Category Archive:
Teaching and learning principles

Teaching Humanity

teaching humanity

The core virtue of humanity is comprised of the character strengths of love, kindness and social intelligence. Humanity is the ability to see the connectedness of all human beings; it is the ability to help and befriend others. One of the gifts of human beings is our ability to love. We love our families. We […]


Teaching Courage

teaching courage

Courage, as one of the core virtues recognized in the field of positive psychology, incorporates four character strengths—bravery, persistence, integrity and vitality. Courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or difficulties with self-possession, confidence and resolution. How do we help our children develop these strengths […]


Teaching Wisdom And Knowledge

teaching wisdom and knowledge

Wisdom and knowledge. Some people mistakenly use these terms interchangeably. Knowledge is the state of familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. We know something because we have taken information in through our senses or mind. Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. Wisdom is common […]


The Positive Psychology Of Childhood

positive psychology childhood

“The families I see day in and day out come to me to fix problems. If they had done some preparation before becoming parents, a lot of pain could have been avoided,” said Debra, a family psychologist. “It’s much more fun and rewarding to help people learn to create happy families from the beginning, instead […]


Avoid Discouragement, Apologize

avoid discouragement apologize

“My dad never apologized for anything. He never admitted he was wrong, made a mistake or said he was sorry for anything. I think that caused so much friction and anger in our relationship. Now, I find I’m starting to do the same thing with my boys,” Stewart said during a parenting class. “How can […]


The Spiritual Role Of Family

spiritual role of family

It’s uncomfortable to consider. Some of us would rather not consider it at all. To our children, we are their first experience of the divine, the all powerful, the all-knowing, with a human face. We fix ZuZu’s petals. We are our children’s miracle makers. Our ability to create can be a double-edged sword by wielding […]


The Child’s Inherent Love Of Nature

child's inherent love of nature

What do you do to find yourself when you are out of sorts? Frustrated? Sorrowful? Despairing? If you are like most people, you try to find a quiet spot to commune with nature and seek peace or solace. Solace, a word from the Latin sol for sun, meaning to find the sun. We have to […]


Using A Child’s Positive Psychology

using a child's positive psychology

Children under the age of seven are in a developmental period for creating social relationships. Children want to connect and develop bonds of trust, respect and love with the people around them. Children are designed to want to connect positively with the adults in their lives. Children are naturally motivated to love. Unfortunately, the dynamics […]


Imagination In The Young Child

imagination in the young child

Imagination is the ability to visualize something that is not physically present. Infants have little if any imagination. If the familiar is gone, distress and tears usually follow. A new situation, such as being left alone, can be painful to the child until the child learns that this situation is safe or parents return. Experiences, […]


Children Seek To Create A Flow Of Activity

children seek to create a flow of activity

Up. Down. Up. Down. Eight-month-old Dana stood holding onto the coffee table doing deep knee bends. Day after day, over two hundred at a time, perhaps thousands a day. In amazement, I watched as Dana tirelessly exercised. There was no way I could do a thousand deep knee bends in a day, or at least […]