This year, we’re relaunching the School from Home program, a component of the PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education) curriculum, designed to support parents as they navigate the journey of raising their children.
School from Home is a parenting program that provides a secure space for parents within and outside the Avenor community to discuss the topics important to them, guided by Avenor school counselors, psychologists, and experienced specialists.
This year, the program kicks off with a workshop dedicated to parents of nursery and primary school children, inviting reflection on the things we don’t talk about. Alongside Avenor psychologists, we will be joined by special guest PHD. Bogdan Ion, a psychologist with over 30 years of experience in clinical psychology, counseling, and psychotherapy, and a parent in our community.
In preparation for this event, Ioana Botez, Avenor Counselor and host of the November 13 workshop, shares briefly below about the things we don’t talk about and, above all, the challenges parents face when confronted with these subjects.
SCHOOL FROM HOME
When we think about how we’re raising and educating our children today, it’s clear that we’re parenting in one of the most progressive eras. We want to be the best parents possible, even if it sometimes means putting our own happiness and fulfillment on hold.
The notion of parental sacrifice is as old as time itself, yet it has taken on new dimensions in today’s world, where we sometimes believe—perhaps optimistically—that we can control all aspects of our children’s environment. Of course, the younger they are, the more we feel responsible for shaping their thoughts and preferences.
But then they go to their first sleepover, attend their first camp, or even spend a weekend at their grandparents’ house, and we realize that complete control is impossible. Instead, we need to focus on keeping open lines of communication with them—any time, anywhere. Or, rather, we need to be prepared to engage in the discussions they bring to us, often unexpectedly.
Are we truly ready for this?
Today’s kids are often bold conversation partners, especially when it comes to topics we might not have broached with our own parents—such as sexuality, death, spirituality, and bullying. And maybe more!
At Avenor’s nursery and primary school, we’ve decided to start with these subjects in a panel discussion for parents, where they can engage with our counselors and special guest, PHD. Bogdan Ion, a father and a specialist in several fields, including psychotherapy.
As organizers, we encourage you to bring up the questions you may find challenging so that we can discuss them in depth at the November 13 event.
SCHOOL COMPLEMENTS FAMILY
School is here to support the family, like a safety net where children feel safe to discuss topics they may not feel comfortable addressing at home. If you find certain subjects difficult to approach, lean on us! We’re here to explore the things you may avoid discussing at home—thoughtfully, respectfully, and with prepared answers that keep conversations clear and simple.
And as we focus on facilitating our children’s learning and growth, isn’t it only natural to look inward and work on our own understanding of these themes?
Join us on Wednesday, November 13, starting at 9 a.m., at the Forest Library in Greenfield, for the School at Home parenting workshop, titled The Things We Don’t Talk About.
Our aim is to address these topics—whatever they may be—with care, compassion, and critical thinking. We know how to keep silent. But our goal is to enhance our ability to communicate about topics like sex, death, spirituality, and bullying, so that, by the end of this journey, we become more self-aware, confident individuals and parents.
