Wholesome Parenting For The Foundation Years

The more we know about the young child's developing body and mind, the more we understand and the easier it is to meet our children where they are at. In the time of the formative years the conscious brain is mostly dormant, so what does this mean about the child's needs and what do we as parents need to be more aware of? "Play develops intelligence and prepares us for higher education and creative thought" - Joseph Chilton Pearce

Now we discuss the subconscious and conscious brains and how habits, or patterns, are formed. How do we rewire emotional patterns, toxic reactions or harmful thoughts? In this lesson we will move through a self-observation exercise, for transformation starts with awareness. "He who knows other may have knowledge enough to predict the rain but he who knows himself will see with clarity of the sun and moon" - Lao Tzu

Your sense-of-self is affected by your perceptions and thus the sense-of-self has a direct influence on the parent-child relationship. In this lesson we work through an equilibration exercise to flip old thinking patterns into beneficial ones. "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change" - Max Planck

Let's discuss how intuition is important for the parent and the child. You will be guided through an exercise to awaken your intuition. "Intuitive ability is present in everyone because it is a survival skill, not a spiritual intention" - Caroline Myss.

In this lesson we will be breaking through repetitive narrative that may be holding you back. By introducing empowering narrative this strengthens the authentic self. A strong authentic self as a parent helps one to parent from a place of wholeness. You will need a pen and paper for the Breakthrough Method which is courtesy of Dr John Demartini who says "Just keep looking - and believe me - sometimes problems are a blessing in disguise as they force us to look withIN - not withOUT!"

Just as young children need stimulating activities and good sleep so their bodies require healthy nutrition that will help the growth taking place. Which foods can impair learning, development, behaviour and growth? What can I do to help my child's health and wellbeing?

Being out in nature daily is an easy way to ensure your child is receiving many vitamins and minerals, by walking barefoot, breathing in deeply while playing and from the fragrances of plants. The great thing about nature is that there is no preparation needed, simply be as you are!

A child's rhythm is natural and organic, in harmony with their current needs and developing stages. For a healthy, calm lifestyle this lesson suggests appropriate focus for each of the day's sections, from rising to early morning, mid morning, noon, afternoon, late afternoon and evening, bedtime.

Breathing deeply and doing so often helps the young child to develop in a healthy, wholesome way. Movement, memory, sleep, IQ, EQ are all affected by the breath. A few fun breathing exercises are suggested in this lesson. "Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure" - Oprah Winfrey

When we sing we automatically breathe deeply, oxygenating our brain, releasing tension and enhancing our mood. Keeping rhythm assists with self-control while learning the lyrics helps memory and speech development.

Instinctively children know the type of movement they need, be it running, rolling, nodding, rocking, jumping, bouncing. Daily outdoor exercise, along with the freedom to move about can be coupled with specific activities to ensure a healthy muscular-skeletal system. Feeling movement in the body is a survival need of the young child and impacts the quality of their nervous system.

Around preschool age children begin to realise that they are individuals and separation anxiety can occur. Nightmares, fears, phobias and obsessions may develop. Role-playing can be used to safely explore emotions with the young child.

Listening is a skill and just like everything else, it needs to be practiced. Children are wonderful imitators thus primary caregivers of young children are the leading role models in their lives. When a person senses they are being listened to they feel validated and it then becomes easier to reciprocate.

Questions stimulate conversation. They also give the message to the listener that s/he is important. Use questions that will encourage dialogue. Conversing in this manner will stir a whole-brain experience for the child, rousing EQ & IQ development.

The ability to clearly articulate oneself is empowering. When one is heard and listened to, our needs can be met and one has the opportunity to living a fulfilling life. Clear, audible speech allows the speaker to be understood. These assets determine what opportunities arise for an individual as well as the choices s/he makes. Effective delivery of the voice sets the path for academic achievement and impacts relationships too.

Stories in a child's environment are an essential ingredient to captivate the individual's attention. When there is interest there can be inspiration and where there is inspiration then discovering, understanding and practice through repetition is accepted and even longed for. "There is a direct correlation between descriptive language and the capacity for abstract thought, math and science" - Joseph Chilton Pearce

Puppets are a worthwhile investment for any home of young children. Puppets can be the link between the adults and the children, between their world and ours. Use puppets to understand your child and to enhance imagination.

Visualisation has many benefits - it is one of those wonder tools that is easy and powerful. In this lesson I share with you a game I have used with young children for decades, it's called 'I Can, I Am'. Once this asset is developed in early years it can be returned to later in life, even if they no longer practice it. "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein.

Feeling geometric patterns feeds the soul while calming the body and mind. Colour is a means for the young child to understand the world around them and is crucial for cognitive development. What colours and shapes are most nourishing for a young child's environment? Let's explore this topic and hear what leaders in education have to say about shape and colour.

In this lesson we discuss punishment, constructive praise, tantrums and how to create an environment with conscious experiences. Conscious discipline stimulates the frontal lobes of the brain. This system depends on adults discipling themselves before the child, this is called self-management. "Conscious discipline works because consciousness is a better teacher than consequences" Dr Becky Bailey

In this conclusion we talk about the importance of a child making mistakes and the importance of adults trusting in the natural process of life development. We also create an intention starting with "I choose". Please have a pen and paper handy