Episode #64 - Raising 7-12 year old and connecting with our children
About Lou Harvey-Zahra Lou Harvey-Zahra has five successful parenting books, including the Steiner-Waldorf bestsellers ‘Happy Child, Happy Home’ and ‘Creative Discipline, Connected Family’. Lou has facilitated hundreds of Creative Discipline and Conscious Parenting parenting talks and workshops across the globe. Lou was born in the UK but now lives in Australia and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Liverpool University, a Postgraduate Degree in Education from West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs from Kingston University. Eighteen years ago Lou completed her Rudolf Steiner teacher training. Lou’s passion has always been children. For the past twenty-five years Lou has taught in Primary, Special Needs and Rudolf Steiner settings. Lou and her husband helped to co-found a Steiner Kindergarten, and a successful Steiner-inspired primary school in Melbourne. Lou’s popular parenting books include: Turning Tears into Laughter: Creative Discipline for the Toddler and Preschool Years Happy Child, Happy Home: Conscious Parenting and Creative Discipline Creative Discipline, Connected Family: Transforming Tears, Tantrums and Troubles While Staying Close to Your Children Growing Children, Thriving Children: Raising 7 to 12 Year Olds with Confidence and Awareness Through the Rainbow: A Waldorf Birthday Story for Children Angels Lou is passionate about assisting both parents and teachers to enhance the lives of children, and therefore, the future. Episode highlights Accepting children as they grow and letting go Coordinated bodies and coordinated writing Changes in physical body and play from age 7. Our etheric bodies based on Rudolf Steiner understanding and how children are energetically connected to their main caregiver. This explains why they want to climb into your lap when you are in the toilet or always seeming to climb into your space. How children stand on their own from age 7. Netflix movie The boy That Harnessed The Wind highly recommended by Lou. Sensitive children coming through now. Holding kids with our values The importance of rhythm You have this amazing opportunity where your children still want to be with you. The Finnish ski team and how they turn to knitting to enhance their performance. How Lou cultivates family values in her actions and behaviours Children hear the verb. A mountain bike teacher told Lo that he used to say to be careful of the trees and the riders often crashed into the trees. He then asked the riders to focus on the path (the positive verb) and they stayed on the path. Say the positive verb and say why with empathy Gentle parenting and permissive parenting - Lou gracefully explains the difference Carrying wonder and enchantment in our parenting journey with story telling and fun Lou’s advice never to feel guilty in our parenting journey Go with what feels right and parent with you heart "We would give anything to go back and have one more day with our child at 2 or 1 more day with our child at 9 or 1 more day with our child at 12. If you talk to parents at the other end we would love to back and visit just 1 more day" Lou's take on not stressing about the small stuff but she highlights the things she does focus on. No such thing as perfect parenting The importance of the family dinner table and finding ways to communicate with our kids - Lou gives us lots of ideas. Relevant links Lou’s publishers, Floris, have kindly provided a 20% discount code to all my podcast listeners to use through their website (https://www.florisbooks.co.uk/). Please use code MM0220. Lou’s Website (https://www.happychildhappyhome.com/) Harvard Family Dinner Project https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/15/why-the-finnish-squad-are-knitting-at-the-winter-olympics-again How to subscribe and review If you liked this episode of the Mothering the Mother Podcast, tell your friends, please! And please go to iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mothering-the-mother-podcast/id1446253273) and SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/user-598342093) to rate/review/subscribe to the show. it really helps to get the Podcast out there and before more people and it also makes my heart sing when I read reviews - I do read every single review and am so grateful - thank you. 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