The question is, what kind of world do I want my child to experience. What kind of world do I want the children of today to have when they are adults? How can we, as parents, teachers, and mentors, make this world possible for them? These questions, along with others, are ones I hope to explore in these articles. Furthermore, what world do I want to experience in the future, and the future for all of us. The future we work to create for our children is first created through us.
Parenting/Teaching today sometimes feels like we're running a marathon with no finish line in sight. The world is changing fast. Our kids are growing up in a digital age, bombarded with information, and facing challenges we never imagined. And here we are, trying to raise them to be loving and kind humans and often feeling like we're just barely holding on. We often feel lost and often resort to raising our children the way our parents raised us.
I include teaching with parenting as both are heart centered and both are about doing the best we can. In many cases the amount of time a child spends in school rivals the amount of time spent with parents, and to me, teachers play an important parental role. The impact of a teacher on a child’s life is seriously underestimated. A teacher can have an amazing impact on a child’s life. A caring teacher can give love to a child who does not receive it at home, and this love can make a crucial difference in the child’s future.
These articles are about doing both from the heart, not perfection. It’s about finding a way to raise children who are adaptable, loving, and compassionate. It’s about helping them become successful adults who love themselves and therefore can love others fully while potentially breaking negative generational cycles. It’s about creating a compassionate future, one child at a time. My vision is to assist through the ups and downs while offering stories, insights, and maybe a little laughter along the way.
So, what is heart-centered parenting? It's a way of being with your children that emphasizes love, empathy, and the truth of ourselves. It’s about seeing children as unique individuals and nurturing their growth, not just managing their behavior. It's about being vulnerable and open, even when it feels uncomfortable. It’s about being brave enough to show up as we are, not as perfect parents, but as real human beings.
In my over fifty years in education, I’ve had the privilege of working internationally and domestically with families from diverse backgrounds. I've been a columnist, a writer, and a researcher, and I’ve traveled the world, from the United States, to the Middle East to Africa and back home to the U.S. These experiences have taught me that while parenting challenges are universal, so are the solutions. The heart knows no boundaries.
These articles are structured to guide you through different phases of parenting. We’ll explore the early years, when everything is new and overwhelming. We'll tackle the school years, filled with growth and learning. We’ll navigate the teenage years, with their unique set of challenges. By offering my own experiences and lessons learned I hope to stimulate self acceptance and self love in ourselves for as we develop this within ourselves, we freely give it to others.
As you read, I invite you to reflect on your own experiences. Think about what resonates with you and what challenges you. Engage with the material, and with the people around you. Share the stories, ask the questions, and explore the answers together. Remember, we’re all in this together.
Parenting is a transformative journey. It changes us as much as it changes our children. This book is not about giving you all the answers. It's about providing a map for your journey, a guide to help you find your way back to your heart, and to theirs. Expect to be challenged. Expect to be inspired. Expect to grow.
Welcome to the adventure of heart-centered parenting. Welcome to the challenge of remaining conscious while parenting; to the challenge of not just compassionate parenting but contemplative parenting. Developing the ability to remain centered in Presence under the most difficult of challenges while parenting. First and foremost is learning to love ourselves and to remain in the Presence of love.