Our children’s world is changing at a pace that is difficult to comprehend. The jobs that are here today probably won’t exist in ten, much less twenty years. We need to teach and help our children learn a skill set that will enable them to navigate the fast-moving changes they will inevitably encounter during their […]
Category Archive:
Children’s basic needs
Learning to Question
Information is an avalanche. Technology experts tell us that every two days we now create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003. To be able to dig ourselves out of this morass of words and images, in order to find our way and to live our lives, learning […]
Learning to Deal With Change
Learning to deal with change has become one of the critical life skills of our times. The amount of new information that we can access through the internet grows in such a geometrical progression that it staggers the mind. In 2010 Eric Schmidt, then CEO of Google, commented that every two days we now create […]
Learning to Make Good Decisions
What should we teach our children? Research shows that 80% of the facts we learn for tests are forgotten in a month. We remember best that information with which we have an emotional connection. It’s a lot easier to remember your birthday than the year of the Battle of Hastings. 1066, in case you’re wondering. […]
Fathers Courageous
A few weeks ago a friend recommended the film, Courageous. This movie explores a father’s role in the life of his children. Modern fatherhood–along with everything else–has become more complicated and less clear in its definition than ever before. Single motherhood seems to be the new norm, with marriage considered unnecessary. In this process men […]
Creating Clear Expectations for Our Children
“Last night Dustin asked me what rules we had at home. I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t have a ready answer. Dustin told me, ‘At school we have these rules, Mommy. Choose your work. Don’t touch anybody’s work. Work at a rug or table. And put your work away when you’re finished.’ See, even […]
Providing Structure in the Life of a Child
Dr. Robert Shaw in his book, The Epidemic, tells us that there are two “emotional vitamins” we can provide for our children: clear structure and clear expectations. How do we go about giving our children these two important items? This week we’ll explore how to create a clear structure, and next week we’ll look at […]
In Service to the Child
When you help a child climb the tree, everyone enjoys the fruit.-Nankani Proverb What do we expect when we patronize a restaurant? Tasty food, cheerful wait staff, good cost/price performance, timely delivery and, of course, not to go away hungry. Our decision making process is based on factors of price, timeliness, quality of relationships and […]
Oxygen for Brain Development
Sometimes a simple and effective solution is right in front of us. Our bodies are 65 percent water. Our brains are 75 percent water. Water, H2O, is made from two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Our brain needs oxygen and water for optimum brain functioning. To help our brains be their best, what […]
The Power of Touch
We all need a certain amount of attention from others to thrive and survive. The late Virginia Satir, a family therapist, said that we need four hugs a day to survive, eight hugs per day to stay at a strong emotional level and twelve a day to grow. Unfortunately in our busy world, the time […]