A Family Curriculum for Nonviolence

I wrote Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical Biography for Children while working in a Montessori pre-school in Petaluma, California back in 2016. I wanted to explore early childhood education through the Montessori approach in order to try to get a grasp on what nonviolence looks like with young children. It turns out that it doesn’t look too very different than what nonviolence looks like with anyone, any age. The main challenge is the change it requires in the adult. If we act unconsciously around children, we can easily reproduce and act out parts of ourselves that hinder the natural development of the child’s spirit.

Fast forward to 2020.

When the effects of the pandemic included shutting down schools, limiting movement, and keeping children indoors, we wanted to support families. That’s when we created a 12-week family program following the Gandhi book. It had a great response. Through a range of weekly activities, families are encouraged to reflect together about what matters to them most and how they can make a positive impact together in the world. Children benefit by feeling understood in new ways, and families draw closer together by working together for a larger purpose. We turned that online course into this downloadable curriculum as an additional feature of the project. Now it’s in your hands.

I hope you make good use of the activities. Feel free to reach out for support at any time!