Loving instead of Educating

The Dalai Lama says, "It is vital then when educating our children's brains that we do not neglect to educate their hearts." When I taught French, this was always a dilemma. I was expected to teach French, but I knew my student's hearts needed way more from me than that. Those five years of teaching French in a public Middle School was the beginning of my new life, of having my own children and beginning my real purpose here on Earth. I knew I couldn't help those children in that setting to the degree that I was capable of. The setting was too limiting, too much pressure from parents, administrators and state standards. I knew I would have to step outside of the public school system to create something that will serve the needs of all children, hence where I am today. The truth is that we don't even need to educate the hearts of children, rather, we need to nurture the hearts of children. We need to honor their souls. Children's brains and hearts come with everything they need. They need protection, support, trust, love and respect. If we place children in a proper or natural environment, they are able to educate themselves. In addition, nature and Spirit, as one energy becomes the teacher. The child himself is the teacher. The adult is the facilitator, playing a supporting role. The current state of schools do not meet the needs of children, this is clear. Are there some schools that do a satisfactory job? Yes, some, however how many children in the world today really have access to a Waldorf School or Montessori School? And I will further point out the flaws of these two schools of thought, although they are heads above the public school systems in teaching modalities, child behavior modification and curriculum. Freedom is one of our main needs as humans. A school with a rigid curriculum does not offer a child enough freedom. Creative expression is also a need of humans. Schools with a set curriculum, even a Waldorf and Montessori school, limits both freedom and creative expression. Time spent in nature is also another major basic human need. Most schools, public or private, do not meet this need. When parents have a greater understanding of their own basic needs, they will have an understanding of their children's. So, if the Dalai Lama is right, that we need to educate hearts, not minds, what are we to do? It is clear that current education worldwide is failing to meet one basic need of children: Love. Play, peace, time in nature, freedom and creative expression come next. Then where do we begin? We have a major system in the world that is fundamentally flawed. We need to educate adult hearts and minds to better meet their own needs and then therefore the needs of the children. If adults do not awaken to the fact that the children need and deserve better, we will continue to play into the failing system of domination and fear. It is time for a major collective change or shift. We know this, and we see it happening. However, as most of the world focuses on job loss and financial strain, the children are being forgotten. If we reversed our focus and instead put our energy into changing how we raise and educate children, we would see faster progress in the world because the children hold many of the solutions to our world's problems. Listening to children becomes necessary for our survival and well being. If we knew this, we could not dis-honor their needs as it is currently happening. While we must address many layers of society at once at this time, it is my repeated guidance from Spirit, that the answers are with the children and if we look to them to learn from them, we will have what we need. My first book, "The Book for Parents: How To Honor Your Child's Soul" discusses the many premises which I will be sharing as we create our Outreach Program, The Peaceful School Program and as we begin a more in-depth planning phase of the New School. Blessings,