Hello Friends,

Lila, the director at Parkcenter Montessori, sent this to me this morning. It seems a great resource for all of us to use to deal with loss and grief with our children!

The scholastic website is fantastic when you click on the registration button.

I have been busy writing a 6 week webinar course on Peaceful Contacts that I will offer on line in January. It trains us to listen and speak peacefully. I suspect you'll love it!

Marti

One in 10 children in your school will experience the death of a parent or guardian before reaching the age of 20. When a loss occurs, do you know the best ways to help?

The New York Life Foundation, with assistance from Scholastic Inc., has developed a newChildren and Grief site to help educators and other adults guide children and teens through their bereavement—whether they have lost a parent, close relative, or school community member. It includes:

• How to React When a Death Strikes the School Community
• Leading Children Through Their Grief: Downloads and Guides
• Ways to Commemorate a Loss: Memorials, Sympathy Cards, and More

A live webcast on March 24, 2011, with a youth grief expert - sign up today!

When someone in your school community experiences the loss of a loved one, we hope that these materials will give you and others the know-how to confidently nurture, comfort, and guide students through their grief.

Sincerely,

The New York Life Foundation and Scholastic

Child's Experience of Spanking

This very valuable research clarifies an 'age-old' myth about what corporal punishment does to children!

When I am working with parents and this subject comes up, I always site Dr. Bruce Perry's brain research with his anecdotal description of what happens when a child is spanked.

Dr. Perry calls it a brain bath or in other words it's like being under water at a pool, you can hear people talking on the pool deck, but you cannot understand what they are saying. So if you, the parent, are trying to 'teach your child a lesson' by spanking them, literally they cannot learn with corporal punishment.

Because the minute a child feels that painful stimulus they release stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, bringing on the brain bath and the child in turn only wants to avoid the source of that pain (the parent) and or resent the parent who is administering the pain. This in turn confuses the child because the object of their great affection (attachment) is also someone to fear and someone whose touch they cannot trust.

This informational approach always seems to give parents an 'ah-ha' moment. More than not parents then say to me, "That is so logical, now please tell me what to do instead"...and this becomes a jumping off point for parent education. As you can see this is a subject near and dear to my heart as I have worked as a trainer for the CA Department of Child Abuse Prevention and Neglect for many years.
Thoughtfully submitted, Ann Corwin

Ann Corwin, Ph.D., M.Ed.

I, too, have worked in parent education since 1971 and welcome you to join one of the 11 classes being offered the next two months that will "tell you what to do instead." Two begin today. Marti

Eleven classes start this and next month!

Hi,

I'm eager to share the things I've learned this summer and tools I believe will make life more wonderful - I have all of the new classes listed on my www.martimonroe.com calendar.

3 Positive Discipline (7 week classes)

4 Respectful Parents Respectful Kids (a book I believe is the attitude shift we need to be successful with children and, all people, for that matter!) (a book study with 3 sessions, starting August 24th & 26th)

When Communication Counts (there is still space available in this powerful 3 day class in Nonviolent Communication at the end of August)

For IdahoSTARS: Emotion Coaching, Caring for the Care Provider, and Strengthening Families classes are about to be scheduled for providers

2 hour Nonviolent Communication classes on the 2nd Sunday afternoon of each month.

SO look forward to seeing you soon and learning together!!! The books for the Respectful Parents Respectful Kids book study class are available at the front desk of each Boise Montessori school. They are free when you submit your registration form and payment for the classes starting next week. $15 for those who just want to read without the class.

Remember to check www.martimonroe.com for class details or call or email.

Some great quotes for a quick jump start!

Laugh at yourself and children will learn to laugh at their own mistakes. A role model is a very powerful thing.

-Gigi Taylor Schweikert from her book, Teacher Tips

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

-Jim Hendrix

With joy,

Marti

938-1339