Our educational system often falls short, focusing on subjects that lack relevance for our children's futures. This approach can breed a disdain for learning and lead them away from their passions, disconnecting them from their true paths. The Alternative Parenting podcast aims to address this gap by exploring the essential skills, tools, and traits necessary for our kids to thrive and find fulfillment in life. Join my weekly newsletter where I will inform you on new episodes of the podcast where we delve into how to empower our children to pursue their interests, dreams, and create lives rich with purpose and meaning.
The missing piece in our education system!
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Hi Reader Our education system has long focused on intellectual knowledge, and in recent years, we’ve seen a push to include social-emotional learning—a well-intentioned effort to help children develop emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and stronger communication skills. And yet… something still isn’t working. Despite these tools, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis. More than ever, children are struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, lack of focus, and a deep sense of meaninglessness. We’re witnessing an existential breakdown in our youth—and it begs the question: What if we’re looking in all the wrong places for solutions? Could it be that we’ve overlooked something essential—something deeply human? ✨ What if the missing piece is spirituality? Spirituality doesn’t have to mean religion. At its core, it’s about feeling connected to something greater than ourselves—a sense of purpose, belonging, and inner wholeness. Without it, we can feel lost, isolated, and disconnected from meaning. In this week’s podcast episode, I speak with Ben Cheek, a spiritual guide, educator, and Executive Director of Camp Deerpark. With over 20 years of experience in multicultural and grassroots settings, Ben shares how spirituality can be a transformative force in education, parenting, and community life. He and his wife have created The Mágoulo’s School for the Spiritually Gifted, a homeschooling model that places spiritual development at the heart of learning. In our conversation, we explore:
With heart, Efrat |
The Parenting Wisdom
Our educational system often falls short, focusing on subjects that lack relevance for our children's futures. This approach can breed a disdain for learning and lead them away from their passions, disconnecting them from their true paths. The Alternative Parenting podcast aims to address this gap by exploring the essential skills, tools, and traits necessary for our kids to thrive and find fulfillment in life. Join my weekly newsletter where I will inform you on new episodes of the podcast where we delve into how to empower our children to pursue their interests, dreams, and create lives rich with purpose and meaning.
Dear Reader So many voices today are sounding the alarm: our children are suffering from a mental health crisis. Anxiety and depression rates are soaring. Suicide attempts—and tragically, suicides themselves—are at an all-time high. Kids are lonelier than ever, struggling with motivation, and increasingly failing to launch into adulthood—staying in their parents’ homes, avoiding responsibility, and searching for identity in places that often leave them more lost. But what if we’re naming the...
Hi there Reader This week, I’m diving into a question that touches nearly every parent, teacher, and caregiver today—why do so many kids seem lost, anxious, or unmoored, even when their basic needs are met? To understand what’s happening, we need to zoom out. Our society has undergone a profound transformation. We’ve moved from a culture rooted in hierarchy, authority, and tradition to one that prioritizes openness, equality, and emotional authenticity. While these values have brought...
Hi Reader As parents, it’s so easy to fall into constant motion. We’re always doing: errands, appointments, drop-offs, lessons, activities. We run from one moment to the next, barely stopping to catch our breath, let alone reflect on the beauty of life as it is right now. But ancient wisdom reminds us to pause. Across cultures and traditions, there are rituals designed to pull us back into presence—especially through gratitude. In Judaism, for example, gratitude is woven into almost every...