Georgia Argyle

Raising Children in Modern Times

Re-examine all that you have been told…
Dismiss that which insults your soul.
Whatever satisfies your soul is the truth.
Walt Whitman

My name is Georgia Argyle, I am the mother of Raven an eight year old boy of enormous energy and caring. I work as a preschool teacher and kindergarten substitute while continuing to increase my understanding of childhood growth and development. The following is a brief exploration of my approach to childcare/parenting

We are faced today, in western society, with the responsibility of raising children based on our individual values and beliefs systems. We are, for the most part, no longer guided by the wisdom of the ages as brought to us by our many holy books, spiritual leaders and close knit communities. When I read the above quote by Walt Whitman I feel anchored amidst the deluge of experts telling me how to raise my child. I have chosen to turn inward and find what is truth to me, the child I am raising, and the many children who have been in my care over the years.

The extended family, long held beliefs, and widely recognized leaders have faded to the background bringing forth our individual strengths to meet every challenge. Many times this can be overwhelming and in the case of raising children have serious long term implications. So we seek guidance, consult with our friends and neighbours, read books on parenting and attend parenting workshops; often after the children have already arrived. In a sense we are flying by the seat of our pants. Driven by our desire to contribute to the health and well being of our dear children we look for the best, try a variety of approaches and hope it will be okay in the end.

Over the years I have read, attended and watched all the books, lectures and DVD’s on parenting that came my way. And in the end I have returned to my own wisdom and the place inside that lets me know what is right in that moment. The abundance of parenting experts and their often contradictory advice is no longer overwhelming; instead I have found gems in each approach, pieces of advice that are just what I was seeking at that time. I find that I am now thankful to all the people who are seeking ways and presenting their ideas on how to support children and their parents. I now have a variety of tools to meet individual children and circumstances with ease.

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Blessings, Georgia