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Parenting Site of the Month
September 1999 |
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 Dr. Thomas Armstrong is a noted psychologist,
speaker and consultant in learning and human development. He is
the author of several outstanding books on educational issues,
in which he challenges many common assumptions about learning.
His attractive site includes clear, insightful articles on
such topics as attention deficit disorder, labels, multiple
intelligences, utopian schools, creativity, and 39 kinds of
giftedness. The site also offers descriptions of available
presentations and workshops, a complete list of his books
(available in 15 languages), a list of related sites, and a site
search engine. The article "50 Ways to Bring Out Your
Child's Best" is especially interesting and useful for
attachment parenting families.
Dr. Armstrong believes that the ADD/ADHD concept "gets
in the way of our appreciating the wholeness of each
child". In his compelling article "Labels Can Last a
Lifetime", he offers this helpful perspective:
"The traits that are associated with ADD -
hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity - can result
from a number of causes. For example, a child may be
hyperactive or inattentive because of being bored with a
lesson, anxious about a bully, upset about a divorce, allergic
to milk, temperamental by nature, or a hundred other things.
Research suggests, though, that once adults have labeled and
medicated the child - and the medication works - these more
complex questions are all too often forgotten. By rushing to
drugs and labels, we may be leaving more difficult problems to
fester under the surface."
Dr. Armstrong reminds us that "Every child is a genius.
That doesn't mean that every child can paint like Picasso,
compose like Mozart, or score 150 on an I.Q. test. But every
child is a genius according to the original meanings of
the word 'genius,' which are: 'to give birth' (related to the
word genesis) and 'to be zestful or joyous,' (related to
the word genial). Essentially, the real meaning of genius
is to 'give birth to the joy' that is within each child. Every
child is born with that capacity. Each child comes into life
with wonder, curiosity, awe, spontaneity, vitality, flexibility,
and many other characteristics of a joyous being... The biggest
challenge for parents and teachers is to remove the roadblocks
that keep those gifts from being recognized, celebrated, and
nurtured."
Visit this informative site to learn more about nurturing
every child's capacity for joy and wonder.
www.thomasarmstrong.com
Books by Dr. Thomas Armstrong:
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