This section of the Eastwood Education resources is written to encourage and inspire those who are responsible, in whatever way, for children’s wellbeing and growing development. We do not share with children in order for them to learn from us, but rather for us to learn from them; and what are we to learn? Simply to let our heart love deeply each moment of sharing and caring. Bernard presents that when ‘one is most unlovable, he is most in need of love.’(1965:247)

Montessori and Steiner describe intelligence as the union between:-

thought and action,
willpower and movement,
independence and decision-making,
initiative and creativity,
personality and social life
and integrated interdependence between all these aspects of human potential is the essence of love.

‘……of all things love is the most potent….That part of it which we possess consciously is renewed every time a baby is born……… The study of love and its utilisation will lead us to the source from which it springs, The Child.’ (Montessori,1988:269-270)

‘…….factors essential for the future development of humankind are bringing to wider consciousness the knowledge that the human being is essentially spiritual in nature, and as such has spiritual needs,’ (Childs,1995:34)

‘Bring love to your teaching, and if you succeed in awakening the right kind of love in the children, then something besides joy will be developed in them;’  (Steiner,1982:60)

I believe that when we pre-structure events in the mind, before the actual situation, the real experience has occurred we automatically formulate an agenda towards a preconceived idea of success. The more I am with children the more I feel the potential for being in the moment and fully focused on my own capacity to share and care, live and learn, play and celebrate.  This is what children are wanting to share with us – personally authentic social interaction. They call it play, we adults might call it special time.

When we pre-structure events within fixtures of specified detail, before the actual situation and the real experience have occurred, we automatically formulate an agenda towards a preconceived idea of success. The more I am with children the more I feel the potential for being in the moment and fully focused on my own capacity to share and care, live and learn, play and celebrate. What children want to share with us is personally authentic social interaction. They call it play, we as adults might call it special time. So it is that I have written about my own teaching experience, methods and associated development of didactic materials. The work of eminent educationalists have reflected and expanded my own thoughts and encouraged me to grow in my own uniqueness and authenticity, and inspired me to be more courageous and more passionate in how I can trust and support a child as his/her own best expert and celebrate our learning together.

The mind by its very nature likes to always be active, processing thoughts, creating dreams, evaluating possibilities.  So I hope this book nurtures your mind, inspires your heart to be sweetly compassionate, and your soul to shine forth in a light of truth and wisdom. Each new generation of children has more to teach us, they present back to us what we are giving to them in their environment and from within ourselves as guidance and expectations. Are we successfully giving our children what will grow a new world of harmony and peace?  Are we helping them to expand into new considerations and a new way of being that will manifest highest good.

Eminent educationalists have reflected and expanded my own thoughts and encouraged me to grow in my own uniqueness and authenticity, and inspired me to be more courageous and more passionate in how I can trust and support a child as his/her own best expert.

The mind by its very nature likes to be always active, processing thoughts, creating dreams, evaluating possibilities.  So I hope this the work of mine entertains your mind for a while and inspires your heart to be sweetly compassionate, and your soul to shine forth in a light of truth and wisdom.  Each new generation of children has more to teach us, they present back to us what we are giving to them in their environment and from within ourselves as guidance and expectations. Are we successfully giving our children what will grow a new world of harmony and peace?  I hope this book will help others as it has helped me to expand into new considerations and a new way of being with children that will help things manifest according to highest good.

• Individuality can only be understood by each individual.

Authenticity can only be present when we give ourselves and others permission to be unique.

Freedom is when we feel safe enough to authentically exercise our individual uniqueness.