As our world struggles to find peace, it is vital that we plant the seeds of peace in our homes and our everyday encounters. The following ideas may help you in your own home.
- Reflect on the word peace and what it means to you. Is it just an absence of violence? You might be interested on how your pre-schooler sees the word. Peace is a way of dealing with conflict by learning skills which focus on the individual and group. It is not about putting one person’s rights, wants or needs first.
- Make room for peace. Find places which give you a sense of privacy and peace and then encourage your child to locate some. In the home, it may be your bedroom or the veranda. There may be gardens or a beach nearby which your family enjoys. Nature is often very helpful in our search for peace. Outer peace can help us cultivate inner peace.
- Have a space for unstructured play in your home with items which don’t focus on violence even though sometimes your child may wish to work through a variety of feelings in their play time.
- Develop strategies within your family for resolving conflict based on compromise, taking turns and listening skills. One strategy you could develop in your home is have an object (perhaps chosen by the child) and whoever has it can speak and when they have said what they have to say, it is passed. Without waiting for a conflict situation, it could be used in making family decisions sometimes.
- Encourage your child to understand emotions and know that responding to situations on pure emotion is not always the best choice.
- Read books on some of the themes mentioned above and have fun times together.
- Avoid news programs and other shows or games in front of your children, where violence is often the focus.
- Develop an attitude of love for yourself, others and the world. When the power of love is greater than the love of power, the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix
Angel’s Paradise Early Education Centre values each child by providing a safe, nurturing, supportive, stimulating and fun environment to explore and discover the world so they can grow and express themselves to their full potential.