Building Connection with Tamara Strijack of the Neufeld Institute

Tamara Strijack is the co-author of Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut-Down than Ever and What We Can Do About It.

She is also the Academic Dean of the Neufeld Institute, where she develops and delivers courses and workshops to help parents, teachers, and helps professionals make sense of children through developmental science.

Tamara works as a registered clinical counselor, parent consultant, and education consultant for both school-based and home-based learning. She is also a sessional instructor for several universities, where she lectures for both the faculties of education and counseling.

Tamara Strijack, of the Neufeld Institute, educated her two daughters at home for the majority of their schooling years. Connection, relationship, nature, and play are all central themes in her life, both personally and professionally.

Download 19 Tips for New Home Learners

Tamara Strijack on Homeschool Mama Self-Care Podcast

You have to have some flexibility in yourself. What is working? What isn’t working? Instead of getting stuck in what isn’t working and deciding what has to be that way, I still believe in that idea of reevaluating: “Is it working?”
Tamara Strijack, co-author of Reclaiming Our Students

Advice for New Homeschoolers:

Let go of the expectations and pressure to homeschool in a particular way.
Give yourself grace and room to tell yourself, “You can do this, you have something to offer,” and make room for your children to feel at ease in your home environment.
Find those places for exploration and free play in a way that isn’t about educational outcomes.

Access the Ten Lessons for Planning Your Homeschool Year

Encouragement to connect with your homeschool kids with Tamara Strijack of the Neufeld Institute

Tamara Strijack & I discuss…

Play with your children. Go for walks. Go to explore nature. Read books together.
If it’s good for them, it’s good for you.
It’s time for connection.
Make space for homeschool and do it with them.
What is best for the child?
What is in the best interest of the child and family circumstances?
Education doesn’t have to be a one size fits all.

You can find Tamara Strijack at…

Her website
Learn more about her book Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive and Shut-Down Than Ever and What We Can Do About It

Big Emotions Journal for the Homeschool Mom

Introducing the Homeschool Mama’s Toolbox, a set of resources designed to help homeschooling mothers deal with big emotions and specifically address their thoughts. Your brain and thoughts are important tools that need to be regularly sharpened, and the Toolbox is here to help you do just that.

Incorporating mindfulness practices into your homeschool is one of the most effective ways to separate yourself from your thoughts and be present. The Toolbox includes three questions from Dr. Amen, author of Change your Brain, Change your Life: What am I feeling? What is the thought behind my feeling? What is the story behind my thought? These are questions that you can practice regularly to get the most out of them.

The Toolbox also encourages a daily meditation practice to help you distance yourself from your thoughts and just be present. Guided meditations such as Guided Meditation on Controlling Negative Thoughts and Guided Meditation for Inner Peace & Calm can help you get started.

Additionally, the Toolbox offers a Thought Care Checklist to help you deal with challenging situations that may arise in your homeschool. By considering alternative perspectives, you can reframe your thoughts and deal with the situation in a more positive and constructive way.

With the Homeschool Mama’s Toolbox, you can learn to influence your thoughts and create a better reality for yourself and your family. Download the Toolbox today and start sharpening your tools!

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Building Connection with Tamara Strijack of the Neufeld Institute

Tamara Strijack is the co-author of Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut-Down than Ever and What We Can Do About It.