I had the pleasure of joining Michael Krasny, Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School, and Markella Rutherford, author of “Adult Supervision Required” on KQED Radio.
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Do you let your elementary school kid walk to school alone? Do you let your nine-year-old play unsupervised at a park? For recent generations of children, play almost always happens in the presence of an adult. But there is growing concern among parents and experts that kids need more freedom to explore the world on their own. We’ll discuss how today’s parents weigh risks and safety concerns for their kids, and what has changed from previous generations
Do you want to have more harmony at home and less yelling? Most parents agree that yelling isn’t beneficial, but many report that they just don’t know what to do when their children misbehave. Learn to create a plan—and more—to address the issues that trigger yelling. Even if you don’t yell a lot, this class will help you consider new ways to communicate with your child and provide discipline and guidance.
One recent participant said, “Rona’s class goes beyond the standard suggestions of deep breaths and removing yourself from the room. She helped me think about the negative thought patterns I get caught in that fuel my yelling.”
On Aug. 28th I had the pleasure of talking with George Reiter on KPFT, the Pacifica station in Huston. George covers progressive and environmental issues on his show, Thresholds, and is interested in talking about discipline and raising children with respect. You can hear my interview about yelling less below.
Dr. Intisar Shareef also joined George Reiter on Sept. 11th to discuss discipline and the consequences of using harsh physical punishment with children. It was a terrific conversation about her own experience raising foster children, and about the work she does teaching parents, children, and childcare providers.
Thanks to my friend Janis Keyser, it was a lovely day meeting many parents at Google, and also getting to see one of the their terrific Childcare Centers.
The main thing I would add to this hour long video is a more developed response to a parents question about whining, I would add that we not only need techniques to help our children break the habit, but sometimes we really need to understand what they are asking for. Sometimes a child will whine when they don’t think they can get a parents attention any other way. And sometimes it’s their inner frustration and stress that comes out in the form of annoying behaviors. There are ways to respond instead of yelling as I mention in the video, and it’s always good to step back and think about your child’s experience.
It was a wonderful night in Boulder, thanks to my daughter Mara and her friends and colleagues. I met many people who do great work for children and families. I enjoyed the questions from parents who, like most parents, are trying to figure out how to communicate with their kids without letting their feelings of frustration and anger get the best of them.
I look forward to going back to Boulder—it’s a friendly and beautiful city.