Let the Children Play: It's Not a Mistake, It's an Experiment - Jenny helps me remember that sometimes things may "go wrong" but that doesn't mean it's a failure. She writes: "We might not have provided quite the sensory experience we were planning on, but something even better happened. The kids took over and made it their own."
Aunt Annie's Childcare: Turning Parents on to Risky Play - Aunt Annie always makes me think. She takes on a subject that I've been thinking and reading a lot about. She writes: "Kids need to be taking risks- it's part of their developmental learning curve. Kids need to be allowed to maybe hurt themselves, in minor ways, now and then."
Aha! Parenting: 5 Steps to Intervene Without Time Out - Dr. Laura Markham discusses intervening in behavior without using timeout. Dr. Markham writes: "Your listening, along with your empathy--and the emotional safety you provide by staying calm and kind--are what help your child process those big emotions and learn to manage them."
Education Rethink: 10 Reasons Why Innovation Isn't the Answer - John Spencer always triggers new thoughts or a reexamination of old ones. John notes that innovation doesn't work when we deliberately try to focus on it. He writes: "Innovation happens because of true relevance and relevance happens because of meaning. If I am consumed by meaning, I will find creative ways to get there."
The Grass Stain Guru: Eavesdropping on Today's Childhood - We all hear about how many children are over-scheduled and don't have time to be kids. Bethe overheard a conversation that bore this out. She notes: "Simply put, what passes for childhood today is simply not good enough. It’s not good for the children, the parents/families, the teachers, and society as a whole."
And one last thing...A TED Speaker's Worst Nightmare - Everyone needs to have some fun and play sometime.
