Improving our self-awareness and presence is achievable by stepping back from our busy minds and into our bodies.

This will help greatly with emotional regulation we are more likely to notice the physiological warnings signs of triggers and defuse them. 

As you build a regular practice of sitting with your (often uncomfortable) feelings and thoughts you will become witness to your own inner-dialogue and begin to develop more awareness and self-compassion.

In getting familiar with our own uncomfortable feelings we will be able to temporarily sit with them when our children are struggling and need us.

Self-compassion is the braking system on the cycle of being emotionally reactive and berating yourself with guilt.

Remember you cannot have an inner dialogue founded in judgements and criticisms then expect to be able to positively communicate with your child.

You cannot give what you do not have, and that is true of self-worth, self-love & self-compassion.

Parenting is the real spiritual practice.

It is one thing to sit on your cushion and meditate peacefully at the top of a mountain for days on end, an honour I have experienced and perhaps you have too. 

However, to get up in the morning, day after day, year after year and practice empathy and compassion for yourself, as well as your children - that, to me, is the real spiritual practice!

“Imagine a life with less, less hurrying, toys, less stress, a life with fewer distractions.  Now imagine a life with more, more time to play, more space, more connection with your children & more contentment.”

Inspired and adapted from 'Minimalism: A Documentary'

With smartphones & social media grappling for your attention, you have to be a warrior to live life on your terms.

We look at practical ways to create more space for what is deeply important to you and your family by creating

space in your schedule

space in your mind &

space in your environment.

This course provides a pause, a space to breathe and to step back from the constant juggling and endless to do list.

A space to consciously align what you want is deeply important to you and your family during this precious time of motherhood and childhood.

We delve into anger with kindness and curiosity.  

The groups are designed to be small, closed and confidential.  This is a safe space that welcomes all your messiness. 

 If you have the courage to be vulnerable and share your journey, the weight of shame in your imperfections lifts and transforms over time into self-compassion and growth.

We delve into the neurology and physiology of triggers. 

In learning how to manage your anger at its different stages you will not only be able to diffuse it or redirect it but to listen to its messages with self-compassion.

You will be guided on how to process challenges and how to find the source of your triggers and you will be supported to face and heal old wounds.

Parenting is an emotional journey and so we set you up with an ongoing space for regular 1-1 emotional support with another parent that continues long after the course finishes. 

You will not suddenly avoid your "triggers" but you will learn to identify them, respond and recover from them more quickly and insight.

It can become a vicious cycle. As disconnect increases, your child's reactions become stronger (their call for help getting louder), we become more stressed and the distance grows causing more fear in your child and bigger reactions.

How do you transform “challenging and uncooperative” behaviour without bribes, threats or punishments?

By connecting, because connection is the key to co-operation.

More importantly, cooperation from an intrinsic, self-motivated place in your child as a result of them feeling closer to you.  NOT externally forced cooperation based on fear or rewards.

You will learn simple, effective tools to help you re-connect with your child and shift difficult situations into a place of harmony, understanding how and when to use each tool. 

You will also come away with the knowledge and confidence to parent from a place of connection, with sustainable practises that regularly nurture that most precious bond.

More importantly, this will bring back the joy and wonderment of these precious years.    

You may wonder: why do you need tools? 

To answer this, you need to understand how your child’s brain works. When your child feels disconnected, there is NO point in communicating with words.  They literally cannot hear you because the pre-frontal cortex (the part of the brain for reasoning, logic, and impulse control) is simply NOT engaged. 

For it to re-engage and for your child to be able to hear you, they need to feel safe and connected - and that’s where these tools come in. They forge a path to help you re-establish that connection.

You cannot direct or appraise your child's learning as well as preserve their innate self-motivation.

You cannot reprimand your child for expressing their emotions (through their whining, crying, tantrums etc), then expect emotional intelligence.

My approach is inspired by NVC (Non-Violent Communication) which has a language needs and feelings and is based on the assumptions that everyone's needs matter.

We start off with respectful communication with infants, then move to toddlers with a more simplified application of NVC.  Then as your children's language skills grow we are entering a full dialogue founded in respect, trust and connection.

Often, as our child's age-appropriate need for autonomy grows our ego faces the necessary and tricky process letting go of control.  

My approach, as always, is also grounded in neurology.

A behavioural approach is based in the limbic system which stimulates either fear of punishment or feeds the pleasure reward circuits.  This wires the brain to become emotionally reactive.

In contrast, a relational approach develops your child's intrinsic competencies in the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain that deals with empathy, reasoning, logic and complex problem-solving.

A behavioural approach uses manipulations such as bribes, threats, punishments or repetition to control behaviour.  Remember, threats can be as subtle as a strong tone of voice or a stern look.  Yes, this produces short-term compliance, unfortunately, it also leads to mistrust and disconnection. 

Authentic & respectful communication focuses on relationship over behaviour.  It builds trust and connection, leading in the long term to more self-motivated cooperation.  A relational approach builds emotional intelligence for your child, giving them social and emotional skills for life.

“We now know that the way to help a child develop optimally is to help create connections in her brain—her whole brain—that develop skills that lead to better relationships, better mental health, and more meaningful lives. You could call it brain sculpting, or brain nourishing, or brain building. Whatever phrase you prefer, the point is crucial and thrilling: as a result of the words we use and the actions we take, children’s brains will actually change, and be built, as they undergo new experiences.” 

Dr Dan J Seigel, author of 'No-Drama Discipline'.

So how do you develop your child’s emotional intelligence?

Primarily, we will focus on developing your child's emotional literacy, a vocabulary to name their emotions.  This is the first step towards their self-regulation.

We also bring in mindfulness practises you can do as part of your daily interactions that will develop their self-awareness.

Secondly, their emotions need to be heard and acknowledged.

Expression of emotions may look like crying, whining, moaning, shouting or tantrums and we, as parents, have unconscious habitual responses that suppress these.  By bringing awareness to these habits, we can transition to simply hearing and acknowledging.

We can use a more reflective dialogue that supports our children to process and release their feelings.

Finally, we will touch on the development of social and emotional skills.

This is a huge topic, we start by clarifying your role in conflict resolution, from infant sharing issues to sibling battles so that you move away from being a referee to empowering them with the skills to resolve their own challenges.

We will look at how to encourage cooperation and compromise, as well as other positive traits such as empathy and gratitude.

We will also learn about Growth Mindset.

A growth mindset is an approach that can be taught based on the understanding that skills can be developed through effort.  It encourages a positive approach to learning and resilience and persistence in the face of challenges.

Versus a fixed mindset, (often caused by praising results over effort) that creates a more static, risk-averse approach to life.

In this workshop, we will review how infants are born self-motivated and capable of directing their own learning. 

This for me is key because once this belief is solidified, our role changes from a teacher to a facilitator and observer. 

When our objective is to preserve this love of learning and self-motivation, our approach to education becomes much clearer.

"Children come into the world exquisitely designed, and strongly motivated, to educate themselves.  They don't need to be forced to learn; in fact, coercion undermines their natural desire to learn."  

Peter Gray, author of 'Free to Learn'.

You cannot direct or appraise your child's learning as well as preserve their innate self-motivation.

From a structured Homeschooling approach to a spectrum of autonomous approaches such as Unschooling, Radical Unschooling and Worldschooling.

I would also like to inspire you with some insight into the Reggio Emilia, child-led approach to learning.

"It is not simply a choice about your child's education.  It is a choice for a childhood abundant in freedom, play and nature.  It is a choice to trust & preserve their innate love of learning by respecting their unique, unhurried path.  It is a choice for their authentic voice, unhindered by judgements and comparisons."  

Karen Pike on Home Education.

You will be provided with links to supportive and expert resources who have helplines and pre-formatted correspondence for this process. 

We will look at how to support your child through their transition from the education system, a process known as deschooling.

As a home-schooling parent myself, I will support you with: some of the factors in weighing up your decision, the joys and the challenges and what it can look like on a daily basis.  I will share how to build a community around you for mutual support and key socialisation.

Deciding whether or not to home educate is a very personal and complex decision that will have a huge effect on you, your family and your lifestyle.