Who Does She Think She Is? Screening Party this Saturday!

Screening Party of Who Does She Think She Is?

October 23rd at 1pm!

Please join us.

We will have a community art project for those who are interested.

About the film:

In a half-changed world, women are often forced to choose: Mothering or working? Your children's wellbeing or your own own? Responsibility or self expression? Who Does She Think She Is?, a documentary by Academy Award winning filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll, features five fierce women who refuse to choose. Through their lives, we explore some of the most problematic intersections of our time: mothering and creativity, partnering and independence, economics and art. Along the way, the film invites us to consider both ancient legacies of women worshipped as cultural muses and more modern times where most people can't even name a handful of female artists. In the end, the diverse women in the film demonstrate that our creativity and our caregiving are not mutually exclusive, but deeply connected. In fact, their co-existence might just be the key to finishing the job.

Heartwise Mamas: Supportive Group for Mamas Having a Difficult Time Settling into Motherhood

This supportive group is:
For women who are having a rough start on their journey of motherhood. Through rich guided discussions, story-healing activities, and gentle interactions with their baby, mothers become attuned with emotions, thoughts, and needs and engage and bond with their baby.

If you are:

• traumatized from a difficult birth experience


• feeling Motherhood shock (this is not what I expected)


• feeling disconnected from your baby


• feeling isolated, stuck, unsure, exhausted, or overwhelmed


• searching for the missing you that you barely remember

...then this group is for you.

This group starts October 24th and will meet weekly at 12:30pm-1:45pm in 5 week segments. $20/group meeting or $90/5 group meetings. Please call or e-mail Mychelle Moritz to register 971-344-7527 or mychelle@nurturepdx.org

Relating Joyfully with Children workshop

Relating Joyfully with Children

Sunday, June 27, 2010, 2-4 pm.

Free workshop. Any donations will go directly towards BirthMatters.info educational and outreach efforts.

In this interactive workshop, we aim toward the goal of relating with children in ways that are joyful, present, mindful, respectful, and supportive of both our own and children's needs. Through discussion and exercises, we'll work together on actively engaging in healthy, nonviolent relationships with young people, including:

• being a good ally for children (our own or others'),
• identifying needs,
• being in touch with our needs,
• playfulness using tools for support,
• recruiting resources,
• being a good ally for parents,
• and handling tantrums and other "uncomfortable" parenting experiences.

We welcome all adults who would like to relate joyfully with children, including parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers.

Presenter:

Ryan McAllister is a long-time parent- and child-advocate. He co-parents a child with a rare genetic variation and significant developmental differences. Ryan has co-founded several relationship building organizations and projects, including:

• NotJustSkin.org, an all-volunteer organization that supports the physical and emotional well being of parents, children, and communities.
• Maitri House, a family-inclusive intentional community in the DC area that operates by values- based consensus.
• The Human Support Group, a twice-monthly practice and support group for people of all ages.

Ryan has over six years of experience in Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness, peer counseling, and parenting by connection. He also serves as research faculty at Georgetown University studying the biophysics of invasive cancer cells.

This free workshop is hosted by BirthMatters.info and Nurture PDX, two Oregon based organizations.

It will be held at:

North Winds Canvas 7911 NE 33rd Dr. Ste 390 Portland, OR 97211

The space is directly across from the Oregon Food Bank, and is being provided by North Winds Canvas. Pre-registration is recommended so that we have an idea of how many people to expect. You do not need to create an account to register, simply click on the link in the Register for Events menu.

http://www.birthmatters.info http://www.nurturepdx.org

Upcoming Classes with Small Beginnings

Raising Children Holistically: An Introduction for Parents

Raising Children Holistically: An Introduction for Parents

To be held over 2 days from Friday evening April 2 from 6:30-9:30pm and Saturday April 3 from 8:30am-12:30pm.

@ Zenana Spa www.zenana-spa.com View Map

In our culture, the concept of well-child care has trained us to rely on doctors to treat the simplest of ailments from coughs and colds, to stomach aches and insect bites. Yet, taking care of our own children—keeping them well and treating them ourselves--can be the most empowering of experiences.

Using excellent nutrition as a foundation, we can raise functionally healthy children who respond well to supportive measures, such as home remedies, homeopathy, Bach Flowers and energy medicine.

In addressing nutrition, we consider questions such as can feeding our families really be simple? What do really need and what can we realistically expect from food? How did we develop our current understanding of and relationship to food? What environmental and food industry issues might play a role? How can we understand the emotional and energetic aspects of nutrition? How can we wade through the research, the books and the hundreds of “diets” to discover a healthy relationship with food? We will discuss and explore various dietary approaches with an emphasis on nourishing pregnant and nursing mothers as well as children. Food can be used to optimize health as it nourishes, heals and restores well-being.

We will discuss simple home remedies to address many of the most common ailments, drawing upon over twenty years of practical experience. Choosing safe and effective products is usually quite simple with the proper information. There is no medicine more profound or deeply healing than energy medicine. From addressing simple emotional hurts to physical bumps and bruises, from re-patterning harmful behaviors to accelerating healing in any area, energy medicine is THE medicine of the future. It has been proven to be useful in both acute and chronic imbalances. We will teach the foundation of EFT, and the basics of using flower essences and homeopathy.

This lecture provides an introduction to the concepts and tools available to us as parents in raising our children holistically. The content offers some of the key points contained in the 4-part series "Raising Children Holistically: A Series for Parents" which covers nutrition, home remedies, energy medicine and integration of practices into family life. Raising children with a holistic approach to well-being instills a confidence and attunement that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

Jennifer's passion for working with women and babies was catalyzed by her own homebirths and her experience raising her children (born in 1988, 1992, 1998). Inspired by the healing of her own body through holistic therapies, she has raised her children from the premise that all life seeks its own well-being and acts in its own best interests. Primary is a trust that through the practice of raising vibrational energy, we allow the body’s intelligence to direct its own healing and restore homeostasis. She is committed to the protection and promotion of physiologic birth and breastfeeding, conscious parenting and holistic choices in healthcare and education. Jennifer is acertified energy healer (the Reconnection and Reconnective Healing), and has extensive education and experience in a range of holistic practices including homeopathy, herbalism, Bach Flowers, EFT, pranic healing, nutrition, intuition and home remedies and is certified in Past Life Regression. Jennifer is co-creator of the Sumati Home Remedy Kit. She is currently writing a book on the use of holistic practices for lactation consultants.

Mothergarden welcomes Brenda Gilbert of "For Crying Out Loud" Monday Jan 4

generously sponsored by:

Mothergarden, Nurture's growing free drop-in group for parents & children, invites you to a free discussion on Monday, January 4 at 11am with Brenda Gilbert about Project "For Crying Out Loud," which aims to inspire parents to be calm, empathetic, present, and connected when children express emotion. Brenda believes that when this naturally happens, adults and children are content, satisfied, and fulfilled during and after intense emotional moments. You can learn more at http://simply-connected.org/wb/pages/project.php.

Mothergarden is held every Monday from 10:30-noon at Nurture, 1614 NE Alberta St. Parents, partners, expecting parents, and anyone who is interested in creating a parenting community are all welcome. For more information: www.nurturepdx.com/mothergarden. Thanks also to our generous sponsor, Grasshopper.

Reminder: Tea & chat with Joanne Edwards at Mothergarden Dec 7

generously sponsored by
Mothergarden, Nurture's growing free drop-in group for parents & children, invites you to share tea, cakes, and your wishlist for Portland parenting resources with Joanne Edwards on December 7 from 10:30-noon.

About Joanne:
"I have recently moved to Portland from New Zealand with my husband's work – we've been here four months and I'm looking to set up my company Small Beginnings. My background is nursing and health visiting (UK based community nurses with extensive extra training who support families and communities), working with teenage parents and teaching infant massage. I have an extensive range of training, skills and ideas - this is where you come in…

"I would love to meet with lots of Portland mums and dads to hear stories about having babies and children in this city and country (it's all new to me and very different to what I'm used to). I would like to hear what's great about it, what's not so great and what services you would like to see added to make it better. I would also like to tell you a bit more about me and my ideas and experiences from other countries.

"Please join me at Mothergarden for cups of tea, cakes and chats (if you can't make it and still want to be involved please email me at joanne@smallbeginningsgroup.com). Thank you in advance for your time and sharing. I look forward to meeting you. ~Joanne."

Mothergarden is held every Monday from 10:30-noon at Nurture, 1614 NE Alberta St. Parents, partners, expecting parents, and anyone who is interested in creating a parenting community are all welcome. For more information: www.nurturepdx.com/mothergarden. Thanks also to our generous sponsor, Grasshopper.

Share your parenting resource wishlist with Joanne Edwards at Mothergarden Dec 7

generously sponsored by

Mothergarden, Nurture's growing free drop-in group for parents & children, is pleased to welcome Joanne Edwards on December 7 from 10:30-noon to share tea, cakes, and your wishlist for Portland parenting resources.

About Joanne:

"I have recently moved to Portland from New Zealand with my husband's work – we've been here four months and I'm looking to set up my company (http://www.smallbeginningsgroup.com/). My background is nursing and health visiting (UK based community nurses with extensive extra training who support families and communities), working with teenage parents and teaching infant massage. I have an extensive range of training, skills and ideas - this is where you come in…

"I would love to meet with lots of Portland mums and dads to hear stories about having babies and children in this city and country (it's all new to me and very different to what I'm used to). I would like to hear what's great about it, what's not so great and what services you would like to see added to make it better. I would also like to tell you a bit more about me and my ideas and experiences from other countries.

"Please join me at Mothergarden for cups of tea, cakes and chats (if you can't make it and still want to be involved please email me at Joanne@smallbeginningsgroup.com ). Thank you in advance for your time and sharing. I look forward to meeting you. ~Joanne."

Mothergarden is held every Monday from 10:30-noon at Nurture, 1614 NE Alberta St. Parents, partners, expecting parents, and anyone who is interested in creating a parenting community are all welcome. For more information: www.nurturepdx.com/mothergarden. Thanks also to our generous sponsor, Grasshopper.

H1N1 How are You Coping?

H1N1 has hit the town, even, I think, my household. There has been a lot of talk about prevention, but now that it is here, I am curious about what your strategy is for coping with the swine flu. As a parent I am wondering...

• What herbs, medicines, homoeopathic, vitamins, etc. you are giving your children to get them through and hopefully avoid complications?
• How you are keeping your energy levels up after long nights of comforting sick children. How do you keep going during the day?
• What do you do if you are also sick?
• If you work, how have you dealt with missing work? How long were you out? How were your employers helpful or not helpful?
• How long did it last?
• What was the worst part?
• Were their any surprises?
• Did you have a confirmed or suspected case?
• Did you or will you now vaccinate?

To join share your experience, join us at: http://nurturepdx.ning.com/forum/topics/how-are-you-coping-with-h1n1

I also wanted to share this link, posted on FB by Lyla Wolfstien of Zennana Spa and Wellness Center. It is an abstract about a study of the anti-viral benefits of Elderberry in preventing H1N1. If you are looking for Elderberry, Rebecca at Portland Green Parenting has a 40% discount, through October, for members. You can also find it at New Seasons.

Wishes of wellness to you and yours.

Tiny Talkers Workshop

101 PARENT WORKSHOP
Imagine knowing what your baby wants before they can talk! Babies can talk with their hands before they can speak! Learning how to communicate with baby, reducing tears & tantrums is easy when you teach them sign language which also increases their IQ, boosts bonding & actually helps them speak earlier than non-signers. At the workshop, you'll learn invaluable tips & techniques based on how baby?s brain works, over 75 common signs, activities & games to promote verbal language & get a baby signing dictionary & journal!

The workshop is 1.75 hours long and is for adults, but non-mobile babies are welcome if you feel you can care for them while concentrating on the information being presented.

When: Wednesday NOVEMBER 11th from 9:15-11 a.m. at Nurture

Please check http://www.tinytalkersportland.com/ for more program information and frequently asked questions.

SPACE IS LIMITED AT NURTURE: PLEASE PRE-REGISTER AT THE ABOVE WEBSITE!

Respectful Connection Parenting Support Group

Join us for a Respectful Connection Parenting Support Group

This groups is a weekly meeting designed for those parents working towards a connected respectful relationship with their children. We will support and commiserate with each other, problem solve and share ways to meet our needs and the needs of our children without punishments, coercion or manipulations.

This group is open to all parents, no matter where they are in their parenting journey or the ages of their kids. Based on theories and works by Pam Leo, NVC, Scott Noelle, Patty Wipler, Jan Hunt, Alfie Kohn, Gordon Nuefeld, Althea Solter and others.

Children are welcome, there is an adjacent play area to our meeting room. Please feel free to bring what you or your child may need to feel comfortable during group such as easy to clean up snacks or pillows.

We meet on Tuesdays from 10am-12pm at Nurture (1614 NE Alberta St.).

Suggested donation of $3-5 per week to cover costs of handouts and space. Our intention is to work together to create a sustainable group that is abundant in resources. This means sharing what we have when we have it and trusting it will balance out in the end.

Facilitated by Deb Thornton at Nurture. Deb is the mama-mind of Sacred Arrivals, a Parent and Family Coach, Mama to 4, and has been facilitating parenting groups since 1992.

For more information, please contact Deb at 503.250.2973 or sacredarrivals@gmail.com

Parenting Unplugged Radio

Yet another great parenting resource here in Portland, OR, Parenting Unplugged Radio. I found out about this radio show from another mama on a local mama yahoo group. The show airs every Tuesday at 10 pm, but you can also download it from the pdx.fm site. This week the show hosts, Laura and Todd Mansfield, interviewed Dr. Sears about the H1N1 virus.

Mama Mantras

Jenn, mother of a 2 1/2 year old girl, works through some mama-guilt with a mantra. She writes:

Ever since my daughter was born I have struggled with guilt whenever I go out to have fun without her. I have to remind myself that she will be okay and that I deserve to have, and that is exactly what I say:

'She will be okay, and I deserve to have fun!'

So true! Thank you, Jenn!

[My child] will be okay, and I deserve to have fun!

Children's Books: For Preparing Siblings

When families grow, many parents ask me about ways to prepare their children for the birth of and the adjustment to their new sibling. I have a few favorite books that I recommend to parents for these very reasons.

Baby on the Way

by Martha Sears, William Sears, and Christie Watts Kelly

illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book discusses pregnancy, changes in the house when a new baby is expected, a bit about labor, parents going off to "the place where the baby will be born", nursing, and sibling emotions.

What Baby Needs

also by Martha Sears, William Sears, and Christie Watts Kelly
illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book discusses the changes that occur in families when a new baby is born, skin-to-skin time, nursing, bottle feeding by other parent, co-sleeping, babywearing, welcoming the new baby into the family circle, making friends with the new baby, well baby checks, and a general baby's development in relation to interaction with siblings.

Waiting for Baby

by Anne Kubler

This book is a sweet illustrated book (no words) about pregnancy for a future sibling.

My New Baby

also by Anne Kubler

This is another sweet, illustrated book (no words) about a new sibling.

Welcome with Love

by Jenni Overend

illustrated by Julie Vivas

This book is a lovely homebirth book from a child's perspective.

Bubbles: Teaching Children Breathwork

Yesterday, in the hot July sunshine, my children chased glossy bubbles throughout the garden. It reminded me of the work I used to do with young children who had experienced violence in their lives. Bubbles, as I discovered while working with these dear children, are quite therapeutic in many ways. They are fun, freeing, beautiful, and mysterious, but they also lend nicely to teaching children gentle breathwork. The gentle blowing that is required to form nice bubbles is similar to the slower gentle breaths one can use to relax. Bubbles are a portable relaxation tool!

First, I talk to children about noticing how they breathe. Then, I show them how to blow bubbles using a gentle inhale and a gentle exhale using their diaphragm. I also talk to children about noticing how their body feels when they breathe gently to blow bubbles; this promotes body awareness. I also want to be sure they do not hyperventilate or get dizzy from over-doing it.

Who says therapy is no fun?!

Filial Therapy

One of my favorite ways to support families is through filial therapy. What is filial therapy?

Filial Therapy is a research-based, approach that teaches parents how to use some of the same skills that play therapists use to help children. Research shows that motivated parents can be as effective as a professional in helping their child.

Typically, Filial Therapy is most beneficial for children ages 3 - 12. However, many children as young as 2 years of age and up to 13 can benefit from Filial Therapy. A modified form of filial therapy can be used with infants and toddlers. Filial Therapy is beneficial for both the parent and the child.

The following concerns can be addressed with filial therapy:

• Preparing for or after the arrival of a new sibling
• Reconnecting with a parent experiencing postpartum depression/anxiety
• Attachment related difficulties in biological/foster/adoptive families
• Depression, sadness, moodiness
• Grief & loss
• Moving
• Divorce
• Aggressive behaviors
• Excessively worries, anxiety, or separation issues
• Traumatic stress from events such as accidents, witnessing violence, abuse or a natural disaster
• Self-esteem or identity problems
• Nightmares/night terrors
• Needing to be center of attention
• School related difficulties
• Social issues

Goals and Benefits of Filial Therapy:

• Strengthened relationship with your child
• Develop a deeper understanding of your child
• Your child learns and understand their feelings
• You and your child learn to express feelings and communicate in healthy ways
• You and your child develop new problem solving skills
• Reduce or eliminate challenging behaviors
• Your child will feel heard and understood
• Your child can work through troubling issues
• Increased trust between you and your child
• Increased self-confidence and self-worth for your child
• It can increase your confidence in parenting
• Increase or repair your family's ability to have fun together
• Provide tools the family can use in the future

Filial therapy involves a commitment on your part, please read through the information on the filial therapy page.

For more information about filial therapy or to schedule an initial appointment, please contact Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC 971-344-7527 or mychelle@nurturepdx.com

Green Bean Books

Nurture warmly welcomes our new neighbors, Green Bean Books, a beautiful children's bookstore right next to Nurture. On their shelves I recognized many favorites and new favorites waiting to be discovered. Green Bean Books officially opened July 11th and will be having a grand opening celebration on July 30th during Last Thursday. Stop by and enjoy the celebration.

Compassionate Communication Practice Group Update

Join us for a monthly, self-led group to practice compassionate communication, with an emphasis on parenting/family.

The compassionate communication practiced in this group is a communication approach using techniques and ideas inspired by Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg. It is a way to communicate peacefully while addressing the needs of everyone involved and models gentle, empathetic, and assertive communication to our children.

This group is self-led, but coordinated and hosted by Nurture (http://www.nurturepdx.com/)

We focus on families who want to support each other with compassion and in giving our children tools in unconditional love and freedom. We are a self-guided group, providing support for each other using discussion, sharing, practice, role play, and the book Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids by Sura Hart and Victoria Kindle Hodson as a guide. We also have an on-line group for additional support throughout the month. Children are welcome to the group. All NVC levels of experience welcome. $2 suggested donation.

We meet on the 4th Monday of each month from 2-3:30pm

at Nurture 1614 NE Alberta St. , Portland , OR 97211

Contact Mychelle at mychelle@nurturepdx.com

For more information and other local resources on Compassionate Communication visit the Oregon Network of Compassionate Communication and Wise Heart. There is also a wonderful NVC parenting series offered in NE Portland called Parenting from the Heart, more info here: http://insideoutschoolhouse.wordpress.com/ and the Portland Unconditional Parenting yahoo group for those who want to connect with others who are parenting respectfully and compassionately: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UP-Portland/

Parent Workshops

Parents are People Too: Reclaiming Our Personal Expression as Parents
August 22, 2-4pm $30
As a parent, it is so easy to get caught up in the flow of daily obligations, leaving little time or energy for expressing who we are and what captures our imagination. Yet this creative exploration is essential to feeling fulfilled in our lives, which in turn translates into feeling more relaxed and happy in our role as parents.

Also, our fall dates for this workshop:
Moving Beyond a Difficult Birth: Embracing Healing and Connecting with Your Baby
Two-part workshop: September 12 & 19, 2-4pm $45
Part One: Healing through Birth Story and Art
Part Two: Connecting Deeply with Your Baby
The experience of birth doesn’t always happen the way we imagine. Intense emotions from a challenging pregnancy or birth can make it feel difficult to be fully present with your baby. These emotions need and deserve to be expressed and acknowledged, before we can allow ourselves to release them and begin true emotional healing. Then we can relax more deeply into a heartfelt, intuitive connection with our children.

For more information, visit www.nurturepdx.com/workshops.html
To register, contact Sarah at 503.285.4906 or welcomewithlove@gmail.com,

About the presenters
Sarah Nuxoll: After several years of feeling frustrated as a parent, I began working toward deeper body-mind clarity and emotional and spiritual healing. Now I feel excited about engaging life, moving with my creativity, and allowing myself to feel happy as a parent. In these workshops, I share insights from my experience as a mother of two, as a spiritual practitioner, and as an apprentice homebirth midwife. I look forward to meeting you!

Mychelle Moritz: Having experienced the beautiful yet challenging transition to parenthood, I have developed a passion for helping women and their growing families. I am an artist, an art therapist, and a licensed professional counselor, as well as the co-founder of Nurture. My two active young children keep me very busy and I enjoy watching their creative antics.

Mama Mantras

Karen, mother of twin boys, sent us this gentle and most effective mantra. Karen writes:

I hope this is one is not too obvious. It is the most helpful way for me to relax and find space to think when the boys are making a ruckus. Actually, I started using this mantra long before I had children when I was working at in a very stressful job with a not-so-helpful boss. My mama mantra is:

'breathe'

Thank you, Karen, for sharing this mantra. It is a timely reminder for me.

Breathe