A Grassroots Movement that’s Changing the World

By Lysa Parker

Mahatma Gandhi once wrote “If we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children…” Many now agree that the only hope this world has to end violence and create a world of peace is by providing a loving environment and raising children to be kind, compassionate and connected in a culture that seems all too detached from itself and the lives of children.

Thirteen years ago, Barbara Nicholson and I hatched our idea to save the world, and it has caught on not only in the U.S. but also abroad. Both of us are parents and teachers with experiences on the front lines that have given us the perspective and determination as well as the skills to begin a grassroots nonprofit organization called Attachment Parenting International (API). What began at the kitchen table as a simple idea has grown to nearly 100 parent support groups worldwide with a comprehensive support group leader application and training program. It also functions as a national clearinghouse for parents and professionals. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, API helps parents with every aspect of parenting from preconception through the teen years by providing the latest information and research on parenting practices that strengthen parent-child relationships and families.

Through our comprehensive website, parents from anywhere in the world have found the information and support they’ve needed either online or by phone. No other organization has been as successful at providing a network of support to parents with current child development information that is based on sound science rather than the opinions of “experts.” API takes parenting very seriously; with the staff of passionate determined men and women at the helm of this organization, it will continue to be a lifeline and a voice for all parents as they pursue this critically important mission for the future of all children.

Lysa Parker is the co-founder & Executive Director of API, a certified family life educator, and a parent coach & consultant. She is the mother of two grown sons and stepdaughter and is a grandmother to twin grandsons. She lives in Madison with her husband Jim Parker, a local realtor. You can email her or visit her website.