Growing Together Blog Archives

Deciding to become part of larger whole is a big commitment. Every parent must consider this before they take that leap to join a parent cooperative. Understanding and accepting other people’s children is the biggest and best take-away a parent cooperative will give to their member parents.

We do not have day-to-day, moment-to-moment plans. These would run contrary to our philosophy of education. We do have thematic units with flexible beginnings and endings. The way is open enough for the journey to wiggle and zig and zag along the way.

Flying home from a family vacation this summer, I sat behind a father with two young sons.  The youngest child was only about 2 or 2 ½ years old.  While the father tuned out by watching his DVD player with earphones and the older child took a nap, the youngest fussed and cried for over [...]

“Rather than getting children ready for school, we need to get school ready for them.” a quote from Docia Zavitkovsky, President, NAEYC 1984-1986, Founder of Play Matters, and lifelong supporter of parent cooperative schools.

We have all done it. We see the cookie crumbs sprinkled down our child’s shirt or the purloined item held behind their back, and we have to ask the big question: “Tell me the truth: did you . . . ”

Emory Luce Baldwin pulls from her Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) “bag of tricks” and real life to describe how to build, “special time.” A way to drink coffee and read the paper? Alone? Without neglecting your child’s needs? Do tell!

How do we reassure children during troubling times? Emory Luce Baldwin shares reassurances and comforting words to help us and our children “look for the helpers” and reestablish perspective.

Emory Luce Baldwin continues on her thread, “Children-with-a-Diagnosis.” Part II explores the idea of “growing courage bigger” and why this is so important for young children, especially those with identified needs.

Meaningful introduction to environmental preservation has long-lasting impact on future generations of nature’s caretakers. Water restrictions and soaring temperatures turned our attention to our local watershed, The Anacostia, and ways to introduce conservation to young children.

Bias may be strengthened by outside influences or our own misgivings and misconceptions as we make sense of ourselves. It can also be addressed and even eliminated in early childhood as we place value on the power of words.