I have enrolled in an online class at USA Montessori called: Peace Education - An Introspective Look at "Maria, Peace and Me" & am really enjoying it. I had a lovely response to my post on PEACE:
Hi A,
I can be the peace.
What a powerful statement!! That was awesome, I never stopped to think of it like that. I will now look at things so much more differently. You have given me a new calm, a new peace. All the way from Australia. I never realized the power I have to not only create peace and find peace within but to be the peace. Enjoy the class and thank you so much for your words of wisdom. S
I have been thinking about things the last few days. About how easily our mind can be distracted from our purpose & intentions. Like, as a parent... I want to be the best parent I can be. I want to model grace, courtesy, compassions & self-control. But I am not always those things. I want my boys to be influenced by positive role-models, by the great ideas and representatives of PEACE and beauty. But I not only let them be influenced by other things (tv, advertising...) but I have come to realise that I don't actually surround them with much of this positive stuff either - this is why I started reading the Dalai Lama book to Hug (though, we haven't returned to it this week - but we will!). If I want to inspire greatness in my boys, and by that I mean a greatness of spirit & kindness & compassion for the world & all of it's people... including themselves, then they need to be immersed in these things. They need to be high on the priority list.
Something I read on a Montessori site resonated with me recently:
As a parent you set the limits
+ Offer protection from objects and ideas that can hurt
+ Always encourage your child to be capable and confident
+ Limit toys and games to a workable number (rotate toys)
+ Monitor television and other forms of media
+ Develop consistent routines which encourage your child to develop self-control
(self-control, responsible behaviour and freedom are outcomes, not starting points)
I can make a stand on these things. Hug is almost 5 & I'm still just working this out!! Man, parenting is a big journey :)
So, if we are given a gift or a toy that I don't think is consistent with our ideals then I don't need to feel guilty about not including in our environment. It's so easy sometimes to use tv as a crutch & to justify things you do by thinking about the fact that a lot of parents allow a lot more of this rot into their homes... but that doesn't make it right for me or inline with my intentions.
We had a good weekend - the boys are really developing a great relationship & can often play happily together for extended periods, showing each other a lot of kindness, which we saw a lot of. Of course, we also had our moments but overall there was a lot to be proud of!
On Saturday we did a few gs's, had morning tea at the belongil beach cafe and dropped into Reese before T took Hug to a birthday party. The afternoon was spent at home with T oiling the dining table and Hug playing outside in the rain inspired by Jack's dad the farmer.
Sunday morning we headed out to Brunswick & the boys all did their thing & I went to a cafe & continued to read "Peace in me". We had lunch at j+j's & I showed them the invitation that I designed for their wedding.
A lovely photo from the Easter weekend in Brisbane :)
P.S. Hug fell asleep listening to me read from the Dalai Lama book we're reading. How sweet.
