Guest post by James C. Talbot. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that one of the more egregious excuses for the practice of spanking lies in a belief that holds children liable for being born into this world with evil and sin in their hearts. Apparently, there are associated behaviors in children that…
Tag: behavior
Understanding and Empathy
Guest post by Larry Cohen. When our children have been “bad,” it’s hard for us to remember that they need comfort rather than punishment. After all, when you have made a mistake, would you rather get understanding or criticism? The best way to cultivate empathy is to focus on children’s underlying needs and feelings, instead…
Security and Self-Governance
Guest post by Ron Paul. The senseless and horrific killings last week at a movie theater in Colorado reminded Americans that life is fragile and beautiful, and we should not take family, friends, and loved ones for granted. Our prayers go out to the injured victims and the families of those killed. As a nation…
Do You Shame Your Child?
Guest post by Laura Markham. “Children learn to regulate their behaviors by developing an emotional ‘clutch,’ located in the prefrontal cortex, that can turn the accelerator off when the brakes are applied and redirect their interest in more acceptable directions….An activated accelerator followed by the application of brakes leads to a nervous system response with…
Quality Parenting?
I fear too many would say that they agree with this picture. Why? Because then that would mean they would be supporting a parent who fails to understand why his daughter felt the need to lie to him; what it is about their relationship that the daughter felt like she couldn’t trust him; what it…
Rights as Things
Post by Skyler J. Collins. Originally written April 2010. What are rights? The purpose of this short essay, or collection of thoughts, is to explore that question. So many commentators on rights treat them as something tangible, such as: “We have rights.” as compared to “We have milk.”“Don’t tread on my rights.” as compared to “Don’t…
Defining a Free Society
Guest post by Brian Lobb. What is a “free society”? Some people think that having economic freedom while controlling others socially is freedom. On the opposite side, certain folks think that having social freedom while controlling their neighbors’ pocketbook is freedom. Neither stance is freedom when you really break it down. To have a truly…
Parents as the State
Written by Skyler J. Collins. Parents have a unique responsibility. They have the power to create life, and then the duty to protect it and raise it into a functioning adult. But can we say that this life that they create is theirs in the sense of materialistic ownership? I don’t think we can. If…
Chapter 29 – Raising Children Compassionately
Table of ContentsPrevious – Section Five – Chapter 28 – “10 Ways We Misunderstand Children” by Jan Hunt 29 Raising Children Compassionately by Marshall B. Rosenberg I’ve been teaching Nonviolent Communication (SM) to parents for 30 years. I would like to share some of the things that have been helpful to both myself and to…
Chapter 28 – 10 Ways We Misunderstand Children
Table of ContentsPrevious – Section Five – Chapter 27 – “On Seeing Children as ‘Cute’” by John Holt 28 10 Ways We Misunderstand Children by Jan Hunt 1. We expect children to be able to do things before they are ready. We ask an infant to keep quiet. We ask a 2-year-old to sit still.…