Oct 2-3: Our FREE offerings for International Day for Empathic Action!

October 2 is International Day of Empathic Action

What is empathy? Empathy can be likened to standing in someone else’s shoes, understanding the feelings and values of another person’s perspective at any given moment. It begins with an internal choice to see from a different point of view, to understand another side of a story. Empathy is the state of being fully present to each other's feelings and needs. Empathy is not agreement, but rather a willingness to fully understand how things look from someone else's point of view. (from http://worldempathy.org)

To celebrate this day we are offering:

With orders over $45 (prior to shipping charges):
A FREE book! Your choice of either Parenting From Your Heart or Raising Children Compassionately

With orders over $90 (prior to shipping charges):

Either a FREE book -- Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids or a FREE Feeleez game!

Please indicate in the notes at checkout which freebie you would like with your qualifying order. This special will run for October 2 and 3 only!

Non-Violent Communication Books Giveaway!

Being introduced to Non-Violent Communication (NVC) a few years ago was a real eye-opener for me. The idea that one could be compassionate while still recognizing and asserting one's own needs seemed so foreign. Striving to create win-win solutions and really hearing the needs behind my children's behaviour takes a lot of patience and effort and I fall short often, but it is so worth the connection and cooperative spirit it fosters.

As October 2, 2009 has been designated International Day of Non-Violence, I decided I would like to have another giveaway -- a set of two booklets that combine parenting and NVC: Raising Children Compassionately by Marshall Rosenberg and Parenting From Your Heart by Inbal Kashtan.

All you have to do to enter is make a comment on this post (entries from "anonymous" will not be accepted). I'd love to hear whether you've heard of NVC before and if so, how it has affected your parenting.

You can get bonus entries for:

• posting about this giveaway on Facebook with a link to this post
• blogging about this giveaway with a link to this post

Winner will be decided using a random integer generator. Giveaway closes October 2 at 11:59 PM PST.

And when you're done entering here, go on over to my friend Annie's blog and enter her giveaway for Scott Noelle's book The Daily Groove!

Parenting… a Radical, Political Act

On a day recently when I was questioning my decision of 6 years ago to quit the office 9-5 and become a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, a link to this article found it's way into my inbox. I felt immediately re-inspired...

The only thing I would add is: “Each time I take my baby to the potty and put reusable cloth on his bum I am sticking it to the disposable diaper industry and feeling good about minimizing my contribution to the landfill”.

Consciously Parenting and FREE Teleclass

I can't remember how I came across the Consciously Parenting website, but I wanted to share it with you all. It's a great resource and at this time of year, with all the stresses and pressures of extended family, travel, excess consumerism and the like, parenting consciously can be especially challenging.

A special bonus is that Pam Leo, author of Connection Parenting: Parenting Through Connection Instead of Coercion, Through Love Instead of Fear is offering a FREE one-hour teleclass on Parenting Through Connection, on either Monday, December 15 or Tuesday, December 16. Connection Parenting is a book I highly recommend and I'm looking forward to tuning into the teleclass.