I recently received a note from a reader, and it reflects an issue that so many parents and educators struggle with. I asked permission to use her note as a starter for a blog about mealtimes, and she graciously agreed! (more…)
It starts at birth. Well, before birth, really. Are you planning to have a natural childbirth? At home with a midwife? You aren’t eating unpasteurized cheeses are you? You will breastfeed, right? How long?
And it continues with fervor through a child’s early years. Preschool? Homeschool? Unschool? What types of soap are you using? I hope you know about buying organic apples. Will you stay home or go back to work? And on and on.
To parents, it can seem as though everyone has very strong opinions about how children should be raised. Those opinions stem from passion to help children grow up with the best – something we can all feel good about! But social pressure and unsolicited advice can be paralyzing when making the best choice for the family means selecting a path not considered “right.” (more…)
Yesterday, I was at an office supply store with my three young children. And I was hungry. So. Hungry. As you might expect, I was impatient and short with my children.
When my daughter asked another question, I felt like I might lose it. Instead, I stopped to look at her in the eyes and said, “You know what I just realized? I am feeling impatient at how long it’s taking us in the store. The reason is that I am so hungry. I can’t answer any more questions now, because I am hungry. How about we go eat lunch, and then I will feel better and can answer more questions?”
What was most interesting about this moment was how easily I could forgive my short-tempered behavior or my disengaged shopping. Yes, my behavior was less-than-wonderful, but I was hungry. As I reflected on the moment, it dawned on me: Do we expect more our children than we do of ourselves? (more…)
I received a special invitation from Abby Bordner to participate in an exciting online event: Relationship Based Parenting: The Simple Truths about Raising Healthy, Successful Kids.
Abby asked me to be one 21 speakers from around the world to contribute to a discussion about parenting and raising healthy, successful kids. She has brought together top speakers (including Alfie Kohn, Naomi Aldort, Heather Shumaker, and Michael Gurian) in the fields of child psychology, child development, writing/publishing and authors of bestselling parenting books to answer the questions:
I am thrilled to be participating in this innovative and inspiring event between August 12th and 23rd. Replays of the interviews will be available to all participants who register! To register, click here. After registering, you will receive an email with a link to listen to the interviews.
Please join our community of parents and professionals in this valuable exploration of the most important things we can do to raise healthy, successful children!