Fish swim, birds fly, and people feel

In spite of the fact that I have had a few quiet days at home, I still went through a phase of blogging cramp, which of course is merely a health sign and nothing to worry about at all. There was simply not enough whirling around in my mind to share.

I could have written a long and spicy post about the racist religious schools in Petah Tikva, who refused to enrol Jewish (!) kids of Ethiopian origin, now when the fall semester started. Or I could have slammed the ultra-orthodox sectarians in Jerusalem, who keep on rioting because secular people want to be able to park their cars in the city centre also on Shabbat. I also could have informed you about the rockets and mortars that are still raining over Sderot, sent from the terrorist cells in Gaza.

Instead I want to express how grateful I am that the kids are back to school. The last few weeks were nothing else but terrible, with under-stimulated youngsters climbing the walls, while harbouring a mood that could make anyone crazy. On top of that a climate that forces you to stay indoors during day-hours, unless you desire to melt away. Now things are back to order.

The days we have the kids Ziv comes home after school and we eat lunch together, while Gal stays in the kindergarten until Yoram comes home from work. Ziv and me have a very quiet and smooth relationship while we are alone. When I prepare the lunch he gets to cut some vegetables (!) with the Global knife under my supervision. Then he eats, brings his empty plate to the kitchen and goes out with the garbage - everything without even a sign of whining - something that never happens when daddy is home. He knows that things are not negotiable with me, and I neither make any fuss about it. Therefore he never questions it either.

Becoming a bonus mum made me start thinking more about the communication with kids and how to educate them in a sound manner, and I was recommended a set of books that are just amazing. They are based on the philosophy of Haim Ginott, who was a teacher, child psychologist and psychotherapist. He inspired two other authors to write two books, "Liberated Parents, Liberated Children: Your Guide to a Happier Family" and "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk". They comprise a comprehensive guide for how you can build a communication with your kids that are not characterised by whining, argumentations and insults - some fruitful reading for anyone that is involved with children. It presents how you can care for the emotions, as well as the personal integrity, in both children and parents, and how to help the kids develop into independent and harmonious persons. Now I just have to learn more Hebrew... ;)