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Parenting

Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:08 pm
by mmclo
SES in Ireland advertising parenting courses, front page The Irish Times, here's what's on their site

http://practicalphilosophy.ie/course-pr ... -years.php

http://practicalphilosophy.ie/course-pr ... -years.php

zoom in below bottom right hand corner for original ad

http://irishtimes.newspaperdirect.com/e ... iewer.aspx

Re: Parenting

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:07 pm
by bluegreen
Oh my god - don't know whether to laugh or cry

Re: Parenting

Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:55 am
by Free Thinker
I hope included in the price of the classes is a voucher towards all of the future therapy the children will need. Goodness knows I could do with some more but I can't afford it.

Re: Parenting

Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:43 pm
by ET
Sickening. "the destructive nature of idleness" could have come directly from one of the "philosophy" classes I attended at a child. Let's hope these parents do their homework on this organisation and find this forum.

Re: Parenting

Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:07 pm
by bluegreen
I was listening to the radio the other day about a book written by a woman who argued that idleness is very important for children to experience. She was concerned that today's children have too much done for them, given to them, done with them and arranged to occupy them. It is when they are idle/bored that they use their minds, their imaginations, find themselves something to do. This means they learn to find their own entertainment, make a game out of some mundane objects, make friends, role play, imagine and dream. This is not only healthy but necessary to create interesting human beings. People who can be compassionate because they can imagine what it is like to be in someone else's shoes and walk around in them. etc etc it's stating the obvious really when you think about it. But I can see how all this could be seen as destructive by the SES

Re: Parenting

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:59 pm
by Millie
I find the quote "the destructive nature of idleness" amusing, as I'm sure that when as a child (starting from 7 years) I was made to sit through adult SES classes, rarely with any idea what was going on, was when I learnt how best to keep myself look as though I was listening attentively while daydreaming and trying to find things to occupy my boredom. I discovered that if I used my watch to 'accidentally' reflect light from the fire into my tutor's eye, discussions seemed to be finished more quickly. The pattern of the carpet on the floor in that room is ingrained on my memory still. Though the discovery that developing hiccups allowed me to be excused to get a glass of water was probably the most effective. While I wouldn't say I was idle during the meetings, I certainly wasn't paying attention (except for the Part 2 where we got to eat apples and drink water then discuss the taste- did anyone else do that? Don't think that it was in any of the material for long!)

Re: Parenting

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:38 am
by Free Thinker
Millie wrote:I find the quote "the destructive nature of idleness" amusing, as I'm sure that when as a child (starting from 7 years) I was made to sit through adult SES classes, rarely with any idea what was going on, was when I learnt how best to keep myself look as though I was listening attentively while daydreaming and trying to find things to occupy my boredom. I discovered that if I used my watch to 'accidentally' reflect light from the fire into my tutor's eye, discussions seemed to be finished more quickly. The pattern of the carpet on the floor in that room is ingrained on my memory still. Though the discovery that developing hiccups allowed me to be excused to get a glass of water was probably the most effective. While I wouldn't say I was idle during the meetings, I certainly wasn't paying attention (except for the Part 2 where we got to eat apples and drink water then discuss the taste- did anyone else do that? Don't think that it was in any of the material for long!)


I don't know when you were there but I had to do the apple exercise around 1993 in the US.