It’s been such a tough winter, and so spring breaks even sweeter. I’ve spent the last three days at our cabin, and most of my time was spent weeding, digging, hauling and spreading manure, planting, and mulching. I put in leeks, parsley, potatoes, lavender, onions, peas, and beets. The warm season crops are still a …
Today is Happy Provider Appreciation Day, sponsored by the Family Support Center. I work with a lot of childcare providers, and I have so much gratitude and appreciation for the work they do. It’s vital, challenging, and rarely given the respect it deserves. Here’s a song in honor of their work on behalf of our …
Taking Turns is one of the key concepts in early childhood. It lays a foundation for kindness by teaching a central behavior. I wonder if the mythical one percent could use this idea, too.Here’s a song about it, written by me and sung by Faye Stanley. Take Turns © Stuart Stotts 2013
In my upcoming book on kindness, called “Beyond Nice” I have a chapter on manners. Manners are a foundation and a forerunner of deeper kindness. We shouldn’t mistake manners alone for kindness, but there’s definitely a connection. Early Childhood educators spend a lot of time on manners. That’s an important first step. And let’s face …
I am working on a book about kindness and various ways to promote it, particularly with children. One aspect of kindness is a sense of positive affect, what Buddhists might call the noble truth of “Right Effort.” It’s not about faking it, but it is about cultivating positive feeling and dwelling on beauty and what …
Leslie Leline is an amazing educator of young children. She also does incredible work rescuing abused horses. I asked her to write a guest blog article and she was kind enough to send me this. Find out more about her work at her web site. When it comes to kids, it seems to me that …