Short holidays, like the upcoming winter break, can be a welcome change from routine, particularly when the weather is cold and damp. But it’s so easy to let Christmas become an over-stimulating experience for the children in your life.
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When your daughter comes to you with a stone she found and wants you to take a look, do it. In that moment, it’s the most important thing there is to do.
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Does it surprise you to know that when an infant is allowed to move freely, he will learn to roll, creep, crawl, and sit, with no assistance?
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Having someone tell you they understand your frustration, joy or upset, makes you feel worthy. It recognises you as an individual and meets your need to be acknowledged.
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Even the most loved amongst us will have been shamed as a child or teenager. It’s part of our culture. The mistake we parents make, and it’s not limited to parents, of course, is that we pass on the shame that we carry from our own experiences. Let me give you a personal example…
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How do you feel about play? What do we even mean by the word 'play'? What is the importance of play?
Play has taken on a frivolous meaning over time. 'He's just playing...', we say, as if it's of no significance. And yet, many researchers in the fields of education, neuro-science and, indeed, play itself, are extolling its many virtues and, more importantly, what happens when it doesn't happen.
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How much time does your child spend choosing their own activity? Do they really need to be taught so much, so soon? How do you choose which classes are right for you and your little one?
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I've never actually been asked those questions, but they would be valid. Yes, I would like you to sit peacefully and relax during the class, paying attention to your child. What can he already do? Depending on his stage of development, he may have learned to crawl or sit independently, perhaps he's concentrating on rolling. When we take the time to look, it's amazing what he can already do.
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In more than ten years of running parent-child groups, I've seen many wonderful moments of play and interaction between very young children and between the children and their parents. The Playthings in the room have always been beautiful to the eye - it was a Steiner-Waldorf setting so very little was synthetic or brightly coloured and that appealed to me. Then, about six years ago, I was introduced to the work of the Hungarian Paediatrician, Dr Emmi Pikler, and my outlook changed.
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