What i Know

I spent the next 15 years running schools within hospitals. Working with children and families, I was able to “cut the roof off the houses” and peek into the lives of families struggling to grow and prosper. I saw how our factory model of education left too many children on the outs looking in or trying to avoid and escape. And, I saw the pain and frustration of parents and families with insufficient resources to counter the negative and discouraging influences. We developed some creative programs that were designed to tap into each child’s natural mode of expression. Interestingly, for a few years, with my own children, I was unable to walk through the halls of their schools without becoming upset and angry. It seemed as if the only displays were artwork, something not every child found to be inclined to use for expression.

So we actually tested children to see if art, music, drama, movement, or writing were more natural means of expressing themselves. Relationships are dysfucntional and can do something to one's spirit. Surprise, surprise, children were quite variable, and this didn’t always relate to pre-supposed skill levels. As a life coach, you need to understand this basic premise as well- expression is like finding the river you can canoe on – every river is different and each person may have a different pace with which they identify and feel comfortable.