Kim John Payne delivered a powerful lecture called Simplicity Parenting on Tuesday, Jan. 11.
The lecture, sponsored by Sun Haven Waldorf School, saw 133 people pack into the Seaside Centre. Payne gave profound statistics and powerful insights along with warm-hearted encouragement and humour that opened hearts and portrayed endearing imagery in the minds of parents about the trials and tribulations of raising children.
His talk on, why and how to simplify our children's lives, began with the startling discovery he made on the correlation between children in Asian refugee camps and children in affluent Western countries displaying symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Children in Western countries can experience the same level of stress as children in war struck countries by experiencing an accumulation of small stresses frequently, which he termed cumulative stress reaction (CSR). These small stresses can lead children into various disorders such as ADD, ADHD and anxiousness, lack of empathy and impulse control. Children today experience "too much, too soon, too fast," which Payne acutely pointed out is waging an undeclared war on childhood.
Parents can remove these stresses, however, and restore our children's childhood by simplifying their life in the home environment, with scheduling and the amount of exposure to adult information and screen time and introducing a simple and predictable rhythm in the family life which includes a balance of "down time" and family time that will help our children feel more secure and connected.
To join a Simplicity Par-enting lead group contact Canteris Hartley at [email protected] and visit www.simplicityparenting.com.
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