| MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Katy C. Merrell, MEd. |
| December 2006 Family Traditions are the True Gifts of the Holidays |
Dear Parents,
This is the time of year when as parents we can make
wonderful memories for and with our children.
Traditions are so important for children, like a
magical glue that helps hold a family together.
Indeed… “It isn’t the big pleasures that count the
most, it is making a big deal out of the little ones”. My
own children are now ages 14, 19, and 21, and when
they share their favorite memories and traditions they
are rarely the big expensive or elaborate things that
most adults would think are “important”, or
“memorable”. It is more apt to be that Friday nights
were always pizza nights, or that we always went to a
tree farm together and cut our own tree for Christmas.
So…in the spirit of the holidays (whatever your family
celebrates!) I thought I’d share a list (enclosed) of
some of my favorite sources for great books, music,
and stories (oral storytelling),that make for wonderful
moments with your children (and calmer, more
imagination filled car rides- or bedtimes!!). May I add
that in our very materialistic culture, we should never
underestimate all the wonderful “gifts” we can give our
children every day of the year!! In that spirit, here
are some bits of wisdom from a terrific book, “The 10
Greatest Gifts I Give My Children”, by Steven W.
Vannoy. The following is a summary of some of the
most valuable “gifts” he believes we can impart to our
children:
* Focus forward on what is going well, on your family’s
accomplishments and pleasures and anticipation of
good things to come, on knowing you can solve the
problems that do come up.
* Listen with full attention to your child’s thoughts and
feelings and stories
*Teach through discovery, letting each child know
his/her own best path
* Give enhancing and empowering messages. Catch your
kids being good and acknowledge and celebrate even
the smallest behavior that is part of your overall
vision for them
*Model your own sense of worth, your power to choose
what you will focus on, how much you have to share
with your family and the world!
Wishing you happy and memorable holidays,
Katy C. Merrell MEd.
This is the time of year when as parents we can make
wonderful memories for and with our children.
Traditions are so important for children, like a
magical glue that helps hold a family together.
Indeed… “It isn’t the big pleasures that count the
most, it is making a big deal out of the little ones”. My
own children are now ages 14, 19, and 21, and when
they share their favorite memories and traditions they
are rarely the big expensive or elaborate things that
most adults would think are “important”, or
“memorable”. It is more apt to be that Friday nights
were always pizza nights, or that we always went to a
tree farm together and cut our own tree for Christmas.
So…in the spirit of the holidays (whatever your family
celebrates!) I thought I’d share a list (enclosed) of
some of my favorite sources for great books, music,
and stories (oral storytelling),that make for wonderful
moments with your children (and calmer, more
imagination filled car rides- or bedtimes!!). May I add
that in our very materialistic culture, we should never
underestimate all the wonderful “gifts” we can give our
children every day of the year!! In that spirit, here
are some bits of wisdom from a terrific book, “The 10
Greatest Gifts I Give My Children”, by Steven W.
Vannoy. The following is a summary of some of the
most valuable “gifts” he believes we can impart to our
children:
* Focus forward on what is going well, on your family’s
accomplishments and pleasures and anticipation of
good things to come, on knowing you can solve the
problems that do come up.
* Listen with full attention to your child’s thoughts and
feelings and stories
*Teach through discovery, letting each child know
his/her own best path
* Give enhancing and empowering messages. Catch your
kids being good and acknowledge and celebrate even
the smallest behavior that is part of your overall
vision for them
*Model your own sense of worth, your power to choose
what you will focus on, how much you have to share
with your family and the world!
Wishing you happy and memorable holidays,
Katy C. Merrell MEd.
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| “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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NORFOLK CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, 23 Union St., Norfolk, MA 02056 508-528-1970