I was very lucky to attend a local event where we had Kim John Payne (see http://www.simplicityparenting.com) come to give a talk on child discipline. Kim has a Masters degree in education and has been a school counselor, adult educator, consultant, researcher, educator and a private family counselor for twenty seven years. He regularly gives key note addresses at international conferences for educators, parents, and therapists and runs workshops and training’s around the world. Our event was sponsored by our local Waldorf School here in Nelson, B.C..
Kim started off with a clarification on the word “discipline”.  It really comes from the word “disciple” which means “to be followed”.  

Homeschooling (also called “home education” in the UK or “home learning” elsewhere) is exploding in popularity in North America.  Some factors include more “stay at home” families who work remotely, and have more flexibility with travelling while checking in via Internet.  Others say this is a reaction to help children avoid the peer pressures of sex, drugs and alcohol which is more pervasive at a younger age in the public system.  Whatever it is, academically and socially, it’s benefitting children who school at home.
Internationally, 9 to 10 years of compulsory education is required in most countries, starting from age 5 or 6.  One notable exception is Germany, however, where homeschooling is illegal (and has been since 1930).  This is somewhat ironic, since Germany is the …

I was at a Waldorf  School curriculum presentation last night. They place a lot of attention on teaching according to a child’s developmental stage. There is good scientific evidence supporting the idea that during the first seven years of life, children are wired to survive and make choices based on imitation of those around them. Hello mirror, there you are…. again.
It is a tough job being transparent to the all seeing of a child. What this means for me is working on walking the talk with the kids. Pausing and looking more at what I do, and the genuine affect it has on my children. It is scary the power we have in molding these little people.
My dear friend, and date for the Waldorf night, …

My foray into any genuine spiritual experience has come through a slowly evolving yoga practice. I am 38 years old and started practising ten years ago. Initially it was all about relaxation and physical fitness. Four years in, I became friends with a woman who happened to be an instructor. I joined any classes she was teaching and have her to thank for bringing the ideas of intention, presence and awareness to the forefront for me and my personal development. These concepts help me to try to live better with myself and, therefore, others. Here are some thoughts about the role yoga has played in my parenting life.
Yoga and Pregnancy
My yoga practice as a parent began when I was pregnant with my first baby. Apparently …

Right around the birth of our first child, the World Health Organization put out a report that recommended breastfeeding children until the age of two, and exclusively for the first 6 months of life. My pharmacist friend was using the report as a benchmark for her family, as were many other mothers I was talking to. Up to this point, we hadn’t felt like mainstream parents, and I found comfort in the wide-spread acceptance of this information that was supporting attachment parenting concepts that we liked. We put any discomfort we or other family members felt aside about feeding in public and other issues, and decided to breastfeed our daughter for a minimum of one year. We were hopeful for, but not sure we’d make …