It’s obvious to all of us that future generations are going to need to be versatile, empathetic, independent thinkers, right? We’re bringing them up in a world that’s not working out if human beings want to avoid extinction. (Extreme, I know, but true...) The usual way of doing things is clearly not working.
Read MoreEach spring, life renews.
The plants in our gardens, the trees around our homes, and everywhere there are signs of the unfurling and unfolding that come with this season of lively renewal.
In these conditions, it’s not unusual to feel the stirrings of a new or forgotten energy within our being. For some there may be a restlessness, like an itch that needs to be scratched. For others, perhaps it’s that so many fresh, new ideas are tumbling over themselves to get your attention and become actual. For me, this year, it’s a bit of both…
Read MoreWhat if we could take our focus away from what our children are going to be when they grow up and instead focused on who they are now?
By learning How to Be a Parent, carer or teacher who nurtures the unfolding human being in the present, we not only serve our children better, but we also get to positively influence the world around us…
This course will help you on your way to becoming the parent you want to be.
Read MoreThe purpose of BALANCED BEINGS is to help you find physical and emotional balance through the art of play and self-experimentation – reconnecting with something that’s lost or forgotten, or maybe just a little shaky.
Read MoreAfter all, if we want to teach them anything, it’s that looking after yourself – protecting your physical and mental health – is the most important thing you can ever do.
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Taken from my podcast, this includes a small experiment that may help you deal with the tension and fear that live inside us all at the moment.
Read MoreSimply put, if we want our children to be curious about the world, to be strong, self-reliant individuals, we need to give them every opportunity available to explore, to follow their interest and enthusiasm. This requires a supportive environment.
Read MoreI spent my formative years - from birth through to leaving home at 17 - surrounded by classical music. My parents both loved to listen to it and my brothers and I all learned the piano and a second instrument. My father played cello in our local amateur symphony orchestra and we all spent several years as members of the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra.
Read MoreAs Carl Jung is famous for saying, what you resist persists. If you constantly stop a child from doing something which they're really interested in doing, they will keep trying and keep trying until they manage it, and this causes so much stress.
Read MoreSand has been a part of my life since I was born. From an early age, I have lovely memories of spending family time at the Sand Pit. But it wasn't just an ordinary sand pit. It’s actually a place dearer to my heart than most…
Read MoreThis is what shaming looks like. This is what we so innocently do to ourselves and, perhaps more importantly, to our children. This is what caused this kind, generous Mum of a sweet-natured toddler to jump up in fright.
Read MoreShort holidays, like the upcoming winter break, can be a welcome change from routine, particularly when the weather is cold and damp. But it’s so easy to let Christmas become an over-stimulating experience for the children in your life.
Read MoreWhen your daughter comes to you with a stone she found and wants you to take a look, do it. In that moment, it’s the most important thing there is to do.
Read MoreDoes it surprise you to know that when an infant is allowed to move freely, he will learn to roll, creep, crawl, and sit, with no assistance?
Read MoreHaving someone tell you they understand your frustration, joy or upset, makes you feel worthy. It recognises you as an individual and meets your need to be acknowledged.
Read MoreEven the most loved amongst us will have been shamed as a child or teenager. It’s part of our culture. The mistake we parents make, and it’s not limited to parents, of course, is that we pass on the shame that we carry from our own experiences. Let me give you a personal example…
Read MoreHow do you feel about play? What do we even mean by the word 'play'? What is the importance of play?
Play has taken on a frivolous meaning over time. 'He's just playing...', we say, as if it's of no significance. And yet, many researchers in the fields of education, neuro-science and, indeed, play itself, are extolling its many virtues and, more importantly, what happens when it doesn't happen.
Read MoreHow much time does your child spend choosing their own activity? Do they really need to be taught so much, so soon? How do you choose which classes are right for you and your little one?
Read MoreI've never actually been asked those questions, but they would be valid. Yes, I would like you to sit peacefully and relax during the class, paying attention to your child. What can he already do? Depending on his stage of development, he may have learned to crawl or sit independently, perhaps he's concentrating on rolling. When we take the time to look, it's amazing what he can already do.
Read MoreIn more than ten years of running parent-child groups, I've seen many wonderful moments of play and interaction between very young children and between the children and their parents. The Playthings in the room have always been beautiful to the eye - it was a Steiner-Waldorf setting so very little was synthetic or brightly coloured and that appealed to me. Then, about six years ago, I was introduced to the work of the Hungarian Paediatrician, Dr Emmi Pikler, and my outlook changed. I began to understand infants and toddlers in a refreshingly new way - from their gross and fine motor development to their amazing competence and ability to communicate long before recognisable language has begun. I learned to acknowledge the very young child as a whole human being, worthy of respect, empathy and autonomy.
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