Everyone has a need to be heard and understood. A great way to achieve this goal and understand the other person's point of view is through active listening. There are a few requirements in order for active listening to work: It is important to want to hear what the other person has to say and... Continue Reading →
active listening…
Active listening is a technique which allows you to put yourself in someone else's shoes, so to speak, in order to fully understand their point of view. It shows trust, acceptance, and interest in the other person and allows you to know what is really going on. With the use of active listening, we can... Continue Reading →
elemental bronze…
This quilt went through several names before I settled on Elemental Bronze. It's technically my first art quilt, and I used it to try out several different things. I made the entire quite from supplies I already had on hand. I was a little limited in some areas, so I had to be a bit... Continue Reading →
easy to love, difficult to discipline…
In her book Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, Becky Bailey has written a resource which many parents can benefit from. She employs many non-violent communication techniques in her Seven Basic Skills for Turning Conflict into Cooperation in an easy to read format. Her focus on controling ourselves and modeling for our children through both... Continue Reading →
bubble bath…
Bubble baths used to be one of my indulgences. Before having kids, I would take a book into the bath and soak away for a while. With kids, I don't often get to do this. Within five minutes, someone will need something, even if it's just to come in and sit in the same room.... Continue Reading →
education versus indoctrination…
On 04 March 1800, Thomas Jefferson made an explicit case for public schools in his inaugural address. He had a civic purpose in mind, believing that our citizens needed the necessary skills in order to navigate our democracy. His view of what public school would offer and be was vastly different from the failing system currently... Continue Reading →
carbon neutral blogs…
Blogs aren't carbon neutral - no more so than internet usage itself is carbon neutral. While we are bumbling about, turning off extra lights, recycling as much as we can, planning our trips to better accomodate our ever-increasing gas prices, we seldom stop to think about how our internet usage is also costing energy and... Continue Reading →
the question of why…
The first question most children ask is why? This simple question holds much power, for inquiry is about much more than yes and no answers. It is about discovery, asking and re-asking, synthesizing, and evaluating until we can reach an answer that resembles something close to the truth. Inquiry is more than merely an act;... Continue Reading →
empathic communication…
Empathic communication helps parents relate to their children in a caring and effective manner. Begin by listening. Listening is the beginning of wisdom. We cannot effectively communicate unless we first listen to our children so that we can know their feelings, point of view, and what exactly it is that they are experiencing. In order... Continue Reading →
labeling is disabling…
Children learn what they live. When children live with criticism, they learn to condemn themselves and to find fault with others. They learn to doubt their own judgment and to disparage their own abilities in life. Individuals who are often criticized learn to distrust the intentions of others and live with a continual expectation of... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 