Turning Tears into Laughter - Giveaway!!

Now here's a book that's very close to my heart.  Not just because the title is a phrase that every parent yearns after, but because the author is an inspiring teacher who I have had the privilege to watch and journey through the last seven years of life with. 

Lou Harvey-Zahra is a gifted teacher who has also trained in special needs education and Steiner teacher training.  I first came to know Lou personally as one of the founding members of the Steiner stream at Briar Hill Primary School, where my daughter's began their primary school adventure.  I had the pleasure of watching Lou's absoloute passion for all children as she helped birth a school and went on to run a Steiner playgroup for many years.  Lou now teaches in a variety of schools as well as running a series of parenting courses.

I've listened to Lou at story-telling time, I've attended her incredibly imaginative children's parties, I've witnessed her incredible warmth and love for all children, I've been inspired by her patience and imagination in her mothering role, and I've shared in her labour of love - this wonderful, practical book Turning Tears into Laughter:  Creative Disciple for the Toddler and Preschool years.

Lou's book if jammed packed full of useful and practical advice for parents with young children, this is not your usual parenting book, but a clear and thoughtful look at how to understand your child better and turn what seems like a negative situation into a positive and creative one!  In Lou's own words:

"When toddlers display inappropriate behaviour, rather than pointing a finger, perhaps we should ask the question ‘Why?’  Behaviour is a means of communicating. Is my child tired or hungry? Does she need to slow down and have some special time with me? Too much excitement can lead to undesirable behaviour. Are children in fact being creative and inquisitive, and their loudness or messiness is not purposely disruptive? Asking ‘Why?’ allows you insight and understanding into your child’s life. It stops the parent from reacting harshly, giving time to respond in a compassionate way."

Lou will be joining the Honeybee Toys blog every fortnight with tips on Creative Discipline and Conscious Parenting.  To celebrate we are giving away a copy of Turning Tears into Laughter to one lucky reader.  To be in the running simply share with us your own piece of parenting wisdom...

Why we love Fairytales...

Albert Einstein observed, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be geniuses, read them more fairy tales. When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking."

Some parents worry that fairytales will scare their children, or even provide "sexist" role models.  However, I have found (using traditional not Disney-fied versions) that they provide rich food for the mind and allow discussions about feelings to be expressed.  Fariy tales speak to a place deep within us, or from the "subconscious" as Jung would say.  Unlike movies or television they allow the imagination to do it's own work, teaching us about ourselves and the world we create around us.

In is book The Power of Stories Horst Kornberger, a writer, artist and Steiner-Waldorf teacher explores the power of particular stories such as Odysseus, Parsifal, Oedipus, Bible stories and fairy tales, and  explains how to apply that power to help a child develop, or to heal and transform a child with difficulties. He also includes ideas on how to create new stories to help children with particular needs, and shows storytelling to be a universal gift that we can use to benefit those around us. This is a thoughful and inspiring book for teachers and parents wishing to take a deeper look at the purpose of the fairytale.

We are always adding more fairytales to our collection...

What was your favourite fairytale as a child?  Mine was Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

I am reliving my childhood at the moment after discovering the most beautiful version of this treasured book by Gerard Muller, which is so much like the one I had as a child - it's just delightful! The old worldly illustrations include lots of wonderful extra detail for children to discover in the theme of big, medium and little:  big, medium, and little versions of birds, squirrels, mice, plates, umbrellas, slippers.  You discover something new each time you open the pages....just beautiful.

TV free time

"The TV has spent much more time raising us than you have" Lisa to Homer in The Simpsons. Ironic isn't it.

Christie from Childhood 101 made the interesting observation that this week is "turn off the TV week" in the USA. What a wonderful thing!!! I'm all for encouraging Australian famlies to do the same.

Research has found that too much exposure to the electronic media may risk developmental blocks in young children, not to mention:

• Difficulty switching off


• Blunted senses, visual strain, understimulation of the brain


• Social isolation and withdrawal


• Less creativity and imagination


• Commerical exploitation


• Inability to concentrate


• Attention deficit


• Desensitisation from information overload


• Exposure to violence

There's so much to be gained as a family from switching your TV off or even limiting the time to once a week. For instance in the evening you could try:

reading novels together;

taking up a craft like knitting or crotchet;

playing board games;

telling a story by candlelight;

putting on a puppet play or a concert.

Just eating dinner and talking around the table instead of having the TV blaring in the background has so much to offer - sharing each other's days, listening to your kids and knowing what is happening in their lives, relationship and communication skills.

I guarantee that once your children have more TV or computer free time you will stop hearing the words "I'm bored".

I know for some families it might pose a challenge at first, but the benefits are really worth it. For more information on research into children's development and eletronic media, and for ideas to support your family in turning your TV off, I can highly recommend Set Free Childhood a parents survival guide for coping with computers and TV.

Book Review: I Think, I AM!

A few weeks ago, I came across this thoughtful children's book by Louise L Hay (metaphysical teacher and the author of the international bestseller You Can Heal Your Life). I Think, I Am introduces children to the idea that how they "think" and approach a situation can change the way they feel about it.

The book begins on opening to the title page where we see a little girl looking in the mirror and the words: Af*fir*ma*tion - Words that you think or say, and believe to be true.

Beautifully illustrated, there are many practical examples of how children can change their negative thoughts into positive ones, and how they have the power within themselves to change the way they see the world. "When waiting around is not what you planned, you may start to have negative thoughts...this line is so long. We will never get into the fair. Picture the fun you will have and say...I make today great."

I was recently disappointed with the release of Eckhart Tolle's book for children Milton's Secret, where the story is a little laboured and the wonderful idea of The Power of Now is somewhat muddled for a child. However, I like Louise Hay's straightforward and matter of fact approach to teaching children the power of affirmations, and the fact that she includes a section at the end to teach children how to make up their own affirmations, makes this book practical as well encouraging thoughtful discussion between you and your children.

To purchase this book please visit our stores or our website here.

Autumn!!!

"I knew when Autumn came,

Not by the crimson flame,

Of leaves that lapped the eaves

Or mist

In amethyst

And opal tinted weaves;

But becasue there were alley-taws

(Punctual as hips and haws)

At the counter at Mrs Shaw's"

By Barbara Euphan Todd from All Year Round

Autumn is my absoloutely favourite time of year. It's when our family most enjoy being outside, raking leaves, planting bulbs for next spring and just enjoying the pale autumn sunshine.

Somehow Autumn also calls forth from us our "homely" side - we feel like cooking pies, baking bread and getting our hands stuck into clay and other tactile creative pursuits.

Here are some wonderful books where we have found inspiration for celebrating Autumn in our lives:

The beautiful images in this Autumn board book by Gerda Muller are a wonderful way of stimulating family discussion and to introduce a young child to the seasons.

"It was autumn in the forest. Strong winds were shaking the trees and everyshere the red, gold and brown leaves were starting to fall..." Elsa Beskow's has to be one of our family's favourite authors - written and illustrated in the 1930's her stories have a whimsical charm that is known and loved the world over. Woody, Hazel and Little Pip tells the story of two little acorn children who get blown away by the autumn wind. My 11 year old daughter recently was given a felt fox and a little gnome for her birthday. This story has stayed with her so much that she called her little fox: Woody Hazel, and her gnome: Little Pip.

If you want to be inspired with ideas of how to spend real quality time with your children - you will thoroughly enjoy Autumn - nature activities for children. Drawing on ideas from Steiner (Waldorf) education you will find many simple and homely ways to enjoy and experience autumn together. Picking and cooking fruit, basket-making, building houses and shelters, looking after birds, drying fruit, dipping candles, autumn songs and stories.

Here's one simple idea to encourage your children to eat more fruit, especially as the weather starts to turn a little colder.

Baked apples
Use one large apple per person. Core the apples almost all the way through to make a cavity, leaving alittle of the apple at the bottom. Fill the cavity with nuts, honey and cinnamon, and top with a pat of butter. Bake in a buttered pan with a little water for about 2 hours at 325F/150c or until the apples are tender. They taste particularly delicious bakede on an open fire.