Rediscovering my joy as my children follow theirs
Sometimes, something that initially feels very confronting can turn out to open mental doors you didn’t even know were there to open.
the paradigm shift
“Why does it sometimes hurt to think about Taking Children Seriously?”
Life can be messy for all of us. Sometimes when we try to make improvements, part of our mind panics, and that can hurt.
We go forward with hope
Moving forward not back.
The paradigm shift
Taking Children Seriously is one of those types of knowledge that cannot be taken back—once understood, it constitutes a true paradigm shift within the individual mind.
Great change of mind without self-sacrifice
The unexpected benefits for ourselves in our own minds, of taking our children seriously.
How I came to Taking Children Seriously
How the word ‘respect’ led this parent to Taking Children Seriously
From attachment parenting to Taking Children Seriously
Like many parents new to these ideas, Brooke was initially shocked by Taking Children Seriously, but two years in, much has changed. This is her story.
When my view changed, our lives changed
When your view suddenly shifts, like when viewing the Gestalt two-face image, it can feel as if Taking Children Seriously has suddenly come into focus—and this paradigm shift creates a virtuous circle of positive change.
There but for an internet post go I…
The experience of someone new to Taking Children Seriously, from first scepticism to later taking their children seriously.
Natural consequences and “enabling”
It can be a big step forward to get that kids want to be responsible, contributing, loving people and that trying to push them in that direction is more likely to derail that than help it.
Where is the choice for the child?
When children know that if their parents deem them to be watching too much TV, their parents will ban TV-watching, they self-coercively limit their watching out of fear of losing it altogether.
Stumbling towards taking children seriously
Beginning to think about taking children seriously brings up many hitherto hidden problems. We are all in the same boat. No one has ‘arrived’.
(Not) doling out looks and latitude
Whenever parents try to stop being in charge of stuff, and stop doling out looks or latitude, life with the kids gets easier and more rewarding.
Both coercion and “doing nothing” are mistakes
Children have to do what they themselves think is right, with no pressure whatsoever—that’s what non-coercion amounts to—but they also have a right to be told morality as best we see it.
How parents’ view of coercion progresses when engaging with the idea of taking children seriously
Focusing on the coercion of others may seem easier than focusing on our own, but it can be about not wanting to correct our own.
Consensual family dynamics get easier
The rewards of taking children seriously far outweigh any difficulty and it does get easier over time.