back to the Carnival so anyone who sees your badge can read the wonderful bloggers from this week.

Copy and Paste this code into your blog (an HTML widget usually works):

<a title="Carnival of Gentle Discipline" href="http://www.babydustdiaries.com/2010/04/carnival-of-gentle-discipline-call-for-submissions-now-with-100-more-button/"><img src="" alt="Gentle Parent - art by Erika Hastings at http://mudspice.wordpress.com/" width="120" height="120" /></a><br />

[url=http://www.babydustdiaries.com/2010/04/carnival-of-gentle-discipline-call-for-submissions-now-with-100-more-button/][img]http://mudspice.wordpress.com/[/img][/url]

I also like Holistic Mom’s Declaration – Mindful Mama: Authentic Self.  This declaration is beautiful because it focuses both on being gentle to children and to yourself.

Keep Learning

In asking for submissions from writers for the Carnival I also asked them to nominate some of their previously published posts for a Creme de la Creme list of the Best of the Blogosphere on Gentle Discipline.  Enjoy these wonderful articles to help you enhance your repertoire of parenting techniques.

Vote!

Last but not least @Birthgoddess of Wild Mother Arts was so kind to donate a $25 gift card to the blogger with the post voted best for the Carnival and we want you to vote!  I know there are 17 amazing posts and it is hard to pick just one, but if you could take a minute and vote for your favorite over on the right that would be great! Wild Mother Arts is beautiful fertility, birth, and nursing jewelry made by a doula, breastfeeding counselor, and mother of 3.  Visit her on Facebook or Twitter.

Final words:  I’m so proud of how this Carnival turned out.  Carnivals are fun and generate great conversation but if even one person learned a new technique to help them treat their child with a gentle heart then it was worth every second of labor.  I said on day one that I think gentle discipline changes more than just a parent and a single child.  It really has the power to change the world. So, I leave you dear reader with these words of wisdom that are over 2,000 years old.

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.

– Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)