Naia Lily

New Food Blog for Vegan Kids!

2006-09-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

I find myself frequently wanting to post recipes here, but don't want to make that the primary focus of this blog. So I have created a secondary blog that will feature recipes for vegan kids.

With three vegan children, it's always great when I find a recipe that everyone likes, and usually that happens after a bit of tweaking the recipes that I come across.

I will eventually be removing the recipes from this blog and transferring them to the new blog.

You can find the new blog here: Kids are Vegan Too!

Easy Vegan Baked Pasta

2006-08-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Easy Baked Pasta

1 lb. pasta shapes (large ribbed elbows, shells, etc.)
29 oz. can tomato sauce
29 oz. water
15 oz. can corn, drained
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour dry (uncooked) pasta into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce. Fill empty tomato sauce can with water and add to the pasta. Add the drained corn and all remaining ingredients. Stir until combined well. Bake for 45 minutes.

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Categories: Vegan Recipes

Draw, Exchange, Color!

2006-08-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here’s an activity that my kids always have fun with. Someone comes up with a theme (flowers, insects, reptiles, etc.) and everyone draws a picture relating to the theme using a pencil or black marker/crayon. Once everyone is finished, we switch up the drawings, exchanging them so that everyone has someone else’s drawing. Then we each color the other person’s drawing. It’s fun to see how someone else colors your artwork, which now becomes a joint illustration!

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Categories: Creative Expression, Fun & Games

All Natural First Aid Kit

2006-08-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

My family’s first aid kit doesn’t contain any aspirin, Neosporin, creams, lotions, pills, or any of the prescription or over-the-counter medicines you generally see in a first aid kit.

Following is a list of what is in our All Natural First Aid Kit. Most everything fits into a small plastic storage container with a handle, for easy carrying. What doesn’t fit is kept right beside it in the cabinet.

Our first aid kit includes remedies to administer on occasions when immediate attention is required. It is not an extensive list of herbal remedies as a whole.

Remedies
Bentonite Clay
Goldenseal
Tea Tree Oil
Hydrogen Peroxide
Garlic/Mullein ear drops
Rescue Remedy
All purpose herbal salve
Colloidal silver
Echinacea
Sambucol
(Garlic)
Lavender essential oil
Aloe vera gel

Tools
Tweezers
Nail clippers
Super glue
Bandages
Scissors
Surgical tape
Cotton cloths
Cotton balls

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Cuts, Scrapes and Wounds: Hydrogen peroxide (for cleaning), Tea tree oil, lavender essential oil, (super glue)
Bumps and Bruises: Herbal Ice Cube compresses, lavender essential oil
Burns: Aloe vera, lavender essential oil
Headaches: Lavender Essential oil
Skin Rashes: Bentonite Clay & Goldenseal mixture
Earaches: Garlic/mullein ear drops
Emotional trauma: Rescue Remedy, Lavender essential oil
Insect Stings/Bites: Lavender oil
Antibiotics: Colloidal Silver
Colds & Internal Illness: Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup, Garlic, Goldenseal and Echinacea, Colloidal Silver

THE FIRST AID REMEDIES

Bentonite clay: Mixed with goldenseal and water (or just water alone), this is our miracle skin rash cure. Recipe found here.

Goldenseal: We use this mixed with Bentonite clay as a rash remedy. It can also be used internally to help speed healing.

Tea tree oil: An antifungal, antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-itch…basically anti-anything-bad solution. I use this as a topical for wounds.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Used to clean wounds before applying herbal remedies.

Garlic/mullein ear drops: Natural remedy for sudden earaches.

Rescue Remedy: This flower remedy has an immediate calming and soothing effect for emotional traumas including shock, panic, stress, anxiety and fear. When my kids have an injury that freaks them out, I put a few drops under their tongue and their anxiety is calmed instantly.

All Purpose Herbal Salve: I purchased mine, but it can also be made at home. Includes such healing agents as St. John’s Wort, calendula, comfrey, plantain and echinacea. The salve is helpful for minor cuts and scrapes, bruising, rashes and insect bites and stings. We use this generally as a back up if I’m out of the remedies we normally use.

Colloidal Silver: Used as a natural replacement for antibiotics. It safely speeds the healing of many ailments.

Echinacea: An antibiotic and antibacterial, it’s great for boosting the body’s natural healing abilities. Taken with Goldenseal, it helps the body heal itself of many ailments.

Sambucol: This is the brand name of a black elderberry syrup. On the rare occasion that someone in our family starts to show the beginning signs of a cold, the syrup is administered several times a day and the cold never has the chance to begin. It works wonders, but you have to catch it in the very beginning stages, so it’s good to always have some on hand.

Garlic (fresh): (Not kept in the first aid kit, but rather in the kitchen) Used to help any stomach illness. I can eat it raw, but my kids don’t like it that way. What I do for them is cut the garlic clove open and rub the juice onto the bottoms of their feet. Once the garlic is dry, I just make another slice. I slice away until the entire clove is used up. I do this several times a day and the illness usually goes away quickly. The skin quickly absorbs the garlic into the bloodstream.

Lavender essential oil: Applied to temples, it helps relieve headaches. The smell delivers a calming effect to relieve anxiety or stress. It works well to relieve the itching and pain of insect stings and bites. It can be applied to minor skin abrasions and bruising. It’s also helpful to relieve the pain of burns. (Mix a few drops with pure aloe vera gel and apply to burns.) It can also be used to make herbal ice cubes which can be applied to bruised/swollen skin.

Aloe Vera: 100% pure aloe vera gel is a must-have for minor burns. Mix it with a few drops of lavender essential oil and it’s even better!

TOOLS

Tweezers: For extracting splinters.

Nail clippers: For hangnails and cleaning up broken nails.

Super glue: I have this in my kit though I have never needed to use it yet. It can be used instead of stitches on the occasion that the wound is too extensive for just a bandage, but not scary enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room. (Doctors now use strong glue instead of stitches in many cases.)

Bandages: Self-explanatory. I like to have multiple sizes available.

Scissors: I have small children, and sometimes there’s not a bandage small enough to fit around a tiny finger or toe. So I have scissors on hand to cut the bandage to a suitable size.

Surgical tape: For a deep wound that requires the bandage is secure and won’t be scraped off when someone bumps against a wall or some other such thing, I use surgical tape to cover the entire bandage to secure it. The convenient kind that you can easily rip with your fingers instead of cutting with scissors makes all the difference in the world when dealing with a first aid situation.

Cotton cloths: I have several squares of cotton cloths (that I hand-knit) in the first aid kit. I use these as a quick handy resource to wipe off the peroxide that drips down the skin when cleaning a wound, or to hold onto the wound to stop bleeding. Unlike cotton balls, these cloths can also be applied directly to the wound, as they won’t stick to it or leave fibrous debris in the wound. I also have some extra pieces of cotton fabric to use as a compress (to hold ice when needed to reduce swelling).

Cotton balls: Used wet, they can be helpful in cleaning a wound or the surrounding area of skin. When dry, however, they will stick to anything wet and leave cotton debris stuck to the wound which is very very hard (and painful) to remove.

**Some additional things I’ve heard are good in an herbal first aid kit are listed below, along with the reasons why we don’t personally have them in ours.

Cayenne pepper (powdered): Can be sprinkled on a wound to stop excessive bleeding. (I haven’t personally had a use for this yet, as I haven’t had to deal with a wound that wouldn’t stop bleeding. However I do always have this spice on hand for cooking, so it’s only as far as the kitchen if needed in an emergency.)

Powdered kelp: This can also be applied to a wound to stop excessive bleeding. See notes for cayenne pepper above.

Arnica: Used for bruising and/or sore muscles. The reason I don’t have this in our kit is because I have never really seen the need to administer help to a bruise. They come and go, and it’s no big deal, so I’ve never personally found a need to “treat” a bruise. And sore muscles isn’t something I’ve ever had to treat in my home.

Turmeric: I have read from several sources that applying turmeric to a wound helps speed the healing considerably. This remedy has proven unsuccessful for my family. I have tried it on two separate occasions, once on my son and once on myself. In both cases, not only did it not speed the healing, but it actually hindered the natural healing process, making the wound worse, and ultimately prolonged the healing time. So I cannot personally recommend this remedy.

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Categories: Natural Remedies

How to Make Herbal Ice Cubes for Bruises/Swelling

2006-08-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Herbal Ice Cubes

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of chamomile flowers and 1 teaspoon of lavender flowers. Steep, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain out the flowers and freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out of the molds and keep stored in a freezer-safe plastic baggie. When needed, take a cube out and place between folds of a cotton cloth and apply to swollen/bruised area.

**For kids, it’s fun to use small candy molds or themed ice cube trays. The smaller cube size is just the right size for a kid-sized swelling, as a big ice cube will usually be discarded before it melts completely, which is a waste. If using a smaller size, the compress can be held to the area until it melts completely, and then you’re done!

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Categories:Natural Remedies

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

2006-08-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup raw (turbinado) sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
2/3 cup rice milk (or soy milk)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined. Bake cookies for 10 minutes.

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Categories:Vegan Recipes

Vegan Blueberry Scones Recipe

2006-07-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Scones

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
1 1/2 tsp. (aluminum-free) baking powder
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy (or rice) milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
cinnamon sugar (a few teaspoons)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a glass baking pan or cover with wax paper (the wax paper works best).

Gently stir together all ingredients (except the cinnamon sugar). Be sure to stir in the blueberries at the same time as the other ingredients, because once the dough forms, it will be harder to incorporate them afterwards. Divide dough into 4 portions. Place the four pieces of dough a couple inches apart on the baking sheet. Press down with your fingers (until they are approx. the height of a burger). Bake for 15 minutes.

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Categories: Vegan Recipes

Why My Kids Don't Wear Sunscreen

2006-07-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

When my son was 6 months old and could “officially” begin wearing sun block, I made sure I got the highest SPF number for him. I was doing my good-mom duty every time I slathered this “protection” on his baby soft skin. Years later, after researching and applying common sense, I now know differently.

Similar to the drug industry’s manipulation, the sunscreen industry has bombarded us with the dangers of the sun for years and years. However what they fail to mention is that you are more likely to develop cancer from wearing sunscreen than from going without.

Smart sun protection doesn’t come in the form of a toxic chemical lotion that your body absorbs. Whatever you put on your skin enters your body’s system. Sunscreen causes damage to your body’s natural system and increases your risk of cancer. The ingredients in sunscreen are more likely to cause skin cancer than normal exposure to the sun. Studies have shown that the highest skin cancer rates are found in those who use the most amount of sun block! Now imagine a young child being exposed to liberal amounts of this toxic substance year after year. Imagine how much damage this is doing to their health over time!

Your body needs sun exposure daily. Sunscreen blocks the body’s ability to absorb crucial Vitamin D from the sun. You want to avoid getting burned, but that is done by wearing a hat, lightweight long sleeved clothing and pants. Stay out of the sun during the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the rays are the most penetrating. Just use common sense. If you're laying out in the sun all day long to get a tan, it's not good for your body, regardless of whether or not you are wearing sunblock. Your body needs at least 10 minutes a day of sun exposure to get the vitamins it needs, but overdoing it goes against good sense.

Eating a healthy diet rich in antioxidants is an important factor in avoiding skin cancer. Another study has shown that eating foods with the proper omega fats (6:3 ratio) is also crucial for preventing melanoma.

I'm not a medical professional and you need to decide what is right for your health and the health of your family. Do the research. As with everything else in life, you will find arguments for both sides of the debate. You'll need to decide which resonates more strongly and profoundly in your life. My children and I don't wear sunscreen. We get a healthy dose of sunshine daily. If we're going to be exposed to the sunlight for extended periods of time, we choose to use ways of protecting our skin without ingesting harmful cancer-causing chemicals.

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Categories: Health & Nutrition

Digital Photography for Kids

2006-07-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Kids love taking pictures. Back in the “old days” it would have been considered an expensive hobby to allow a child take haphazard photographs, what with the film and developing costs. Now, with digital cameras, it’s simple for a child to dabble in photography. Even a two year old can hold a camera and take a picture.

What type of camera should kids experiment with?

There are inexpensive digital cameras you can buy for kids, ones that cost $20 so you don’t care if they get lost or broken. However, these cameras don’t take the best photographs and in my opinion are a waste of money and not conducive to introducing the art of photography to your children. Let your child use your camera. Yeah, the $500 one. Just make sure it has a strap to hook around his neck so if he drops it, it won’t fall.

When introducing a toddler to photography, depending on the size of your camera, you may need to help him reach the button. The best type of digital camera to use with children is one that has a large screen for the child to see what he’s aiming at, rather than having to put his eye against the little hole and keep one eye closed…that can be trickier to teach.

One step at a time

Younger kids will begin by just getting a feel for holding a camera steady while taking a picture, so that it doesn’t come out blurry. As they get older or more experienced, you can introduce the flash features, zooming in and out, timer and other optional settings.

Older children can be given the basics, and left to explore further on his own. Give him the manual that came with the camera so he can learn more progressive techniques. Show him how to plug the camera into the computer and which program to use to download the photos. Eventually he can be introduced to a photo enhancing program and learn how to detail, crop and embellish his own photos and make projects with them. There are so many ways to expand the art of photography, but you don’t want to overwhelm your child. Start with one step at a time, and let your child’s interest lead the way (or in the case of lack of interest, photography can be dropped to pursue other interests.)

Freedom of creativity

Let your child decide what he wants to photograph. This morning we went outside and I gave my kids (6, 4 and 2 years old) turns with the camera. I didn’t direct their creativity. They attempted to photograph fleeting things such as dragonflies and butterflies. They discovered on their own how difficult it is to focus, frame and capture an image of something that won’t keep still. There were pictures taken of rocks, the yard, an anthill, a cocoon, flowers, grass, the family and the house.

If you see a beautiful flower, but your child is aiming the camera at the fence, don’t disturb him. You can photograph the flower yourself later if you must have a picture of it. Don’t push potential photographic beauty on your child. Allow him to find things that capture his interest. Just imagine how you would feel if you were excited about taking a picture of a certain tree, but someone came along and continually tried to convince you instead to photograph a plain white wall, which was boring to you. It wouldn’t be long before you lost interest and gave back the camera with frustration from inhibited creative freedom.

Give your child complete photographic freedom, even when you see him attempting to photograph something that won’t develop very well. Even if it means blurry images of dragonflies in the air or a spider web not showing up on camera or family members with the tops of their heads cut out of the picture. (I have a very nice picture of the bottom half of my face that my daughter took a couple years ago!) Let him click away and allow him to question later why certain pictures didn’t come out as well as expected.

Display your children’s photographic art

Keep the photographs your child has taken in a specific folder on your computer. I like to keep them separated by months as well, so I know when they were taken. At the end of the month, have your child look back at the photos he had taken that month and have him pick his favorite one. Blow that photo up, frame it and hang it on the wall in a prominent place in the home.

Every month, as your child chooses a new favorite, have him help you change the photograph in the frame. Previous months' photos can be kept in a large photo album as he grows his first portfolio! Letting him pick his own frame at the store is another way to encourage his creativity and self expression. Ask him to choose a frame that would best suit his photos, and don’t veto his decision if it doesn’t mesh with the décor of your home! As long as it is within your price range, allow him to decide which frame will be used to display his photographic art!

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Categories: Creative Expression

Easy Vegan Pizza Crust Recipe (Yeast-free)

2006-07-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Easy Vegan Pizza Crust (Yeast-free)

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground (powdered) cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 2 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice milk (or soy milk)
sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a pizza pan (or cover pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease, for easier clean up). Mix together all dry ingredients in a medium-large bowl. Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small glass or mug until perfectly smooth (no lumps). Add the cornstarch water, oil and rice milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined and a dough is formed.

Place ball of dough in the middle of the pizza pan and press out in all directions until it fits the pan. (optional: sprinkle top with sesame seeds as desired.) Bake for 10 minutes before adding toppings.

After baking for 10 minutes, remove from oven and top with your favorite pizza sauce, toppings of your choice, and then soy cheese (optional), in that order. (We usually don't even use cheese.)

Then put the pizza back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sesame Seeds? Cheese over the toppings??
Trust me...I used to work at a restaurant that made excellent pizzas, which is where I got the sesame seed idea, it's fabulous! Another tip I learned there was to put the sauce on, then the toppings, then the cheese. If you use cheese, it always tastes better when the toppings are cooked beneath the cheese instead of on top!

Unusual toppings:
One day my daughter asked to have apple pieces on her pizza, so I made a garlic/pine nut/apple topped pizza and it was so delicious that we make it all the time now!

Another time I put some leftover pasta (elbow macaroni that was mixed with red sauce) on top of our pizza, and everyone surprisingly loved that too. Be creative, you never know what seemingly odd thing might be your new favorite recipe!

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Categories:Vegan Recipes

Conversation Education

2006-07-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that simple conversation in our home leads to the most interesting learning experiences. Stories are told, thoughts are shared and questions are asked, which often leads to research, reading and further learning, for both my children and myself! This volume of natural dialoging diminishes down to next to nothing when a child enters school. I have heard it reported that children, before entering school, ask hundreds of questions a day. After they begin school, in just a few short weeks, the questions are cut down to a few a day, limited mainly to functional questions such as asking permission to go to the bathroom or to sharpen a pencil.

A school setting murders conversation along with conversational skills. It just isn’t conducive to a large class to allow children to speak and question naturally. There isn’t enough time to grant the curiosity of all children in a class, so the natural inquisitive nature of children is stunted when they enter school. When the kids are encouraged to have a dialogue, they are told what to talk about. They are given a topic and made to discuss and not stray, expand or branch out into other ideas. They don't have the liberty to initiate conversations that interest them.

I remember getting in trouble throughout my school years for talking to whatever friend was seated next to me. Before you imagine me as the unruly, outgoing class clown, I was quite the opposite. I was always shy, sometimes painfully so. However, I still had the natural aversion to remaining quiet for hours on end. So I would risk getting in trouble, just to give my vocal chords the exercise they so desperately needed. I later would revert to becoming skilled at passing notes when the teacher turned his back so that I could communicate on my own terms. Looking back now, as a parent, it’s atrocious to me that children get in trouble for talking. It’s a form of abuse. What would people say if you enforced these same rules with your children at home, only allowing them to speak if they raised their hand and asked a functional or important and relevant question? Wouldn’t that be construed as abuse? Yet it’s not only acceptable in school, it is required, and if your child does not conform on his own, well, then they’ve got drugs to be sure that he does. Wow.

Freely unschooled children are able to converse and question throughout the day when inspired. This doesn’t come to a screeching halt when he turns 5 or 6 as it does for schooled children. Not only is an unschooled child able to freely express himself, he is able to do so with a myriad of conversationalists. Instead of being stuck in a room with 30 other kids the same age, he is able to talk (and thus learn from) not only with peers of his own age, but also siblings of differing ages, parents, unschooled peers ranging in age, public schooled neighborhood kids (after 3 p.m., of course) and adults including family, friends, seniors, librarians and various other members of the community. The range of human experiences he is exposed to is unlimited. The conversations he may have in a single day have endless learning potential.

So how much loss does a child suffer from having unhindered conversation removed from his daily life? Well, if a child averages, conservatively, one hundred questions a day, and then is cut back to less than five a day (mostly functional and not inquisitive questions), what does that add up to throughout 12 years of school? Again, being conservative, I’m only counting an average of 180 school days per year, giving allowance for the summer months, assuming the child reverts back to his usual inquisitive self and isn’t still brainwashed into creative numbness from being in school all this time. It adds up to roughly 216,000 questions unasked, unanswered, unexplored. 216,000 conversations unspoken.

It's common in unschooling households for conversations to lead to other related (or unrelated) subjects, branching off like tributaries of a great river. There is no telling how many other conversations would have been spawned from those original ones. When something as simple and basic as the unrestrained freedom of conversation is given to a child, it's amazing how many things he can learn, how many passions he can discover and follow, how enriched his path and thirst for life and knowledge can be!

I am elated to watch my children experience life freely. I enjoy all the conversations I have with them every day. Many times it is I who learn from my children. My 6 year old son is always teaching me new things that he has learned by reading on his own. The other day I was reading to myself and my son looked up from his book and said to me "Mama, did you know that Roman wives used to use toad poison to kill their husbands thousands of years ago?" I certainly did not know that. He showed me where he read it in one of his non-fiction poisonous animal books. I asked him if he knew what Romans were. So that led to a little history background and a quick look at the atlas to find Rome. Little tributaries in the great river of conversation education.

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Categories: Unschooling

How to Make Herbal Ice Pops for Kids

2006-07-10T05:13:00.000-07:00

Many kids don’t like the taste of tea, especially a strong one used as a remedy for treating illness. Turning the tea into ice pops is a great way to make it more enjoyable for children.

Prepare the desired hot tea infusion, making it twice as strong as you ordinarily would. (Use the same amount of water, but double the amount of herbs.) Strain the tea and add to equal amount of juice. Stir to combine the juice and tea, then pour into Popsicle molds and freeze.

Administer ice pops as you would tea, as recommended for remedy.

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Categories: Natural Remedies

Baked Oatmeal Recipe

2006-07-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar (or sugar substitute)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum-free)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup rice (or soy) milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce (or egg substitute equal to 2 eggs)
vegan margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a glass casserole dish with margarine. In a medium sized bowl, mix together all ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. Pour into casserole dish and cover. Bake for 35 minutes or until desired texture is reached.

Serve warm, as is, or topped with margarine. (The consistency of baked oatmeal is dryer than regular mushy oatmeal, but not as solid as oatmeal cookies.)

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Categories: Vegan Recipes

Live and Learn: Unschooling Basics

2006-07-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

There are many unschooling resources for those interested in learning more, but I wanted to write my own ideas on the subject, as it is a topic that many people ask me about.

Unschooling is basically learning by living life. There is no curriculum to follow. An unschooled child chooses whathow and when he learns, at his own pace, according to his interests and passions. There are no tests to pass, no grades to earn. The phrase “live and learn” pretty much covers it all. You can stop reading here; because that really sums it up in a nice little nutshell. Or you can continue to read for further insights.

Unschooling children are given the opportunity to explore and live their passions. If they are interested in a subject, they are able to become immersed in it for as long (or little) as they desire. If, for example a child is reading a book or working on a project, there is no bell to ring signaling “time is up”. If a child wants to learn about entomology, his study could take weeks, months or years. It most likely would consist of a lot of reading and many, many hours outside studying insects in the real world, both live and dead. In a school setting or even a traditional home school setting, it may be studied for an hour a week for several weeks, and then it would be time to move onto something else. When unschooling, if the child is interested in something, he has all the time in the world to learn everything he wants to. And if there is something he is bored senseless by, there is no need to waste time on it, simply because it’s on the “schedule”.

There are always the specific “how do they learn...” questions. How do they learn math? How do they learn to read? There is no one way to answer any of these questions because every child learns differently. Math may be practiced by using money, playing cards, cooking, building, and sewing, just to name a few. Math could be learned by playing music, studying history or dabbling in geography. Math is not a subject separate unto itself. When you unschool, you realize that math has its applications in life, and that is precisely where the child will learn it when he desires to.

A child may have no desire whatsoever to learn addition, let alone geometry, until the day he decides to build a birdhouse for the birds he excitedly watches in the yard every morning. Building a birdhouse requires math, among other skills. If he’s developed a deep passion for birds and decides they need a birdhouse, he will learn math. He will also learn other valuable skills, such as carpentry, that weren’t on the “schedule”. He will learn more about birds, as he will need to know the size of the birds, and which birds will fit in the house. He will need to know what the birds eat. He will learn more about geography as he studies which birds are indigenous to the area he lives in. The list goes on and on. But to answer the math question, he will learn math as it applies to his passions. There is no question about it. Learning math is not separate from living math. This theory goes for all the other “subjects”. They are all connected; they are all part of life. If you need it in life, you can learn it from life.

There are certain subjects that need never be learned if the child has no use for them. I remember getting my first “bad grade” in school when I refused to cut open a pig in Biology class. I never needed to take that class, as I never had any interest in becoming a doctor. A class on herbal healing, knitting, sign language, cooking, publishing or holistic health (just to name a few), however, would have had much more relevance in my personal life, but I was not offered those choices in high school. Had I been unschooled, my passion for learning would not have been stunted during the hours spent in the classroom and hours spent doing meaningless homework, learning what someone else wanted me to learn. All the skills and hobbies I am passionate about have been self taught.

Have you ever asked a teacher, or heard anyone ask the question “Do we need to know this for the test?” Doesn’t it seem senseless to learn something just for the sake of it, only to forget it after a required test? Wouldn’t it be ridiculous for someone to come up to you now, as an adult, and force you to learn how to do something you have no interest in, like play the accordion? What if you had to study this instrument for hours a day, and take a test on it next month? If you didn’t pass, you would get in trouble. Now, you’ll never need to play the accordion again in your entire life, but you HAVE to learn it just so you can pass this test, just so you won’t get into trouble. How ridiculous is that? It is no less ridiculous when forced upon children. The meaning of your life and what you want to do with your life doesn’t start at age 18. Life is lived from birth. Passions should not be on the back burner until you reach some magical age. Not to mention that when you finally do reach that point in time, you usually have to take a job you hate just to pay the bills, instead of continuing in a field that you have lived and loved for years.

How do children learn? The same way adults do. They read, they ask or watch someone who knows, they experiment, they make mistakes, they learn, they do. Unschooling families make resources available to their children, but don’t force any particular subject on them. Resources include (but are certainly not limited to) books, games, magazines, movies, music, art, cooking, crafts, experiments, plays, the internet, time spent in nature, library visits, museum visits, time spent with family and friends, and endless other activities and experiences.

Unschooled children are trusted to direct their own learning. They are given the freedom to be who they are, who they truly are, and not something someone else thinks they should be. They follow their hearts and are not forced to achieve certain levels of “success” based upon their age. They are not required to excel at something they aren’t ready for yet, nor are they held back from challenges they are ready to take on.

Children have a natural love of learning that can’t help but be crippled in a structured setting which discourages free thinking, imagination, creativity and energy. It’s unnatural for a child to sit at a desk for eight hours a day. Schools put kids on drugs now just to keep them in their seats like zombies. It’s wrong and abusive. Having to request permission to go to the bathroom. Getting in trouble for talking…this one really gets me. Needing someone’s permission to allow you to speak…wow. Just thinking about how my children’s spirits would completely die in a school setting breaks my heart. My children are full of energy and life, and are always conversing and singing and dancing and frolicking. I can’t even imagine them stuck in a desk unable to speak their minds. The learning that happens solely through daily conversations is more valuable than anything they could learn in school. Kids are full of questions that can’t possibly be nurtured in a classroom setting. In school they are learning how to conform while in the real world, they are learning how to truly live. In school, they are unnaturally grouped according to age, while in the real world they know how to coexist with people of all ages, from babies to seniors and everyone in between.

Unschoolers believe that life-learning fosters confidence, self-motivation, responsibility and a lifelong love of learning and growing. Unschoolers are not likely to give in to peer pressure, as most of them have a secure and strong sense of self worth, having been raised to trust in themselves and having been given the gift of knowing that their greatest achievement is being true to themselves.

It’s so basic, it’s so natural, it’s so simple, it just makes sense. When I was pregnant with my first child, I knew I would home school, even though I knew nothing about it, and didn’t know anyone who had been home schooled or had home schooled their children. Yet there was still something that didn’t feel perfect about it. Though I knew I could never send my child to a stifling and dangerous school setting, it seemed like schooling at home would still be boring and limited. The first time I came across the term “unschooling”, it just clicked for me immediately. I didn’t need to be talked into it, or convinced of anything. I just needed to read a couple of sentences (far less than the article you are reading now) for it to make perfect sense to me. In fact, most of the convictions I hold happened for me in this way – when it’s right, I know it instinctively.

Giving my children anything less than the freedom of unschooling would be depriving them of the life they deserve. Unschooling allows our family to be together, while at the same time allowing the freedom for each child to pursue his own interests and decide who he is and what he wants to do with his time and with his life. Because I can’t think of anyone else who should have that right.

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Categories: Unschooling

Vegan Baking: How to Veganize a Recipe

2006-07-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe can taste every bit as delicious without using animal products. Use the following substitution ideas to make your everyday recipes healthier and cruelty-free!

Eggs (Each substitution below is the equivalent of one egg. Adjust amounts according to eggs needed in recipe.)

Cornstarch: 1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 2 Tbsp. water. (Stir until smooth (no lumps) and add to recipe.)
Banana: ½ banana, pureed or mashed thoroughly. (I like to use a small food processor to make sure the banana is really smooth and pureed.)
Applesauce: 3 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce.
Flax Seed Powder: 2 Tbsp. flax seed powder + 3Tbsp. water. (Stir together and let sit for a few minutes before adding to recipe.)
Egg Replacement Powder: Follow directions on box.
Silken Tofu: ¼ cup soft or silken tofu, pureed in a food processor.

Butter

Vegan margarine: Smart Balance has a new, organic vegan margarine that’s available in major grocery stores.
Nut butter: Any type of natural nut butter, peanut, cashew, almond

Sugar (Refined white sugar is in itself vegan, but is processed with animal bone filters.) Substitutions below each equal one cup of white sugar.

Raw (turbinado) sugar - 1 cup
Stevia (1 tsp. - add 1/8 cup liquid in recipe)
Unrefined cane juice powder - 3/4 cup
Molasses - 1/2 cup
Maple granules - 1 cup
Pure maple syrup - 3/4 cup (reduce liquid in recipe by 1/8 cup)
Fruit juice concentrate - 3/4 cup (reduce liquid by 1/8 cup)
Barley malt or rice syrup - 1 1/2 cups (slightly reduce liquid)

Milk

Rice milk
Soy milk
Almond milk
Coconut milk

Buttermilk

Add 1 tsp. vinegar to 1 cup soy/rice milk.

Chocolate Chips

Vegan chocolate chips: Available in health food stores.
Vegan chocolate bar: Chop up a chocolate bar and have chocolate chunks instead of chips!

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Categories: Vegan Recipes

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love the Maya Wrap Sling

2006-07-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

I call this article the “Top 10” because I’m sure there are more reasons that I’ve left out! This list is specific to the Maya Wrap sling after comparing them with other slings I have tried (and I am in no way affiliated with, a distributor for, or in any other way making money from Maya Wrap sales). Obviously I have not tried every sling on the market, and there may be ones even more wonderful (or more suitable for your individual needs), but after three children, the Maya Wrap has been my personal favorite and this is why…

Hands-free nursing: Seriously. Hands-free. Hands, plural. You can walk around and do laundry or cook or go grocery shopping using both your hands, while at the same time breastfeeding your child. I have been in the grocery store hundreds of times and half the time people don’t even realize I have a baby on me, let alone that the baby is nursing while I’m picking items off the shelves (or have one hand pushing the cart around and the other hand holding my toddler’s hand.) Breastfeeding takes large chunks of time during the day, and normally takes at least one arm! With this sling, you can position your baby and let him nurse while you take care of other things. While this list isn’t in any specific order, this would definitely be my #1 reason for loving the Maya Wrap.
The design supports so many different holds: Virtually any way you can think of to hold your baby, you can do it hands-free with the Maya Wrap! (on your front, back or hip, baby facing out, facing in, laying down, nursing…etc.) It’s so easily and quickly adjustable that you can hold your baby in one arm while changing the position of the sling with your other. You can even carry and tandem nurse twins easily and comfortably wearing two slings!
Multi-use cover: The tail end of the sling is long enough (and light enough) to use as a blanket, sleeping cover or discreet nursing cover. No one will even know you’re nursing! Use it to cover a sleeping baby and keep stranger’s germy hands from poking at your newborn!
Convenient pocket: The roomy Velcro-closing pocket at the end of the tail is a perfect place for storing stuff like keys, a wallet, a diaper, etc. so you don’t need to carry a purse!
It’s pretty! There are many beautifully colored patterns to choose from and I have never tired of looking at mine!
No padding: Having no padding allows for closer proximity between your body and your baby’s. It also allows far greater flexibility in adjustment than padded slings do.
It’s comfortable! The Maya Wrap is lightweight and you don’t feel the weight of your baby on your shoulders or back as you do with some other slings.
Instructional DVD: Included with purchase is a step-by-step instructional video featuring a lady placing a child in the many different holds. This video is an absolute must-have for newbie slingers, and is, in my opinion, a priceless tool that no other slings (that I know of) provide.
Affordable: It’s just $49.95-54.95 (depending on fabric) for a sling (and this includes the instructional DVD!) This is a great price on its own, not even taking into consideration the money you won’t need to spend on secondary baby holders (stroller, bouncy seat, playpen, etc.)
You can make your own! The Maya Wrap website has generously provided instructions on how to make your own sling based on their pattern! It’s so simple and quick and you don’t even need a sewing machine! In addition to the Maya Wrap I own, I have also sewed two by hand (a fleece one for Winter and a Solarveil* one for Summer.)

If you’re in the market for a sling, I obviously highly recommend the Maya Wrap. If you know someone who’s pregnant, I can’t think of a better present, both for the baby and the mother!

*Solarveil is a mesh-like fabric that provides 70-90% UV sunscreen protection. It dries quickly, so it's perfect for the shower, pool or beach.

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Categories: Attachment Parenting, Product Reviews

Peanut Butter Sesame Pasta Recipe

2006-07-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Sesame Pasta Recipe

1 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cup hot water
5 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
4 Tbsp. chinese dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. raw sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder (or several minced garlic cloves)
1 lb. vermicelli noodles
2 Tbsp. lightly toasted sesame seeds
crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
crushed peanuts (optional)

Cook noodles according to al dente package directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Put peanut butter in a medium/large bowl and mash with wooden spoon to soften. Add half of the hot water and mix with wooden spoon until smooth, taking care not to splash yourself! Add remaining water and stir until smooth. Stir in the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt and garlic.

In a small pan, lightly toast the sesame seeds over low heat for a few minutes, shaking them often so they cook evenly. (They'll burn quickly, so keep a careful eye on them. You want them barely tan, not brown!) Remove the seeds from the pan and add to sauce.

When pasta is done cooking, drain but don't rinse. Place the pasta into the bowl of sauce and combine until coated throughout.

Serve as is, or topped with crushed red pepper and/or crushed peanuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Categories: Vegan Recipes

Do Your Eyes Light Up When Your Child Walks In?

2006-07-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

I heard someone once quote Dr. Maya Angelou’s belief that children need to see our eyes light up when they enter a room. This had a profound effect on me.

Are you aware of what your face looks like when you’re deep in concentration? Try concentrating on something serious for a few minutes then go look in a mirror, trying to freeze your facial expression. (An easy way to do this experiment is to clean your bathroom for a few minutes, really scrubbing away hard, then look up into the bathroom mirror.) Do you look serious? Unfriendly or unwelcoming? When I first tried this experiment, I had been working on the computer for awhile, and then went to look in a mirror, and I looked angry! For the first time, I realized my “serious” or “deep in thought” face wasn’t pretty!

Now imagine being occupied with something and your child interrupts you. You look up and this is the face he sees! Yikes! Anxious to get back to the matter at hand and maybe even a little irritated at this distraction, perhaps your facial expression does not change or lighten during your interaction with your child. Or worse yet, a possible expression of irritability is added.

This is the face of emotions your child is viewing and experiencing from his side. He will read your face and it will affect his emotions. You are looking at him and you don’t look happy. This is all he knows.

Now imagine being engrossed in a project and once again your child interrupts. But this time you look up and seeing your beautiful child, your face lights up. The tightness of your skin relaxes, your eyes glow and you smile with love, genuinely happy to see your child. (Test this look in a mirror as well, thinking of how much you love your child.)

Compare the two faces and imagine greeting your child with both. Now imagine being a child and being greeted with each facial expression by your parent. Can you feel the difference between the two vibes being given out with each expression and how that makes you, as a child, feel?

How does being greeted with the serious face feel? Like your parent is not happy to see or talk with you? Like there’s something wrong? Like you’re being a bother and you’d better hurry up with what you had to say? Do you feel somewhat intimidated and less than secure? Now think about being greeted with the delighted face and how that expression makes you feel. Does your mood change when confronted by a warm, loving and welcoming smile? Of course it does! You feel secure and loved and happy to share whatever it is you wanted to say. You feel a greater sense of self esteem.

Young children don’t know what it means to “take things too personally”. What they do know how to do is instinctively read facial expressions. When your child enters the room and you look at him with an impatient, irritated, distracted or bored expression, it affects him. When you look at him with interest, love, joy and importance, it affects him as well. The question is what effect do you wish to impress upon him when you greet him?

As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t even aware at how unappealing my “studious look” was and had no idea what I was presenting to my children unintentionally yet repeatedly throughout our day. Thanks to a priceless piece of advice from Maya Angelou and shocking insight from my mirror, I am able to change something in our daily lives for the better. Something which had never previously occurred to me. I imagine how amazing it would feel to watch someone’s eyes light up every time I walked into a room and I want to give that feeling to my children.

Test the mirror experiment for yourself and add a little more sunshine to your face for your child's sake! (You'll notice that when your eyes light up more often, it will make you feel happier too!)

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Categories: Conscious Parenting

10 Ways Vinegar Can Effectively Replace Toxic Household Products

2006-06-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Vinegar has been instrumental in helping rid our home of toxic “cleaners”. It actually works better than commercial cleaners, and it’s safe to have around the house with children! Here are a few of the ways we use it in our home:

1. Window & All Purpose Cleaner: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Use on tabletops, counters, mirrors, appliances, windows, etc. For tough cleaning jobs, use straight vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes before rinsing.

(After having used only this cleaner for years now, I recently used a commercial glass cleaner at a friend’s house and after a couple of sprays, I had to leave the room. I literally couldn’t tolerate breathing the toxicity in the air!)

2. Dishwasher Rinse: Add white or apple cider vinegar to final rinse to eliminate toxic detergent residue.

3. Grease Build Up: Soak item in white vinegar for a few minutes then wipe clean. Or add a few tablespoons of vinegar to hot soapy water and let soak.

4. Floor Cleaner: Add 1-2 cups white vinegar to 2 gallons hot water. Mop floor as usual.

5. Air Freshener: Set a small bowl of white vinegar in an area that needs freshening. For strong odors, set a few bowls around the room.

6. Stain Remover: Apply white vinegar liberally to clothing or carpet stains. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before rinsing or washing. (I have removed dried grape juice stains out of carpet using vinegar when nothing else worked!)

7. Fabric Softener: Pour ½ cup of white or apple cider vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener. (The vinegar also completely eliminates detergent residue and works as a color brightener.)

8. Insect Bites: Dot irritated area with white vinegar to relieve itching.

9. Hair Conditioner: Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to 2 cups of water and pour over hair after shampooing. Rinse. (This removes shampoo residue and build up.)

10. Body Rejuvenator: Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water (and desired sweetener) for a healthy pick-me-up and alternative to coffee!

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Parsley for Enuresis (Bed-Wetting)

2006-06-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes a child who has been out of diapers will still wet the bed at night, even years after being potty trained. What can you do as a parent to remedy this? The first option is not to “fix” it at all, and simply wait it out. Your child will eventually outgrow this habit. Many times a child is an incredibly deep sleeper, and doesn’t realize when he’s wetting the bed, or even notice he’s wet until he wakes in the morning. Sometimes the bladder is underdeveloped and needs more time to grow.

Though bedwetting can be an inconvenience, it is imperative that a child is never reprimanded or made to feel guilty for wetting the bed. It isn’t something he is doing on purpose, and getting upset or angry with him will only make matters worse for your child’s physical and emotional well being, as well as being detrimental to your relationship with him.

There are many natural remedies for bedwetting, but only one worked for us.

We tried many natural remedies with my son. (He was almost 6 years old at this time, so had been wetting the bed at night for four years after being completely potty trained during the day.) I first tried waking him up every couple of hours to go to the bathroom, but that didn’t work. Then we tried the homeopathic remedy “BeDry”, which didn’t work either. Next on the list, I rubbed olive oil and lavender essential oil on his belly every night. After that failed, we started supplementing his diet with foods rich in nutrients his body may have been lacking, to strengthen his bladder muscles (vitamins B2 and B5, calcium and magnesium, potassium, pantothenic acid and zinc). In the end, the only solution that worked was parsley, believe it or not!

Got Parsley?

The book Prescription for Nutritional Healing recommends several types of herbs, including buchu, corn silk, oat straw, parsley and/or plantain. Not feeling like driving to the health food store that particular day, I chose the only one that was available at the local grocery store: Parsley. The book suggests giving the child parsley (or any of the other herbs listed above) around 3 p.m. so it would have time to absorb into the body’s system. So we tried that. And it worked beautifully! Sometimes I would miss the 3:00 mark, but I always got to it by 5:00 p.m., and never had a problem. What the book didn’t mention was how much to use, so I just winged it. (I haven’t measured it, but we use about the amount of fresh or frozen parsley that would fit in a single layer covering the palm of your hand…unless you’re an NBA player, in which case you may want to use a tad less. ;)

How long should you continue this daily ritual? We did it for a month. When we stopped with the parsley, the bedwetting never came back. It was a done deal. During that month, my son wet the bed twice (on Day 4 and Day 9). So for the last three weeks of the month, he was dry every night/morning. We probably didn’t need to continue with the parsley for an entire month, but I didn’t know how long it would take to “train” his system. (Don’t ask me how the parsley works in “training” the body to quit wetting at night, even after the parsley is no longer taken…I have no idea how it does what it does!)

Here’s a quick tip on getting your child to eat parsley. I tried feeding my son (and later, my daughter) fresh parsley and they would eat it, but weren’t overly thrilled about the taste. Parsley wilts quickly in the fridge, so I decided to freeze it. I was surprised to find that when my kids ate the frozen parsley, they actually begged for more every time! To freeze it, just buy a bunch of fresh parsley and rinse well, separating the leaves from the stems and draining the leaves on a dishcloth or paper towels as you work. Place the leaves into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. (The leaves don’t have to be bone-dry, the kids actually like the little crystals of “snow” that appear on the moistened leaves, but you just want to avoid having a block of ice at the bottom of your container made from a puddle of water at the bottom.)

Want a second opinion?

My daughter, (who is now 2 years old and potty trained during the day) doesn’t like to wear diapers, so we have begun giving her parsley too. It’s working like a charm. Strangely enough, she has also wet the bed only on days 4 & 9. However, on Day 4 it was only because I had forgotten to give her parsley the night before. It’s now been 2 weeks. I’ll update the article at the end of the month with her results!

Quick Recap:

Who: A child who is interested in not wetting the bed at night anymore.
What: An (single layer) adult palm full of parsley (fresh or frozen)
Where: I’d say the kitchen, but that’s your call.
When: Daily, between 3-5 p.m.
Why: No more diapers, dry bed, dry pajamas, happy child, etc.
How long: About a month.

Of course every child is different, and this may or may not work for everyone. But since it worked beautifully with both of my children, I thought I’d share our experiences. You gotta love it when the most simple and naturally safe remedy is the one that works!

Disclaimer: The information gained on NaiaLily.com should not be construed as medical advice. Naia Lily is not a medical professional and will not be held responsible for any physical outcome resulting from advice taken from this site (unless, of course, it helped beautifully!). Readers take responsibility for their own health and health of their children.

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Evolution of Conscious Parenting

2006-06-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

When is the best time to begin parenting consciously? Before you get pregnant. The very best time to become aware of what type of parent you want to be is before you have kids. This will help you have a more relaxed and natural pregnancy.

Conscious parenting begins while pregnant, or before!

If you find yourself already pregnant, you’d be wise to avoid the mainstream books (such as the “What to Expect” series or any books that recommend you treat your baby with indifference, letting him “cry it out” or other cruel nonsense) designed to scare new parents and teach them parenting strategies that are detrimental to a child’s well being. Instead, read only inspiring childbirth and parenting books such as The Baby Book, Smart Love and Childbirth Without Fear (just to name a few) written by those who advocate parenting the way you want to.

Conscious parenting begins before your child is born, so learn all you can while waiting for your new arrival! While you are growing in your conscious evolution, you will likely be bombarded with baby advice (from your grandma to the stranger in the grocery store) that won’t seem right to you. I’ve found that the best way to deal with these well meaning people is to smile and thank them for their advice. Often, contradicting these people can lead to a debate, which if you’re not yet confident in your convictions, can lead to self doubt as they try to overpower you with their mainstream ideas.

What’s a parent to do with unsolicited advice and useless gifts?

For example, your mother in law buys you a 50 pound box of pacifiers for your new baby, and you don’t want your child to use them. Or you may receive gifts of babysitting devices like a swing, stroller, playpen, bouncy seat, or saucer, when you believe it will be better for your baby and easier for you if you simply wore your baby in a sling. Just thank them for their gifts, because they really do mean well, and continue to parent YOUR way. You can keep the gifts in the house if you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and just not use them, return them for things you can actually use, or donate them to a shelter.

There are very few “things’ that new babies actually need. All of the baby gadgets and furniture are unnecessary, with the exception of a car seat. You can parent easily and peacefully with two things: Breasts and a sling.

You can begin parenting consciously if you already have kids.

If you already have children and are searching for a way to be a more harmonious family, start reading all you can on natural, attachment, holistic, spiritual, enlightened, compassionate, gentle, instinctive, and conscious parenting. The more you read, the more you will desire to learn and grow and live this type of parenting. The more you learn, the more you will evolve.

Bookmark this site and come back regularly. Search for other websites, forums or email groups you can join to find like minded parents to learn from and share with.

Pick an area in your family life you’d like to begin your conscious evolution with and start from there. You may choose to begin with making healthier eating choices for your family, or evaluating and refining your methods of discipline. Think of an area in your parenting life that simply isn’t working and find a different way of living that part of your life so that everyone benefits. We tend to struggle against new habits at first, but if you stay dedicated, you will reap amazing benefits from the end results.

Don’t stay attached to parenting methods that aren’t working for your family. If a million families are doing something a certain way, that doesn’t automatically make it the right way for your family. Forget about everyone else. Your family is unique. Base your decisions on what creates the most peace and joy for the individuals in your home.

Already parenting consciously?

There is no such thing as a perfect parent. This is good news, because even if you are already parenting consciously, there will be room for growth until the day you die. You will be a parent your whole life. That role does not end when your child leaves the home. And since no one is perfect, the growth potential is unlimited. Enjoy the growth of your parenting journey every day!

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Cooperative Board Games

2006-06-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

My daughter recently received a cooperative board game for her birthday. It’s the best children’s game I’ve ever played for one simple reason. Either everyone wins, or everyone loses together. It’s a “cooperative” game where all the players work together for a common goal. In the case of the Princess game we have, the objective is to save a princess from a magic spell before night falls. There are several obstacles to conquer, and all the players work together to figure out the best way to do so. Cooperative games encourage players to use their imagination and creativity.

In the Princess game, there are cards that are used as tools to get past the obstacles. For example, some of the tools include a firefly, a pair of glasses and a bone (among others). One of the obstacles is a guard dog that you have to get past. Working together, the kids figured out that the obvious choice to distract the dog would be a bone. But if the bone card isn’t available yet, you can either wait until it shows up, or use your imagination to find something else to distract him, such as a firefly who lights up in different places every few seconds, swaying the dog’s attention, or a pair of glasses (because when you put glasses on someone who doesn’t share the prescription, their vision gets blurry!)

Every time we play the game, we use the tools in a different way. Sometimes we save the princess before nightfall, and we all cheer together! And sometimes we don’t get to her in time, and have to try all over again. Either way, we’re all in it together. Nobody is feeling like a “loser” at the end of the game. “Normal” games are often fun while being played, but usually leave me dreading the end, because they always leave at least one person feeling sad or inadequate when they don’t win. This game is so wonderful in that the game is fun from beginning to end!

Our whole family is now excited to get more of these games. My son already has his eye on the “Save the Whales” and “Beautiful Place”, where we can work together to save whales from poachers and pollution, and make the world more beautiful by recycling and such.

Following are some quotes from the flyer on “The Benefits of Cooperation” that was included with our game:

“…It’s ironic that we play games to be together yet spend our efforts trying to bankrupt someone, destroy their armies, conquer the world, etc. – all goals which create hostility and separate us. Success doesn’t require someone else’s failure.”

“It is hard to maintain positive feelings about someone who is trying to make you lose. Hurt feelings and arguments often result from competitive play. In cooperative play, challenge, discovery and success are shared. Emphasis is on participation, acceptance and the “joy of play”. In the end, it’s your relationship with each other that counts. Children gain stronger bonds with parents, siblings and playmates.”

“Competition makes it difficult to share our skills, experiences and resources because each person is separately involved in his or her exclusive goal...The challenge shifts from “striving to be number one” (competitive activity) to working toward a mutual goal (cooperative activity).”

“Most competitive situations are highly stressful: the possibility of failure creates agitation if not out-right anxiety. The fear or anger generated from being eliminated or losing often causes embarrassment, tension and hostility. Cooperative activities are non-threatening and non-judgmental. As a result, this creates an atmosphere for relaxation and well-being-the foundation for more genuine, healthy and playful fun.”

These wonderful games can be purchased at Cooperative Games . You can also request a free catalog and get more information about cooperative games at Family Pastimes.

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Bentonite Clay + Goldenseal = Natural Skin Rash Remedy

2006-06-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time my 3 year old son had a mysterious skin rash. Knowing that seeing a doctor would be completely useless, I consulted a naturopath. She suggested I prepare this concoction which consisted of bentonite clay, goldenseal and water. Bentonite clay applied to the skin extracts toxins from beneath the skin and draws them out of the body. Goldenseal fights inflammation, strengthens the immune system and cleanses the body.

So I went to the health food store for the ingredients, went home, prepared the recipe and applied it to my son’s rash. The naturopath suggested that I apply this a few times a day until the rash went away. That day, I applied it three times. The next morning my son’s rash was gone. My children don’t often get rashes, I have only needed to use this recipe once on each of my daughters, but it has worked like a charm every time.

1 part 100% pure bentonite clay
1 part water
A few drops of liquid goldenseal

For a small rash, a tablespoon or two each of clay and water and about 5 drops of goldenseal should be enough. Adjust measurements as needed. Mix ingredients together until a paste forms. Apply a thick coat (1/8-1/4 inch thickness) onto affected area. Leave on until it dries (usually 15-20 minutes). Rinse off with warm water (such as in a bath, or very gently soak area with warm wash cloth, rinsing until clay is removed.) There may be added redness to the area after rinsing off the clay, this is normal and will disappear within about a half hour. Apply clay a few times a day until rash is gone.

Be sure to warn your child that the clay may feel cold when it is being applied, but it will not hurt! As it dries, the skin will tighten slightly (like a mud mask does).

Do not apply this treatment if rash consists of open or oozing blisters or sores.

If the rash is itchy throughout the day, pour dry oats into a bath and have child soak in it. This will help relieve the itchiness.

Disclaimer: The information gained on NaiaLily.com should not be construed as medical advice. Naia Lily is not a medical professional and will not be held responsible for any physical outcome resulting from advice taken from this site (unless, of course, it helped beautifully!). Readers take responsibility for their own health and health of their children.

If this article has been helpful to you, please leave a donation for Naia.

Simple Bliss

2006-06-13T06:20:00.000-07:00

Be happy with what you have. You’ve heard it a million times. But if you haven’t applied it to your everyday life, you need to hear it again. It’s simple. Just be happy. Look around at all the beautiful things in your life and smile. Don’t just smile, rejoice!

Do you know how many people woke up yesterday with all sorts of plans for “tomorrow” but didn’t live to see another day? Lots. You woke up today! That’s something that should never be taken for granted.

Take notice today of all the little things you allow to frustrate or annoy you. Think of times when you may get impatient with your child. Now think of those same moments with overwhelming gratitude. If you lost your child before the sun came up tomorrow, what would you give for just one more day? There are many parents who are in that exact situation right at this moment. Parents who had their child yesterday but have lost them today. Be thrilled with your life. Celebrate every single day of your life with your child.

How would you treat your child if this was your last day together? Cherish your relationship with your whole heart every single day! Be conscious to live so that you will have no regrets. Begin today, right now.

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Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

2006-06-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

What is your usual response when you realize you have wronged your child? Do you justify and rationalize your action? Do you avoid the situation and move on? Or are you quick to apologize to your child with sincerity?

Children need to know their parents aren’t always right! And they need to hear heartfelt apologies. How else will they learn to say sorry and mean it?

Some parents find it hard to apologize to their children because it leaves them feeling weak and less “in charge” or authoritative. What they don’t realize is that their children will have a great deal more respect for them as parents and human beings when they are treated respectfully. Why shouldn’t children be given the same respect that is given to a guest? By what right is a guest in your home worthy of more respect than your child? We need to stop looking at children as some sort of inferior sub species. They are human, only smaller, and actually more pure, innocent, impressionable and tender hearted than most adults. More adults need to let go of their foolish pride and value the fact that their children need to hear that their feelings are real and valid. If you do something to wrong them or hurt their feelings, then you are responsible for humbling yourself, sharing your regret and apologizing.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Children learn by example more than anything else. If you can say “I’m sorry” easily and with sincere regret, that trait will be integrated into your child’s character. Nobody wants their child to become the type of person who always has to be right, who would never “lower” himself to admit wrongdoing. But if that’s all he experiences from you, it’s all he will know.

You can look at it from another way as well. When you tell a child you are sorry, it gives them a feeling of self worth. He will have higher self esteem, and will be less likely to let people take advantage of him as he grows and matures. So not only will it shape the type of person he will become, but it will also have a strong effect on how he will allow others to treat him as well.

Lessons in forgiveness

Where there are apologies, there’s also a little thing called forgiveness. Yes, also a touchy subject. How do children learn to forgive? By watching you forgive. If your child apologizes for something he’s done, forgive him. Don’t hold a grudge. If he says he is sorry, don’t continue to explain why what he did was wrong. If he apologizes, forgive him, and then let it be over. Forgive with as much sincerity as you would apologize with. A good rule of thumb to follow is this: Apologize as you would wish to be apologized to, and forgive as you would wish to be forgiven.

It’s never too late.

If you did or said something that you later realize was wrong, take the time to talk to your child about it. It’s easy to let it go and forget about it if the child doesn’t bring it back up, but you never know what he is thinking about in that beautiful head of his. He may be reliving the experience over in his mind later that day or even days later. Don’t assume that if your child doesn’t mention it, that it is erased from his memory and no longer bothers him. Clear the air – apologize and talk with your child. It’s important for you to do it, and equally important for your child to hear it. You will both feel better afterwards, and it will build a stronger bond of mutual trust and respect in your relationship.

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kick the junk food habit!

2006-06-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

You are what you eat…and so is your child.

Some people have a difficult time comprehending the vegan child’s diet. They can’t seem to grasp the idea of a child without chicken nuggets and chocolate milk. These people often view vegans of “depriving” their children of necessary nutrients. These are (in my experience) without exception, the same parents who feed their two year old child snacks of cheese doodles and soda, while my children are eating fruit. They can’t understand drinking rice milk with lunch and eating apples for dessert, while I cringe at the sight of a toddler eating corn chips and a cola. Their questions of nutrition are so ridiculously backwards that it would be laughable if it weren’t so sad.

Soda and candy and chips, oh my!

When you have a brand new car, what do you put in the gas tank? I’m guessing fuel. If I wanted to pour a soda in there instead, I’m sure you’d have a problem with that. However, many people don’t think twice about giving their baby or toddler soda. This is a tiny human body, pure and healthy. Why would you fill it with garbage? It just doesn’t make any sense. What you eat and drink is meant to nourish you. To say that soda and chips is not a nourishing snack is an understatement. Junk food is detrimental to a child’s health in so many ways. Studies have shown that junk food filled with unnatural ingredients, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, additives, etc, leads to addiction and cravings of such foods, unhealthy lifetime eating habits, obesity, poor health, and higher susceptibility to degenerative diseases.

When a child is hungry, his body is asking to be nourished. Feeding him a Pop Tart will defray his hunger, but not his need for nourishment. Children learn healthy eating habits in the first few years of life. If you give fruit as snacks, this is what the child will crave. If you give candy bars, this will be the constant craving. It doesn’t take brilliance to know the better choice, but so few parents fail to make the right decisions. They refuse to be made aware because it would require them to admit that the choices they are making are wrong, and no one likes to be wrong.

Realizing and accepting the root of the problem…

Much of the dietary problems of today’s children stem from the involuntary, ingrained habits of the parents. Many of us were raised on Wonder bread, macaroni and cheese and cookies. Well, if it was good enough for us, it’s good enough for our kids, right? Wrong! Is it hard for you to have just one chip? And when you’re eating chips, do you thirst for soda? Of course, the two go hand in hand! When you’re craving a snack, would you rather have a carrot or a few cookies? It’s very difficult to admit that a habit you’re used to isn’t the best way to live. But as parents, specifically conscious parents, we want better for our children. They deserve to be nourished with healthy food. They deserve nothing less. And as children, we deserved the very same thing. Obviously we can’t go back in time and knock some sense into our parents to change what we ate as kids, but we can better shape the health of our children.

Some parents actually use peer pressure to justify their choices. They don’t want their children to be different. So rather than instilling in them a strong confident sense of self and the importance of health, they fill their little bodies with junk food so they can avoid confrontation. So the child not only learns unhealthy eating habits, but also the lesson that it’s better to conform than stand up for what’s right. If a family falls in this category, there is much self evaluation and growth to be explored besides just learning to eat more wisely.

Where to begin?

Changing eating habits is tricky business. How quickly you make the transition to healthy eating will largely depend on the age of your children. The younger they are the easier it will be. If you have a newborn baby or are pregnant, plan to breastfeed for as long as possible. Simply don’t allow junk food to enter your home and you won’t have a problem telling your child “no”. If there aren’t any doughnuts in the house, your child won’t be begging for them. If there are only healthy snacks, your child can pick and choose. The easiest way to avoid food struggles is to only have in your home what you would want your children eating, eliminating all other options.

Begin reading the ingredient labels on what you buy. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, or especially if you don’t have any idea what the ingredient is, don’t buy it! If you don’t even know what you’re eating, that’s a definite red flag! One jar of peanut butter has a myriad of ingredients that are unhealthy. Another jar has one ingredient: peanuts. Which should you choose? It’s not rocket science.

Adding more fresh or frozen fruits to your family’s diet is always a good way to begin. Vegetable can be trickier to begin with if your family isn’t used to eating healthy. Try to avoid canned food, as the contents retain very little of the original nutrients.

If your family heavily relies on junk food, slowly wean it out of your lives. Replace the sugared cereal with a natural cereal topped with fruit. Make smoothies or frozen smoothie pops for an afternoon snack instead of buying another bag of cookies. Instead of PB&J on white bread, use whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter and 100% fruit jam. If you can’t go cold turkey on the chips, start replacing them with more natural ones like Dirty Chips, or delicious alternatives such as Fruity Booty. Start small by making wiser choices and work your way to a healthier family life.

Educate yourself.

Here’s a challenge for you. Pick a few snack or breakfast items from your cupboard and research the ingredients. Not sure how partially hydrogenated oils could pose a problem? Look it up and you’ll be surprised at how scary the answer is. Educate yourself on what you are feeding your child. Your child doesn’t have the resources you do, he doesn’t know any better. He trusts you to provide him with the very best of what he needs. Are you doing your best to deserve that trust?

What does the future hold?

Your children are likely to become parents themselves someday. They will bring the eating habits that you instilled in them to their new family. The health of your grandchildren may largely depend upon the decisions you make now. Do what you can today to improve the way your family values nutrition and health. Grow at a pace that’s comfortable for you and don’t be afraid when you realize that it’s hard work. Improvement is always difficult at first. There will be resistance. But eating healthy is one of the most important things you can do for your family. You are worthy of eating right. Your children are worthy. Your bodies are designed to be nourished, not treated as a toxic waste dump. So strive to get to the place where you find yourself unable to comprehend someone else feeding their child junk food!

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what is conscious parenting?

2006-06-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Being a conscious parent means many things, and will mean different things to different families. Being conscious means being aware of what you’re doing and what is going on around you, in your surroundings. Conscious parenting is a deliberate art. It’s a peaceful, holistic balance that encompasses the physical, emotional and spiritual health and well being of both your child and yourself. In a single day, what your child eats, what he watches on TV, the tone of voice he hears you speak with, are just a few examples of what he is absorbing and what is molding his character.

In a nutshell, conscious parenting means not allowing yourself to parent on auto pilot. Taking time when you have no time. Being patient when you’ve run out of patience. Providing healthy nutrition for your child. There are countless daily circumstances that arise which require a parenting decision on your part, be it large or small. When you’re parenting consciously, you realize that the little things mean just as much as the big things. And with time, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you no longer run out of time or patience for your children, and your healthy eating habits provide well being for everyone in your family.

It’s a matter of finding and maintaining the balance of life that each child requires. It’s giving your child security, a safe home base, and at the same time, the freedom to explore his world and be his whole self. It takes courage and strength to allow and support your child to be who he is without imposing upon him who you think he is supposed to be or should be. Conscious parenting requires you to trust your child on many levels that may seem uncomfortable at first, but will change your lives in remarkable ways.

The best hard work you will ever do.

Conscious parenting certainly comes naturally for some, but for most it can be hard work. It may take some getting used to. Fortunately, like anything else, when you practice enough, it will become habit. It becomes a part of not only what you do, but who you are. And there is no greater joy than being in harmony with your family.

You have undoubtedly worked very hard in your life to reach various goals. How many of these things would you place as a higher priority than raising a healthy and happy child? You have within you the capacity to work for whatever you want. To be a conscious parent, you simply have to decide that it is a priority and make the commitment to pursue a more enlightened relationship with your child.

A responsibility and a privilege.

There is no way to measure how many people your parenting choices will ultimately affect. Being a parent is the most powerful responsibility. You have a life in your hands and the way you choose to parent affects not only future generations, but also all the people who will ever interact with your child throughout his life. When you realize the magnitude of this responsibility, this privilege that is yours, you can learn to parent consciously and fully enjoy your relationship with your child.

If this article has been helpful to you, please leave a donation for Naia.

Welcome to NaiaLily.com!

2006-06-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

A source of inspiration in the art of conscious parenting.

What will you find here? Articles on conscious, natural, holistic, spiritual and attachment parenting. The list below describes some of the types of articles you can expect to be featured on Naia Lily:

Attachment Parenting: Articles on breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, etc.

Conscious Parenting: Articles on being more aware in your daily parenting journey.

Creative Expression: Creative ways for children to express their interests and passions.

For the Home: Tips on maintaining a natural, non-toxic home.

Fun & Games: Creative play ideas for children.

Health & Nutrition: Articles for families on how to maintain healthy bodies.

Mind Development: Articles on developing the untapped part of the brain, manifestation visualization and psychic development for the whole family.

Natural Remedies: Safe and natural home remedies for physical ailments (smart alternatives to medicine and prescribed drugs.)

Pregnancy & Childbirth: Articles on natural and unassisted pregnancy and childbirth.

Recipes: Vegan (no meat or dairy) family recipes.

Spiritual: Thoughts and inspiration on family spirituality.

Unschooling: Articles on life learning (unstructured, child-led learning).

Vegan life: Articles on compassionate living.

Book List & Reviews: Recommended books.

Product Reviews: Recommended products.

New to Naia Lily? Here is an article to start with:

What is Conscious Parenting?

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If you have found any of the articles on this site helpful, please leave a donation for Naia. Your donations help enable me to write more often, and keep this site updated regularly. Thank you for your support!

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Email: NaiaLily@gmail.com

Book & Product Reviews
If you have a book or product you would like to submit for review, please email me for further information.

Vegan Recipes

2006-06-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

New Food Blog for Vegan Kids: Kids are Vegan Too! (I will eventually be moving the recipes from this page to the new blog.)

Breakfast
Baked Oatmeal

Snacks
Blueberry Scones

Lunch/Dinner
Easy Baked Pasta
Easy Pizza Crust (Yeast-free)
Peanut Butter Sesame Pasta

Dessert
Peanut Butter Cookies

Helpful Tips
Vegan Baking: How to Veganize a Recipe

Health & Nutrition

2006-06-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2006: Why My Kids Don't Wear Sunscreen
June 11, 2006: Kick the Junk Food Habit!

Conscious Parenting

2006-06-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2006: Do Your Eyes Light Up When Your Child Walks In?
June 17, 2006: Evolution of Conscious Parenting
June 13, 2006: Simple Bliss
June 12, 2006: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
June 10, 2006: What is Conscious Parenting?

Donate

2006-06-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting Naia Lily! If any of the articles on this site have been helpful to you, please leave a donation for Naia. Your donations help enable me to spend more time creating and publishing new articles about conscious parenting. Thank you for your support!

Thank You!

2006-06-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you for very much for your donation to Naia Lily. Your donations help enable me to spend more time writing and publishing articles on conscious parenting. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. I thank you for your support!

~Naia

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2006-06-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

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Please note: Naia Lily reserves the right to refuse any advertising inquiries, if the business is not compatible with the values of this site and its articles.

Product Reviews

2006-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

July 4, 2006: Top 10 Reasons Why I Love the Maya Wrap Sling

Attachment Parenting

2006-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

July 4, 2006: Top 10 Reasons Why I Love the Maya Wrap Sling

Creative Expression

2006-06-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

August 15, 2006: Draw, Exchange, Color!
July 15, 2006: Digital Photography for Kids

For the Home

2006-06-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2006: 10 Ways Vinegar Can Effectively Replace Toxic Household Products

Natural Remedies

2006-06-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

August 14, 2006: All Natural First Aid Kit
August 13, 2006: How to make Herbal Ice Cubes for Bruises/Swelling
July 10, 2006: How to Make Herbal Ice Pops for Kids
June 20, 2006: Parsley for Enuresis (Bed-Wetting)
June 13, 2006: Bentonite Clay + Goldenseal = Natural Skin Rash Remedy

Thank you for Advertising with Naia Lily!

2006-06-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your interest in advertising with NaiaLily.com! Once your payment is received and processed, you will receive an email with instructions on how to submit your ad, if you haven't already. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Order: Text Link

2006-06-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

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2006-06-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

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Fun & Games

2006-06-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

August 15: Draw, Exchange, Color!
June 15, 2006: Cooperative Board Games

Unschooling

2006-06-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

July 12, 2006: Conversation Education
July 7, 2006: Live and Learn: Unschooling Basics