Cultivating the Child's Sense of Self
At Home in the Woods seeks to cultivate a child’s sense of self with clear guidance, kindness and warmth.
Giving directions
We believe that boundaries are important for a child’s development and sense of self, and we resist the urge to ask or request something when it is meant as a clear direction. In other words, when it is time to transition we say, “And now it is time to put away our blocks” instead of “Do you want to…” or “Can you please…” If a child is having difficulty following the direction, we gently help them and work together to complete the task.
Transitions
We use songs, bells and/or hand signals to come together as a group and during a transition. Singing songs during transitions helps guide the children in their movement towards the next activity. We do not shout or use loud or stern language, but instead calmly guide the children through each transition.
On walks we hold hands in partners, with a facilitator at the front and back of the group. We sing together as we walk to help us stay as a whole.
In Addressing Conflicts
We follow a philosophy of non-reaction, through which the facilitators hold space for the child to express their feelings, and then gently guide them towards a safe, kind solution. We strongly avoid expressing anger, frustration, or disappointment towards a child who may be having a difficult time. Instead we offer compassion and kindness, and model our positive behavior for all the children.
We believe in empowering the children to take part in a democratic system, in which each of us has a voice. When appropriate and accessible for children of a certain maturity, we encourage the children to establish “meetings” at which they are able to bring along with them a friend or support person. A facilitator may be there (with the younger children, and less so with the older children) to help guide the children to a solution.
We utilize the tools of compassionate communication (or NVC) to address conflicts (both with the children and as a cooperative). The language used is as follows:
“When you ______”
“I felt ________”
“Because I ______”
“Next time please _______”
** For the younger children, we encourage their use of just the first two phrases, and once they are older (usually 5 years old) we incorporate the last two phrases.
At Home in the Woods is dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing environment. We wish to respect and protect our participants and nature.
We hope you will read this with your child(ren) prior to the start of the program.
I AGREE TO:
Giving directions
We believe that boundaries are important for a child’s development and sense of self, and we resist the urge to ask or request something when it is meant as a clear direction. In other words, when it is time to transition we say, “And now it is time to put away our blocks” instead of “Do you want to…” or “Can you please…” If a child is having difficulty following the direction, we gently help them and work together to complete the task.
Transitions
We use songs, bells and/or hand signals to come together as a group and during a transition. Singing songs during transitions helps guide the children in their movement towards the next activity. We do not shout or use loud or stern language, but instead calmly guide the children through each transition.
On walks we hold hands in partners, with a facilitator at the front and back of the group. We sing together as we walk to help us stay as a whole.
In Addressing Conflicts
We follow a philosophy of non-reaction, through which the facilitators hold space for the child to express their feelings, and then gently guide them towards a safe, kind solution. We strongly avoid expressing anger, frustration, or disappointment towards a child who may be having a difficult time. Instead we offer compassion and kindness, and model our positive behavior for all the children.
We believe in empowering the children to take part in a democratic system, in which each of us has a voice. When appropriate and accessible for children of a certain maturity, we encourage the children to establish “meetings” at which they are able to bring along with them a friend or support person. A facilitator may be there (with the younger children, and less so with the older children) to help guide the children to a solution.
We utilize the tools of compassionate communication (or NVC) to address conflicts (both with the children and as a cooperative). The language used is as follows:
“When you ______”
“I felt ________”
“Because I ______”
“Next time please _______”
** For the younger children, we encourage their use of just the first two phrases, and once they are older (usually 5 years old) we incorporate the last two phrases.
At Home in the Woods is dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing environment. We wish to respect and protect our participants and nature.
We hope you will read this with your child(ren) prior to the start of the program.
I AGREE TO:
- Stay with the group and adult facilitator(s) at all times
- Listen carefully and follow all safety rules
- Respect all students and facilitators
- Come with an open learning attitude
- Leave No Trace. I will carry out my trash and endeavor to better the areas I visit
- Respect plants and animals we investigate and preserve them for another to discover
- Respect others' belongings
- Find a way to peacefully talk out any disagreements
