Aired Live on Sunday, November 21, 2010 8 to 9 AM Eastern Standard Time on www.cfru.ca 93.3 FM in Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Karen Lowry, author of “The Seventh Inning Sit: A Journey of ADHD” joins us.
After her son, Jonathan was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of six, Karen Lowry observed the school system was ill-equipped to handle the special needs of children with ADHD, and their co-existing disorders. Karen Lowry says, “I began to advocate for Jon, calling meeting after meeting, wanting to ensure academic success, and a healthy self-esteem for my son. No one could really direct me to the necessary information that was needed to truly understand and support him.”
Despite these obstacles, Lowry’s persistence led her to find answers. Karen Lowry is a mom with 4 children and a parenting advocate with a nursing degree. You can find her book on Amazon.
Her book depicts her own journey of frustration and discovery. She shares her journey to help other parents supporting a child with ADHD in the school system.
Air Date: Sunday, August 29, 2010 8 to 9 AM Eastern || www.CFRU.ca 93.3 FM in Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Parents share their experiences with and perspectives on various schools and homeschooling. This show is for parents and others exploring educational options.
The panel represents public school, french immersion programs, gifted public school programs, Montessori School, Waldorf School, curriculum based Homeschooling, and Unschooling (Life Learning).
To make informed choices:
-talk to parents and children who are already in the schools you’re considering
-talk with parents and children who are homeschooling
-visit schools and try out programs to see if they fit with your family and your child’s learning style
-get involved: talk to teachers and friends, find out about programs, ask questions, make suggestions and offer help
Carolyn Weatherson says: I have taught yoga to kids in Catholic Schools, English Schools, French Immersion, Montessori, and more, and they are all good. In my opinion we need to support other parents and respect their choices. The only recommendation I have is: listen to your own parental instincts and don’t let anyone else sway you.
Aired: Sunday, August 8, 2010 || 8 to 9 AM Eastern on CFRU 93.3 FM in Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Living collaboratively with children and adults is possible. Angela Harms, a mom of 4 boys ages 6, 15, 18, and 21 years, shares her experiences and the joy of living with teens.
When we demand compliance, what’s motivating our behaviour? What does it take to live collaboratively? Is working together always possible? What do we do when we hear that dreaded word “no” when we ask for help?
Collaboration doesn’t necessarily mean we’re nice with each other all the time. Instead, as I understand it, it’s a way of valuing all of our voices and speaking up, if you will, about how each of us wants to contribute to the family. Collaboration involves tapping into our innate passions and motivations to live together. All our opinions matter.
“Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first we have to make them feel worse?” Jane Nelson
What does collaborative living look like? Life isn’t always easy and joyful. We discuss learning from mistakes, reconciliation, and sharing our vulnerability with each other. Our openness and honesty invites openness and honesty in others. Collaboration can be as simple as sharing what’s involved in caring for the house and the people in it so that everyone is aware of what they can do to help out. It can involve difficult conversations where we share our fears and trust our kids can make informed decisions. Angela describes how much she loves and enjoys her family.
Aired: April 18, 2010 8 to 9 AM ET || CFRU 93.3 FM in Guelph, Ontario
Anne is a mother of 4 boys. Her oldest has autism.
When I first met Anne, I thought that it must be really difficult to raise a child with autism. I asked her about that. Anne laughed and replied that Ceddy was the easiest of her 4 boys.
I invited Anne on the radio to help debunk some beliefs that living with an autistic child is tragic, that they’re suffering, they need to fit in with “normal”, and that autism is a communication disorder.
Next week, we’ll continue to explore the issue of “Raising Kids with Disabilities” when I interview Sarah Talbot and Yantra Bertelli from Seattle, Washington who edited the anthology “My Baby Rides the Short Bus: The unabashedly human experience of raising kids with disabilities”.
Aired: March 14 and 21, 2010 || 8 to 9 AM Eastern on 93.3 FM in Guelph, Ontario
In January, 1997 Gaye and Ed Chicoine began a 3 1/2 year journey with their six children driving from Canada to the bottom of South America and back. They travelled through 15 different countries. Gaye Chicoine’s self-published book “Living Dreams: 1 van, 3 years, 2 parents, 6 kids, through 15 countries and becoming a functional family” is a detailed record of her family’s travel events. It began as a journal so that they could remember their travels. It became a story of educating children in non-traditional ways, becoming a functional family, and a story of learning from listening and not listening to our dreams. I love the rawness of Gaye’s stories and how she shares her struggles, feelings, and how she learns from her mistakes.
What does Gaye mean by “functional”? How did 3 ½ years of travel do this for Gaye’s family? How does her family manage frustrations now? How do we stay conscious and compassionate to ourselves and our children?
We began to explore why we might want to create a mindset and lifestyle that supports choice, connection, and learning from mistakes. Children can make their own choices with gentle guidance. As long as choices are not intended to be harmful, let children experience the consequences and learning from making choices.
Part 2:
Exploring: “life-learning” home schooling style, socialization, pros and cons of home schooling, Travel as Education, and living simply
I am so please to have Gaye Chicoine on the show. Her goal is to create positive energy and inspire as many people around the world. She inspires me. I think you’ll love her too.
Gaye Chicoine is a professional photographer by trade, a mom to six life-learning, young adults, and partner to her husband Ed. After working in the photographic profession and teaching college level photography for several years, Gaye became a full time mom and home-schooled all six children. Her passions include: travelling the world; being an advocate for the health, freedom and rights of children; cooking nutritious meals; preparing herbal remedies from local plants; and avoiding toxic chemicals in the environment as much as possible. She developed her own skin creams and lotions to prevent chemical exposure.
Sunday, November 22, 2009 || 8 to 9 o’clock Eastern on www.CFRU.ca
Dads, Nigel and Luke, join me live in the studio to talk about why they choose to homeschool their kids.
More men would take parental leave if workplaces and culture supported that lifestyle. It’s a decision that involves the whole family. These men are active, outgoing, and attentive fathers. These guys adapt to the unique challenges faced by men who choose to homeschool their kids.
