People Before Things

people before things.jpg

People Before Things

The text reads: Ask yourself whether your child could be getting the impression that material things matter more to the adults in their world than they do.

Even though this is a sometimes challenging value to uphold, being mindful of this can make a WORLD of difference in your relationship with the young folks in your life!!!

Lessons learned from a stone-versus-rear windshield incident.

Lessons learned from a stone-versus-rear windshield incident.

“…Those stones are perfect for little hands to throw. Our son was outside doing what came naturally, tossing stones, and one of the stones went rogue and hit the rear windshield of my late-model Toyota Corolla. Shattered it completely…” Here’s how we not only got through that event but even profited from it in the most beautiful way!

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Understanding and Supporting Kids Through Tantrums and Meltdowns...

Understanding and Supporting Kids Through Tantrums and Meltdowns...

A couple of metaphors to help folks understand what's really going on when a child is melting down, which could help a person take a more effective approach so they can support their child AND stay as calm as possible under trying circumstances...

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The Beautiful Truth About Lying

The Beautiful Truth About Lying

It's good to understand WHY kids lie.  Of course, they're not going to be able to tell you, but when you understand what may be behind the lying, it can alter your response to it, and that can make all the difference in the world!

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"What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?"

"So, there I am at the supermarket.  It's a BEAUTIFUL late summer/early autumn day.  Warm, sunny, dry, fragrant air...  I'm putting my groceries into the car and just enjoying everything, and I hear a shopping cart go by.  I glance up, and it's one of those carts with a toy car in the front, and the little driver is taking his role very seriously.  My heart goes pitter-patter as I enjoy his enjoyment."

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Consider this hypothetical...

Consider this hypothetical...

Let's say you have been suddenly drafted to be a softball coach in your town. You've played softball plenty of times, but always informally...just for fun. Now, you're going to have a whole bunch of kids looking to you for authoritative coaching about something you know how to do but have never told anyone else how to do. You have a week before your first practice. What are you going to do with that time?

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I am.

I am.

"What follows 'I am...'or 'you are...' or 'she/he is...' is a label.  Labels can be very problematic and can undermine connection and happiness for a few very important reasons."

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Life Is Like...

Life Is Like...

I have noticed that like is like a river. Or, better yet, life is like kayaking down a river. The more I test this particular pithy observation, the more it holds up. Here, if you are interested, is the genesis of my nugget...

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Getting on the Same Page!

Getting on the Same Page!

We have been talking about wanting new tools a lot lately and are so glad we found a class designed for this. We think it's important for parents to admit to themselves that sometimes they need help and to seek it out rather than just forcing your child to submit and pushing forward. ~ a parent in the Making the Shift to Peaceful Parenting teleclass

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Peaceful parenting and soup...

Peaceful parenting and soup...

A delectable, comforting, enriching, nutritious soup depends on having the right ingredients in the right quantities.  And, in the radical unschooling “soup,” peaceful parenting principles constitute the soup base.  Radical unschooling without peaceful parenting may not go down so easy, and may not leave the best taste in your mouth.  (The truth is, peaceful parenting makes everything taste better!)

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