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Natural Learning Rhythms
A New Parenting Philosophy
By Jenn Director Knudsen
In Optimal Parenting, Luvmour writes at a very high level; he's given decades of thought to his principles and arguments, and fleshes them out in great detail and at length. (One chapter, for example, is titled, "Ontological Epistemology.") And yet he wants his philosophies to be accessible to all. Many individuals and leaders of organizations find hewing to Natural Learning Rhythms in workshops, at seminars, on retreats and even one-on-one with Luvmour provide the perfect connection between Luvmour's written words and the practical applications of them.
Laura Wall Mansfield, 33, who was introduced to Luvmour's parenting philosophies by a friend and who now helps promote his writings and work, acknowledges Luvmour's prose can be complex. "But I think it is accessible for everyone if they can take the time and have the impetus to understand and follow the advice," says Wall Mansfield, a Portland, Ore., mom and social sector consultant and adjunct professor at Portland State University. "I do think the workshops are really popular because they are experiential, and that is one thing that a book can't give you. Families oftentimes learn extremely well under those conditions."
(Luvmour offers his panoply of services on a sliding scale; for more information about them and EnCompass, a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 by him and his wife of 29 years, Josette, click here