Activity
Mon
Wed
Fri
Sun
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
What is this?
Less
More

Owned by Ellie

For parents and educators who want to raise children with connection and understanding - expert guidance and real resources all in one place.

Memberships

Differently Created

4 members • Free

The 3D Printing Hub

887 members • Free

Write Your Book 📚

332 members • $47/month

Managers of Chaos 👾

34 members • Free

The Mompreneur Club 🌸

922 members • $15/month

Granny Wisdom, Hippie Vibes

359 members • Free

3 contributions to Parenting & Teaching CHILDREN
What's the point of memorization in school?
Why are my children still being taught to memorize poems? What are the advantages of doing this? Are those advatages enough to outweight time spent on: Self-awareness Personal Growth Discussing what a value really is and how to grow a specific value? Critical thinking? We don't have to Agree or Disagree, just bring up thoughts. Your thoughts please......
4 likes • 21h
I believe memorization can have a place — but when it's the default mode of learning, it often bypasses the very thing we want to build: genuine understanding. From a nervous system perspective, rote learning under pressure (tests, performance, getting it "right") can actually activate a stress response. And a stressed brain isn't a learning brain — it's a surviving brain. Which is why kids can recite a poem perfectly and have zero connection to what it means. The skills you listed — self-awareness, values, critical thinking — require a felt sense of safety to develop. They can't be memorised. They have to be experienced. Not saying ditch poetry. But maybe the question isn't what we're memorising — it's why, and how, and whether the child is actually present for it or just performing.. And I've just read what @Paul Sirvinskas and I have to agree having worked in the sector myself, schools - especially mainstream seem to keep all children within certain parameters, clever enough but not exceptional. It is for ease of teaching and like Paul said churns out good workers.
What is a "safe space"?
We perhaps have safe spaces at home (especially if we live in Tornado Country). However, safe from others verbals is also super important. How do we create safe spaces at home that are safe from criticism, but still pro growth?
1 like • 3d
@Andrew Nelson Our kids have their own rooms as their safe space, and the rest of the house is shared space — different rules apply. Their room is fully theirs. If it's safe and tidy, I respect it completely. They can decorate how they want, eat in there, self-regulate, chill, play — whatever they need. No judgment on how they use it. My kids are AuDHD with a PDA profile, so autonomy isn't just nice to have — it's essential. Having a space that's genuinely theirs, with no demands attached, makes a huge difference to their nervous system. The two boundaries are safe and tidy — and they matter. Tidy means no fire hazards, tripping risks, or week-old dishes growing their own ecosystem 😅. Safe means if they're in crisis, dysregulated, or at risk of hurting themselves, that overrides everything. The room being theirs doesn't mean I stop being their parent. It's amazing how much calmer things are when kids have somewhere that's genuinely theirs — free from pressure, criticism, or the need to perform. Just a place to exist.
1 like • 3d
@Andrew Nelson That non-judgement piece is so powerful — especially at that age when everything feels like a battle!! Something I've noticed with screens is that not all of them are doing the same thing neurologically. The endless scroll platforms — Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts — are genuinely designed to dysregulate. Dopamine hit, dopamine hit, dopamine hit, with no natural stopping point. They can leave kids more agitated, more demand-avoidant, more emotionally flat — not because they're addicted to screens, but because that particular format is working against their nervous system. But screens that involve *building* something? Completely different. Coding, game creation, world-building — those light up a different part of the brain entirely. There's autonomy, mastery, flow. For a lot of our kids, that's actually regulation disguised as a hobby. So rather than screen time vs no screen time, it might be worth exploring *what kind* of screen time — and seeing if there's a way to gently open a door toward the creative side. Not as a swap or a rule, just as an offering. Sometimes when they discover they can make the thing rather than just consume it, everything shifts. 💚
A big welcome
Hello All. This is a big welcome to @Ellie Hayes who also has a parenting community here on Skool. Please say hello. Ellie, please introduce yourself and your community.
2 likes • 3d
@Tina Saxena thanks
0 likes • 3d
@Steven Bornstein thankyou!
1-3 of 3
Ellie Hayes
2
8points to level up
@eleanor-hayes-6071
🌿Parenting & Regulation Support - Understanding behaviour - family support - with 20+ years experience - creating calmer homes 💕

Active 1h ago
Joined May 12, 2026