Barbara Frandsen

Who Am I?

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I am a former teacher who, though retired, remains concerned with the well-being of all children. I have taught students at almost every level, ranging from pre-kindergarten children with multi-handicapping conditions through pre-service teachers at St. Edward’s University. In the process, I have raised my own children. Through years of teaching and parenting, I often faced the mystery of how to create mentally and emotionally healthy children. Children have always been my motivation. Ultimately, being a grandmother and great grandmother raised the bar. 

 

My first child arrived before I graduated from college. Although I loved my son passionately, I quickly realized that I was a child myself. We grew up together! By the time his sister arrived, I knew enough to recognize when to worry and when to let a situation go.

 

The first year I taught was difficult; my large class of thirty-six first graders had scored poorly on the readiness assessment in an urban school. I fear that I learned more than the children that year.  Eventually, I attended graduate school at UT Austin where I became certified as a special education teacher and as a reading specialist. St. Edward’s University, also in Austin, provided a platform where I taught, learned, and grew. In May of 2013, I retired from teaching.

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What is the Theme of My Blog?

 

The Theme of This Blog is Early Childhood for Parents and Grandparents. The struggle of children attempting to grow and learn in today’s society moves me to seek ways to help. Not a day goes by that I do not think of children who are ill-prepared for the world that awaits them. 

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Although this blog focuses on early childhood, the principles that run throughout the blog develop a foundation for teen years and early adulthood. A core message emphasizes implementing kindness from birth forward. Punishments are contrasted with consequences that either unfold naturally or are logically connected to a child’s behaviors. Severe challenges such as cruelty to others, stealing, and lying are examined with healing as the major focus. I encourage parents and grandparents to believe in each child’s value at every age and each stage of development. Above all, the blog promotes the power of love. Every individual yearns to be valued and accepted unconditionally. Indeed, love for all children may be the only hope we have. 

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