Thanna was a parent member of Neighborhood Nursery School for two years.  During that time she demonstrated her ability to interact with children and parents in a positive and constructive way to help bring about a deeper understanding of how to work through emotional and social issues, which arise in everyday life.  We were fortunate to benefit from her training with Dr. Laura Markham of Aha! Parenting.  Her Peaceful Parenting approach focuses on self-regulation, connection and coaching not controlling.  I invited Thanna to conduct a Parent Education presentation at a recent monthly meeting for 30 of our parent members.  Thanna’s lecture lead us through the steps of how to model a kind and loving approach, to lead our children to their highest level of discourse, and help them bring about resolution of their conflicts and misunderstandings.

 

Thanna’s tone was enthusiastic as she invited parents to consider adopting a Peaceful Parenting approach.  She encouraged parents to guide young children through emotional impasses using connection and empathic limits, offering support and understanding rather than giving them adult directives and authoritarian limits.  She began by explaining the physical attributes of a young child’s brain, and then provided specific examples of how common experiences with young children could be handled in a compassionate manner, to the benefit of the child and the adult.  With her personal experience and perspective as a parent, she brought humor to real life situations and was able to integrate the application of her approach into a practical method for modeling to young children how to manage their emotional and social growth.

 

Thanna’s presentation mirrored our own recommended practices for dealing with these issues at our school and was well received by our parent members.  It was a helpful reminder to choose love and of another way to practice loving parenting and teaching techniques with children of all ages.  I plan to include Thanna as an annual guest speaker at our monthly parent meetings going forward, so that both new and returning parents can have the benefit of learning how to become a peaceful parent.

—  Jane Farrell

     Teacher/Director

     Neighborhood Nursery School

     Los Angeles, CA