Stirring up Peace

These articles might contribute to more relaxing, more spiritual relations within the family through a combination of honoring the child's potential and humbly accepting our own frailties and imperfections.
There was a question about why I considered these choices more spiritual or peaceful. Sometimes I knew the author and saw his or her spiritual beliefs in effect as I read. In some, I saw the writer cross that line between caring what a child was learning to caring that he was centered. The difference between focus on production and focusing on the person's soul is a single step, just the passage through one internal gate.
—Sandra Dodd, 4/21/03

SANDRA DODD

Parenting Peacefully—encouragement and links

Balancing in the Middle Ground Neither 'all' nor 'nothing' is an option.

Do you think giving kids things and money will spoil them? Do you think kids spoil like apples? Read this by Sandra, about what children need.

Holly wears a shirt I made when I was a teenager. It has caused all kinds of connecting thoughts to arise.

PAM SOROOSHIAN

Becoming the parent you want to be: "Just change the next interaction you have with the kids." (And more of Pam Sorooshian's response to someone asking how to become a calm, thoughtful parent.)

child Holly - leaping off the ground framed by the torii of the dojo - American flag in the window

KATHY WARD

"The most valuable thing I've learned in 12 years of homeschooling about the 'hard stuff' is that to a child who is interested it's not going to be 'the hard stuff,' it's going to be the fun stuff, the intriguing stuff, the challenging stuff. Their passion for it will rub off on their parents!" Kathy's unschooling site disappeared but is being rebuilt (2010 note). Until it's ready, I can direct you to Kathy Ward (a holding page). I think her calm and confidence will wash over you.

NANCY WOOTON

Nancy has preserved a near-perfect exchange in Questions from a young mom, and answers from an unschooling friend .

And here's another, in case the first link goes away.

ANONYMOUS/unidentified

Grasping Water

BARBARA HANDLEY

Barbara writes about leaving children's quiet time alone in defining unschooling, with a very effective analogy to sand-art frames.

Peaceful Parenting
with sound file of Richard Prystowsky and Sandra Dodd speaking on Peaceful Parenting

Mindfulness and Unschooling

Parenting Considerations

Of historical note only—not current, but once was.
Unschooling Otherwise
(religious, international and specialty sites)