Parenting Creatively in a Quakerly Manner

The length of this series allows parents to explore the meaning of Quakerism for their family life. They learn a querying process that will help them discern how they want to nurture their children particularly in those trying moments we all wish never happened. Participants support each other in their querying and discernment. Six two-hour sessions.

 

Discussion Series Outline

Session 1

• Settling together: Practicing mindfulness
• Getting to know each other: Reasons for being here - yours and mine
• Planning where we are going
  • Overview of discussion series: Questions/queries to guide us
• What are our current concerns? Describe the situation
  • Using observation skills
• What are our choices?
  • Brainstorming
• Maintaining the relationship
• Communication skills: affirming and supporting; communing and sharing
• Testimonies—what are they?
• Family-of-origin
• What is your situation?
  • Mindfulness in your situation
• Mindful of our bodies

Session 2

• What qualities do we want to see in our children as adults?
  • What do the Testimonies mean for our family life?
  • What guidance do the Testimonies give us when selecting our values?
  • Testimonies and values as guides for deciding how to deal with our situation.
• Being mindful of our child
• Feelings and emotions Where do they fit into our lives?
  • How do we want to deal with them?
  • Communication skills: Reflective and/or Active listening
• Families of origin
• Sharing our specific situations
• Mindful of the situation

Session 3

• What are our beliefs? How do they impact on our child rearing?
• How do we meet the needs of our children and of ourselves?
  • Meeting needs as a technique of discipline
  • Meeting children’s needs in an unQuakerly world
• Communication skills: Explaining and giving information; discussing and dialoguing Helping our children relax

Session 4

• Planning with consideration for each member in the family
  • Development with an emphasis on cognitive changes
  • Learning and thinking styles
• Communication skills: Inquiring, Clarifying meaning
• Mindfulness of the larger world

Session 5

• Looking at pleasant experiences
• Planning with consideration of each child in the family – and ourselves
  • Temperament patterns
  • Interests
  • Physical make-up
  • Previous experience
• Communication skills: Responding to our children’s obnoxious comments;
  • Problem solving

Session 6

• Defining for ourselves the parental role
• Guiding out of the center or centering in the midst of chaos
• Structuring our environments: Using time, space and equipment
• Deciding/planning
  • Planning for other situations
• Reflections and evaluations of the discussion series