children

Feb 27, 2020 09:48am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, On Parenting, Siblings, Social and Emotional Learning, brainstorming, children, critical thinking skills, imagination, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, parent education, parenthood, parenting, positive discipline, problem-solving & rivalry

6 min read

Raising Creative Problem-Solvers

Do you constantly referee children's disagreements? Do you tend to side with one child, frustrating the other? Or do you offer solutions, only to be ignored? If you're nodding in response to any of these questions, then read on!

kids fighting

The scenario:

My 4.5-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son share a room. It's the only place in the house where they're allowed to play LEGOs, so the plastic pieces don't take over our living room/homeschool area. Both kids love LEGOs, but my older son likes to li…

Feb 27, 2020 09:48am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, On Parenting, Siblings, Social and Emotional Learning, brainstorming, children, critical thinking skills, imagination, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, parent education, parenthood, parenting, positive discipline, problem-solving & rivalry

6 min read

Jan 2, 2020 02:05pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Nature, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, brene brown, children, grit, growth mindset, hiking, homeschool, homeschooling, natureschool, parenthood, parenting, personal growth & resilience

2 min read

Why We Hike

"Why do we have to do this hike?", complained my almost-eight-year-old son, his arms drooping by his sides. We had been hiking for almost two hours, had just conquered a half-mile 500-foot elevation gain, and still faced another mile uphill before reaching the summit.

My husband, unable to stomach my son's complaints, put our younger daughter in the carrier and charged up the hill. I took a deep breath and silently asked myself, "Why do we make them hike?"

Walking beside my son at his maddeningl…

Jan 2, 2020 02:05pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Nature, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, brene brown, children, grit, growth mindset, hiking, homeschool, homeschooling, natureschool, parenthood, parenting, personal growth & resilience

2 min read

Nov 17, 2019 07:49pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, children, democracy, equality, fatherhood, feminism, gender roles, gloria steinem, marriage, men, motherhood, parenthood, parenting & women

2 min read

Why You NEED to Take a Day Off (Hint: It's not about self-care)

I just spent the afternoon listening to the legendary author and feminist Gloria Steinem. Among the topics she addressed was the issue of democratic heterosexual households. She argued that society has convinced us there are "male" qualities and "female" qualities. However, when we realize that the "qualities necessary to raise children - patience, nurturing, attention to detail, empathy" - are HUMAN qualities, we'll have taken the first step towards a democratic household.

Why don't many men …

Nov 17, 2019 07:49pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, children, democracy, equality, fatherhood, feminism, gender roles, gloria steinem, marriage, men, motherhood, parenthood, parenting & women

2 min read

May 21, 2019 08:33am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Favorite Books, Nature, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, attachment, behavioral challenges, childhood development, children, compassionate parenting, entitlement, homeschooling, parenting, parents, positive discipline & unschooling

4 min read

The Entitlement Myth

A few weeks into his first-grade year, my formerly sweet and relatively cooperative son began acting sassy, cocky, and entitled. Requests for help were met with groans and eye-rolls. Limits were countered with sighs and "whatever"s.

We gave him the benefit of a doubt: Surely he was just imitating his older classmates' rude behaviors. Or maybe this was a misguided attempt at being more independent. All my friends' children were acting the same way, so it was probably a developmental phase. Re…

May 21, 2019 08:33am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Favorite Books, Nature, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, attachment, behavioral challenges, childhood development, children, compassionate parenting, entitlement, homeschooling, parenting, parents, positive discipline & unschooling

4 min read

Apr 22, 2019 06:33am

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, Theory and Practice, childhood development, children, home life, homeschool, homeschooling, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, SAHM, self-growth, self-regulation, teaching, unschooling & vulnerability

4 min read

Rediscovering Motherhood

An American friend and colleague who lives in Asia recently shared with me that her in-laws had moved out of her house. They had been very involved in raising her children, so I asked if she missed having the help. She texted back, "No. I'm forced to be the mom and it's what my kids want and what family is supposed to be."

As I sat staring at her words on my screen, the last seven years of my life - my entire parenthood journey - flashed before my eyes. I remembered how both times I had a bab…

Apr 22, 2019 06:33am

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, Theory and Practice, childhood development, children, home life, homeschool, homeschooling, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, SAHM, self-growth, self-regulation, teaching, unschooling & vulnerability

4 min read

Mar 27, 2019 09:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Theory and Practice, accountability, child development, children, education, elementary education, executive functions, learning, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education & organization

3 min read

The Un-Checklist

If you're a teacher or homeschooling parent who uses checklists to encourage a child's organization and accountability, then you already know just how quickly checklists can turn into a battle of wills between adult and child. You also probably sense that checklists hinder freedom of choice. And you've surely noticed that checklists shift the focus of the child's work away from self-development and flow, and towards task completion and industrial efficiency.

While checklists can work beautifull…

Mar 27, 2019 09:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Theory and Practice, accountability, child development, children, education, elementary education, executive functions, learning, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education & organization

3 min read

Mar 26, 2019 07:43am

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, Theory and Practice, childhood development, children, compassion, compassionate parenting, early childhood development, empathy, parenting & parents

3 min read

The Good Struggle

This morning, let's talk about compassion (identifying our common struggles) and empathy (letting others know they're not alone).

Raise your hand if you want your child to show compassion and empathy for others. OK, that's pretty much everyone in the audience. Put your hands down.

Now, raise your hand if you want your child to suffer. Anyone? Anyone? *crickets*

Most of us agree that it's painful to watch our child get hurt (physically or emotionally). So painful, in fact, that it triggers the …

Mar 26, 2019 07:43am

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, Theory and Practice, childhood development, children, compassion, compassionate parenting, early childhood development, empathy, parenting & parents

3 min read

Mar 24, 2019 04:34pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, Favorite Books, On Parenting, Siblings, Social and Emotional Learning, bedtime, books, children, literacy, mindfulness, movement, reading, Sleep & yoga

1 min read

BOTW: Good-Night Yoga

On a recent date night at a local bookstore (exciting, I know), my husband came across Good-Night Yoga: A Pose-By-Pose Bedtime Story. Neither of us practice yoga, but we'd been trying to find activities we can do as a family in the evenings that will engage both a three-year-old and a seven-year-old AND that will help us transition peacefully into the bedtime routine.

We've been reading and yoga-ing with this book a couple of evenings a week for the past month, and it's become on of our favorite…

Mar 24, 2019 04:34pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, Favorite Books, On Parenting, Siblings, Social and Emotional Learning, bedtime, books, children, literacy, mindfulness, movement, reading, Sleep & yoga

1 min read

Mar 21, 2019 03:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under Montessori Theory, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, Theory and Practice, children, education, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, montessori method & school

4 min read

The Puzzle-Child

Over the years of working in Montessori classrooms I've met many children who are eager to attend lessons, engage in follow-up work, and share their new knowledge. And then there are the occasional "puzzles" (as my son's Primary guide once referred to him). How do you know if you live or work with a puzzle-child? puzzle Puzzle-children are those for whom learning comes easily but who see most teaching as a hindrance to their own learning agenda. On a good day, they grumpily humor your agenda for a s…

Mar 21, 2019 03:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under Montessori Theory, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, Theory and Practice, children, education, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, montessori method & school

4 min read

Mar 25, 2018 07:02am

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, babies, buddhism, child development, children, montessori, montessori education, montessori method, parent education, parenthood, parenting & parents

2 min read

Full Bloom

When you're pregnant, it's as if you're handed a seed of unknown origin. You put it in the soil, water it, and give it light. The first seed leaves emerge, and you feel so proud! As the first set of true leaves unfurl, you begin to imagine the possibilities. You're sure your plant will be a hydrangea, because those are your favorite plants and surely nobody would give you a seed of a plant you don't like!

But then, much to your surprise, your hydrangea begins to look more and more like a tomato p…

Mar 25, 2018 07:02am

By Pilar Bewley

Under On Parenting, babies, buddhism, child development, children, montessori, montessori education, montessori method, parent education, parenthood, parenting & parents

2 min read

My Blog

children

Raising Creative Problem-Solvers

The scenario:

Why We Hike

Why You NEED to Take a Day Off (Hint: It's not about self-care)

The Entitlement Myth

Rediscovering Motherhood

The Un-Checklist

The Good Struggle

BOTW: Good-Night Yoga

The Puzzle-Child

Full Bloom

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