Compassionate Listening = Listening to Ourselves with Compassion

The reason why I created a non violent preschool for my son, and the reason why I am on the hunt for a humanitarian school (or at the very least a compassionate teacher) for his elementary school experience, is completely selfish: I was a troubled child. I was the hard one. I had BIG emotions, and they were usually not understood. (OK, I admit it…I am STILL the troubled child, and I STILL have BIG emotions!)

I Didn’t Want a Marshmallow

Parents often have a hard time with children who “think they’re the boss.” The irony is, that none of us want a marshmallow, a follower; and most of us want a happy, self-satisfied, confident child! (…a leader, perhaps?) So maybe it is as easy as shifting our thinking! We can embrace it as AWESOME that our child knows what s/he wants! This is the type of child who will probably not follow the pack like a lemming out to sea! What our child needs is help learning ways to get those needs met; ways that don’t conflict with another’s ability to get their needs met! It is as simple as that!

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. That way of “reflective” thinking is a trap that often leads us to seek approval from the random parents around us. It can throw us into a tizzy of self-judgment: Oh my gosh my child is screaming….

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms

The Thrill of (vicarious) Success

It is so hard, as a parent, not to be seduced by the thrill of having our child “succeed.” And what exactly defines “success?” In early childhood, we often judge success on how much a child knows. This leads many parents to put their children into “academic” programs that focus on abstract knowledge, rather than experiential, play-based programs

Green School in Bali…I just wish there was one here!!

You have to watch this…it’s about an amazing school in Bali that teaches the 3 R’s, and so much more! These kids come to expect a “whole” education, and the founders hope that, as a result, they will demand a “Whole” World!

10 Reasons to Seek Alternives to Public School for Your Child

by Jerry Mintz Many parents don’t realize that the education world has changed drastically since they were in school. Schools and class sizes used to be smaller, dropout rates lower, in-school violence almost unheard of, and teachers weren’t terrified of showing affection to their students, or of discussing moral values. Of course, even then, school […]