Parenting With Teacher Nancy

As parents, we want to give our children everything they need to succeed in life.  It doesn't necessarily mean buying them things.  In fact, too many things, including educational toys, can get in the way of their education and learning, and have other possible negative outcomes.  In some German kindergartens, toys are being taken away to curb future addiction .  A British study done recently shows that too many toys inhibits attention skills and imagination. An Over-Abundance of Toys May Stifle Toddler Creativity Despite the age of this article, the message is still poignant.  We should consider how materialism and commercialism effects our children. Too Young to be a Consumer:  The Toll of Commercial Culture on the Rights of Childhood EXTRAS The Overprotected Kid We discussed this article in class this week.  If you have not yet read it, it's a must read. Germany is Taking Away Kindergartens' Toys To Curb Future Addiction PARENTING WORKSHOP Space still avai

Children (and adults) have a biological need to play. Why Play is Important And to take risks. In Britain’s Playgrounds, ‘Bringing in Risk’ to Build Resilience Playing and doing it in nature is a combination that really works, for everyone. Here's a list of favorite San Francisco nature spots made by students in class : Bayview Hill Baker Beach Buena Vista Park Bernal Hill Candlestick Point Park Crissy Fields Fort Funston National park Glen Park Canyon Golden Gate Park     Botanical Gardens      AIDS Redwood Grove Heron's Head Park      (there are goats near here too by SF Native Plant Nursery) India Basin Shoreline Park John McLaren Park      Lakes/duck feeding      Philosophers Walk      Blackberry picking in the late summer/early fall Land's End Trail Ocean Beach Presidio      El Polin Springs      Woodline      Inspiration Point Hike      Trails, beach, woods and more Spots 30 minutes or less from SF : Coyote Point (playground, beac

Richard Louv wrote the bestseller, Last Child In The Woods (2005), where he coined the term "Nature-Deficit Disorder." This sparked a national conversation around the need for children to be out in nature.  That conversation continues today, with more research that continues to back his idea that children are affected positively when they spend time in nature, and negatively when they do not.  The second article is based on researched released in 2018 on how being outside helps develop executive function. Connecting With Nature Boosts Creativity and Health Time Spent Outdoors Boosts Executive Function BOOK DISCUSSION This semester we have been reading the classic parenting book,   How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk ,  by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.    This week of April 16, concluding our book conversation by discussing Chapter 7, the final chapter.  Of course, reading the chapter is the best way to internalize the book, but if you run out