Last month, I wrote about the reasons we as parents need to appreciate and use coaching as a parenting tool.
Today, I would like to tell you a little bit about how it all started for me and introduce the Be Happy in LIFE kids coaching program.
It all started 18 years ago, when I wrote the Garden of Eden program, which put most of the emphasis emotional intelligence. I started an early childhood center with kids aged 1½ to 4 and proved that excellence depends on the teaching, not on the kids.
In the 2 years that followed, the kids at my center accomplished things that blew their parents away. They put together puzzles with many pieces very quickly, they built elaborate constructions, they painted the walls, they recognised written words and lots more.
Oh, yes, and they ate healthy food and boasted about it.
During my work in Texas, in Singapore and in Thailand, I implemented this program again and it worked in different cultures and difference languages for a total of 6 years.
Garden of Eden early childhood program
I will write more about the Garden of Eden program in the future, but for now, I only want to introduce the main philosophy of the program:
- Happy kids are successful
- Children are gifted. All of them
- Gifted children have difficulties too
- When diagnosed early (1½ years old is a very good age to start), learning difficulties can be “eliminated”, so that no one will ever know they existed
- In teaching and learning, one size does not fit all. Children are individuals. Use an individual program
- Children do not need to be compared to any benchmark, only to their own achievements from last week/month/term/year
- Each child has strengths and weaknesses – work on both!
- Teaching and learning are two different things. Focus on learning – it is all about the kids, not about the teacher
- Children learn while playing. Games are the best way to teach
- Diagnostic teaching is a wonderful improvement tool (diagnostic teaching involves a cycle of teaching, assessment, adjustment, teaching, assessment and so on). Teaching must change and evolve to produce learning
- What parents believe and think about parenting influences their kids’ success (and failure). Parents are the most important part of the program. They know their kids better than any teacher, they accompany their kids longer than any teacher and they are the real clients. Involve the parents in the program and coach them!
- Work on the kids’ emotional intelligence and learning will happen by itself
There are many more ideas in Garden of Eden program, but to stay focused I will only discuss the overall concepts (I do hope to present them all here over time. Believe me, in 6 years every day of it was an exciting day that should be documented. I will do it, I promise).
The Garden of Eden program taught over 200 children around the world. 18 years later, I still have contact with parents from my program and with kids that are now 19 or older. All of them, parents and children alike, believe that the program has set them up for success in life.
Coaching for kids
The program evolved over the years and became the Be Happy in LIFE kids coaching program, still emphasizing EQ. We teach children to make choices and strengthen their positive attitude to life.
Many kids around the world, who have gone through our program, are living proof that labelling and looking for reasons for our failures does not bring us happiness. They are proof that children are wonderful and successful, no matter how much they are limited by their academic abilities, social life or family structure.
They can take full control and responsibility for their own happiness and are able to reach their full potential.
Kids coaching is a future-focused program. It is suitable for any child, whether they feel like a failure, are unhappy with themselves or others, or are highly advanced, but perhaps stressed or frustrated.
Coaching enhances their confidence and sharpens their leadership skills, creating a solid foundation for their success and happiness.
As I have said before, I believe that all children are gifted and that our role is to activate each child’s gift to enable them to reach their full potential and live a happy life. I believed it was possible, I proved to myself it was possible, and now I have a stronger belief it is possible and it is a never-ending cycle, a good cycle for me as a parent, an educator and a life coach.
Parents were the most important part of kids’ learning at Garden of Eden and they are now at Be Happy in LIFE. In both programs, the parent is the client and I believe this has been one of the factors for my success.
This site is dedicated to you, the parent, and aims to introduce all the experiences, reasons, tips, ideas, philosophies, research, educational methods and all the other things I (and my team) can think of to help you set your parenting to success and help you establish a happy family.
You hold the key to your kids’ success. Open the door.
Happy parenting,
Ronit