Mommy “Fix-It”

My son Kian has always been good at conjuring up plans… but bringing them to life is another matter entirely. The pieces wouldn’t fit, the parts would fall off, or the wheels would not turn. His grand visions just needed his building expertise to catch up a little more…. and his ensuing frustration would start to leak out sideways, screaming like steam from a kettle. It was impossible for me to ignore: his loud keening was a veritable curse to the gods. It penetrated me. I could feel his chafing frustration in my heart, seeping in like hot oil. It would sit and simmer then, until something would finally snap. There was no turning back! I would lose all control, and spring into “Fix It Mode!”

A Taste of Compassion—One Day NVC Event

A Taste of Compassion—One Day NVC Event

April 2 in Huntington Beach CA from 9 AM to 6 PM, Come all day or part of the day

With “Ecstatic 5-rhythms” dancing from 6 to 8 PM. Requested donation $15 t0 $30, no one turned away for lack of funds

SoCal NVC http://www.socalnvc.org is hosting. See website for details

Or email alicianowicki@gmail.com

Location: Healy Residence, near Warner Ave. and Algonquin St. (details
provided with registration) Huntington Beach, CA 92649

Cost: We are requesting a donation of $15 – $30 per person to cover
expenses. If you can contribute more, then please do so. No one will be
turned away for lack of funds

Conscious Discipline

We are always looking for ways to define what we practice at Riviera PlaySchool. What we have is a unique meld of non violent communication, attachment parenting, mindfulness, abundance, gratitude, and self-awareness, along with the an age-appropriate developmental approach toward academic and structural aspects from Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia. Riviera PlaySchool is exceptional because each of our teachers at playschool is an exceptional human being who has the capacity to take a step back and respond compassionately, and has the passion to be with your child in every unfolding moment.

I came across an article by a woman named Becky Bailey, who happens to have authored a pretty good description of what we do here at Riviera Playschool. Becky calls it conscious discipline, and it all starts with being who you want your children to become (Joseph Chilton Pearce). I consider it a ‘way of being’ in the world, though, and not, as Becky refers to it, a “classroom management system.”

100 Ways to Show you Care

Show your child you care. Create a connection today! (I’m going to!)

You Can’t Say You Can’t Play! Does setting this limit then make us the bully?

As parents and adults, we typically struggle a little with how to provide children the space to have their power, (and thus exclude) and also provide an opportunity for them to develop common ground. I think it is so important, of primary importance, to allow children to have as much power over themselves as possible. [...]

Developmental Checklist….am I making the grade as a parent?

When I read anything about parenting and child development, I spontaneously begin evaluating myself on my own parenting of my son. As I recently read a developmental checklist for early childhood, I felt the urge to pat myself on the back many times. But then I came to the piece about peaceful conflict resolution “Has [...]

Taking a Step Back

We all know that our children are not reflections of us, but every once in a while we get tricked into that lie again! It sneaks in, and we spring into RE-action, rather than mindful response.