Overnight school trips: How to CALM nerves

During her first overnight trip in Grade 7, Jennifer Kolari’s daughter suddenly became “absolutely terrified.”

The dorm room, her sleeping quarters at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, felt like a prison cell. Her routines and comfort zones had vanished. Feeling terribly homesick, she called her parents and begged to leave early.

Kolari listened to her daughter on the phone. She did not dismiss her fears, and instead talked her through the situation.

“I think probably the most important thing to appeal to parents is that your kids have to have some of these experiences, even adverse ones,” says Kolari. “That’s a tremendous lesson. But they are not going to learn that lesson if you never let go of their hand.”

"Connected Parenting advises us not just how to parent, but—far more important—who to be as parents. The therapeutic methods suggested by Jennifer Kolari are based not on simple-minded behavioural solutions, but on building warm, nurturing relationships with our children, with insight and compassion not only for their little flaws, but also for our own larger ones."
—Gabor Maté, M.D.

"A must read for parents, educators, and any other adults who want to connect in a deeply caring and positive way with the children in their lives."
—Barbara Coloroso