I am excited to share with you that I have officially started "Connect & Play", a project with the focus on Connecting with Children through Nonviolent Communication. Below you can find a summary of what I intend to offer. If you have any questions, please send me an email at message@tamaracatharina.com

 

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Content - Connect & Play

 

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is not about being peaceful, calm, nice, and in harmony all the time. To me it is about raising our awareness of human intentions and acting from this place (incl. minimal harm, connection, understanding, compassion, and collaboration)

 

NVC gives a model for this, where the core focus is on human NEEDS. It also embraces emotions as part of every human experience. FEELINGS are there to serve life and inform us about what is important to us. Nonviolent Communication adds to our set of CHOICES in communication. It’s no “have to”. (resistance and doubt are all welcome)

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"Connect & Play" is a bi-weekly 2hr in-person session with children and their caregivers (parents, teachers, etc). The attention is on learning and practising through Nonviolent Communication (NVC). It is a time to be together and "work" with what comes up in the moment. This might look like this:

- kids playing together or alone

- being bored (and being present with that)

- support at the moment

- explanation of the key skills of NVC using examples of daily life

- doing nothing

- practising active listening 

- mediation at the moment (conflict support)

- asking questions about NVC

- practising expressing what we want in NVC

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Before every session, I will send out information about the theme we will be focussing on that day. The themes do not have a specific order, yet I will probably start with the basic skills and dive a bit deeper at the end of the series. My dream is for this to be an ongoing project, where new families can join in, and an NVC intention-based community can grow. 

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I intend to address the following topics:

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- presence

- acknowledgement

- self-care (for caregivers)

- human needs and human actions

- vulnerable expression

- power with vs power over

- mourning

- respect vs fear

- navigating conflicts

- mediation

- parenting without obedience

- receiving anger

- choice

- appreciation

- collaborative parenting

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Days & Times

 

I wouldn't want anyone that wants to join and be part of our community to be stopped by a challenge in their planning. That's why I decided to give you the choice of joining the whole series or joining separate sessions. Every session will have its own theme and can be enjoyed separately from the others. This way, you can step in at any time.

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Session 1 - Friday, Feb 3

Session 2 - Friday, Feb 17

Session 3 - Friday, Mar 3

Session 4 - Friday, Mar 17

Session 5 - Friday, Mar 31

Session 6 - Friday, Apr 14

Session 7 - Friday, Apr 28

Session 8 - Friday, May 12

Session 9 - Friday, May 26

Session 10 - Friday, Jun 9

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All sessions take place in our home in Pine Cove (Idyllwild). We start at 10 am and round up at noon. Suggested ages children 0-10.

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From the end of June till the beginning of September I am travelling. If there is interest, we will continue with session 11 after the summer break.

 

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Fee (sliding scale)

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There is no set amount for this project. I dream of a contribution between $20 - $50 per family (one adult + one child) per session. For every extra family member joining, I suggest adding $10 - $15. I invite you to register using a gift economy approach so that everyone can have access and my work can also be sustainable. I ask that you give the most that you can do without overstretching or resentment. Below I am offering some guidance in choosing how much to give. It is intended as support for you to choose.

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• Sustainability for my work: $40 (helps to support me to continue offering courses)​​

 

• Increased Accessibility: $20 (if you have limited financial resources)

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• Supporting Others to Attend: $50 (some people will not be able to contribute at the sustainability level, so I depend on some people having the capacity and willingness to contribute more)

 

• I wouldn’t want money to prevent anyone from learning NVC. I see money as a strategy to care for the sustainability of our giving. If the above options are still a barrier for you to join, or if you would like to contribute to me in a different way, please reach out to me.

 

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Course Platform

 

I will start a private Facebook group for everyone attending the sessions, where we can as questions, mourn, celebrate and connect, with the intention of creating an NVC-based parenting community.

 

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Registration 

 

To book your place, please follow those two steps:

1. Read my terms and conditions

2. Fill in this form: https://forms.gle/WcDPkF7BNK1ocJhx6

3. Transfer your payment of choice in one of the following ways:

 

PayPal: message@tamaracatharina.com

Venmo: @tamaracatharina

 

Your booking is complete after finishing the payment.

If you wish to pay differently, please send me an email: message@tamaracatharina.com

 

 

If you have any questions about the above, please send me an email.

Warmly, Tamara