Parenting from the Heart

How do we help children learn to feel safe speaking their truth, even in front of others who may feel differently? Developing a strong...

“A wonderful thing about laughter is that it destroys any kind of system for dividing people.” — John Cleese, actor, comedian A few...

“He decided he needs a gray crayon,” a father explains to the water at Tutu’s, a restaurant where they provide crayons for children...

In spring, a child’s fancy turns to pushing limits and boundaries. The same process that incites spring flowers into what Rilke called...

One of the benefits of COVID has been helping us experience compassion and concern for others in our school community. Never in modern...

What’s the opposite of wasting time? We often talk about time in the same terms as money, referring to moments like finishing emails as...

With next week’s Book Fair, it’s helpful to explore ways to select meaningful books for children. We can’t force children to like...

I’m always touched by parents’ devotion to reading to their children every day, no matter how busy their schedules or how tired they are....

Some conversations between two adults are wonderful for children to overhear. Hearing a parent or teacher talk about their...

Let’s take a vote! One of the fun ways to help children feel empowered to express their opinions is asking them to vote. At home family...

In his sojourns greeting children on the kindergarten and elementary play yards, elementary school Co-Principal Vince d’Assis sometimes...

As we celebrate Chinese New Year at school this week, with preschool classes creating dragons and parading through all the halls, I am...

Want to help your child handle difficult experiences and emotions? Offer art materials and a time to use them consistently. Even at a...

“This is my purse,” my grandson said proudly when he was two, indicating a small cloth bag he was carrying with the strap draped over his...

Last week my twenty-two-year-old grandson and Meher School alumni, Malakai, helped me achieve a long-sought New Year’s resolution for the...

At this time of year, children often seem like they are swimming in a sea of excitement and anticipation. Just thinking about future...

At the school coffee last Thursday morning, a mom shared her frustrations about her children fighting. Few sounds irritate parents more...

On a sunny Saturday in November, four-year-olds chose to stop playing and opted for the joy of handing baby shower gifts to their Room 2...

People often wonder how to help a child who gets nervous about going the doctor, or even anxious about going to school. Phrases like...

Want a trick to help children clarify, then let go of their upset feelings? Offer to write their emotions down. When a four-year-old was...