Our Family

Put Love First - Our Parenting Philosophy

 

Our philosophy of parenting is to put love first and to live authentically.  Loving our children unconditionally, always listening to them and nurturing their sense of individuality are central to our parenting goals. 

 

Lighting a Candle for Our Spirit

 

We have a bedtime routine of lighting a candle and sharing with Gracen how it represents God and the light of Love within us.   We then each give thanks for something in our day. We intend to teach our children about our spiritual selves through our modeling and daily practices, so they may create their own spiritual practices as they grow older.

 

Guiding Our Children

 

We will strive to guide our children’s behavior by setting age-appropriate limits, redirecting their actions and listening to what they may be trying to tell us through their behavior.  When Gracen misbehaves or even just acts his age in an inconvenient way - like the other day when he pushed books, the lamp, and the stereo off the night stand gleefully exclaiming, "Daddy I am cleaning the top of the table!" - it is sometimes hard not to take action in the heat of the moment. We dig deep for patience and understanding, so that Gracen can stay open to learning.

 

Developing Independent Moral Thinkers in Our Children

 

As our children grow, and moral dilemmas arise, we explain our thoughts and feelings so they can learn to listen to their own. We model honesty by being honest.  For example, we don’t say, “There aren’t any cookies left.” Instead we explain that he has had enough. We teach about caring for others by modeling it.  At Christmas, we help Gracen pick out gifts for children in need.  His empathy is already blossoming - just the other day he wanted to write a “cold note” for his sick friend Milo.