The Sunflower Bridge Podcast

At Sunflower Creative Arts, we believe children learn best through play. In today's episode, Susan and Lindsey explore the interconnectedness of academic subjects such as science and math with sensory play experiences like blending paint colors or mixing homemade play dough. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions. Follow us on Instagram!

Susan and Lindsey share stories from their years of teaching to illustrate why at Sunflower, we believe it's best not to make a habit of pushing your preschool-age child on the swing. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions. Follow us on Instagram!

"You get to decide" is a common refrain at Sunflower Creative Arts. Though we draw from many schools of thought, we subscribe to no one ultimate method for early childhood education. We support you to follow your own heart. In this episode, Susan and Lindsey discuss how the Sunflower framework is meant to serve as a foundation you can build upon in a way that works for you and your family. Ultimately, it is always up to you to decide what you want to leave behind and what you want to bring forward in your parenting. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions. Follow us on Instagram!

Today we give you a re-play of Episode 10 of the podcast, featuring our first special guest, Stephanie Arsht. We've brought you a new podcast almost every Monday this year and as we say farewell to 2023, we want to take a moment to say thank you for listening. Our hope is that this podcast serves as a small bright spot in your day - a moment just for you - a moment to take a breath and smile. 🙂 Make a gift of any size to our Full Bloom fundraising campaign before year’s end, and you'll receive a digital download of Sing Along With Sunflower, an album of Sunflower favorites featuring the podcast theme song and some originals by Sunflower Teacher Danielle Parker and myself. You’ll also receive Susan’s studio album, Lullabies in the Garden. Click here to make your contribution. 💛

It's never too young to begin sharing with children about the concept of money - what is it for? Why do we need it? How do we use it? Join Susan and Lindsey for a chat on how to address these questions and more in your own household. To share your thoughts, feelings or stories about being with children, send us an email at lindsey@sunflowercreativearts.org or message us on Instagram. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

To share or not to share? You may be thinking, "Is that even a question?!" In this podcast episode, Susan Caruso and Lindsey Mills discuss the hot topic of sharing: why at Sunflower Creative Arts, we approach it a bit differently than other schools, and how we've seen that when children are given the opportunity to truly have something before they are asked to share, they have a chance to develop authentic compassion and generosity. To share your thoughts, feelings or stories about being with children with us, send us an email at lindsey@sunflowercreativearts.org, or find us on Instagram. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

There will always be conflict - in the world and in our lives. How can we meet that difficult truth with love? Susan and Lindsey share about how perhaps peace out in the world begins with compassion and understanding in our own hearts. To learn more about Roots & Shoots, a service learning youth movement with chapters all over the world, visit rootsandshoots.org. Have thoughts, feelings or ideas you'd like to share with us? We'd love to hear from you. Send us a message on Instagram or email us at lindsey@sunflowercreativearts.org. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

Today we’re bringing you an encore of Episode 22 of the podcast, where we talk about how leaning on encouragement rather than praise can greatly benefit your relationship with your child. ~ 22. Yes, You Can: Encouragement vs. praise Why do we at Sunflower Creative Arts emphasize giving encouragement rather than praise? What's so wrong about saying 'Good job' anyway? In this episode, Susan tells a powerful story about the time she watched a child learn how to climb the tallest ladder on the playground, providing gentle encouragement from a distance over several weeks before the little girl succeeded. Lindsey shares about how she helped a child expand his tree-climbing skills in an unconventional way. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions. ~ Are you local to the Delray Beach area? If so, we’d love to see you this Saturday, Nov. 4 at our new annual Sunflower event, Eat, Play, Give! ✨ Or, no matter where you are in the world, you can help us ensure Sunflower will be in a strong position to nurture our children today and for the next 30 years with a contribution to our 30th Anniversary Full Bloom campaign. To make your gift, click here.

Joining Susan for a second time on the podcast today is Lora McCoy, her best friend since their children were born more than four decades ago. These two good friends sat down for another chat en plein air, this time tracing back 30 years to reminisce on the brilliant tapestry of Sunflower’s origin story. Enjoying the podcast? Please subscribe to our feed wherever you listen so you'll never miss an episode! Your ratings and reviews also really help us get the word out. Thanks for listening. - Bev Bos - Haim Ginott's Between Parent and Child - Learn more about our upcoming Eat, Play, Give celebration on Saturday, Nov. 4! - Click here to make a gift to our 30th Anniversary Full Bloom campaign! The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

Today's episode features interviews with members of Sunflower Creative Arts' staff and teachers in our Seedlings Preschool program. Susan Caruso continues our conversation from last week about chores, allowance and household duties. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

The topic of "chores" is yet another area of parenting where Sunflower does things a bit differently. We don't sing a clean-up song, and we don't recommend tying a monetary reward to the act of tidying up. Our approach centers around respect for the individual - meaning we respect adults by dividing a household's labor amongst all who live there, while we also respect children by entrusting them with developmentally appropriate responsibilities. How do you handle chores in your home? Got any special strategies you'd care to share? Send us a message on Instagram or email us at lindsey@sunflowercreativearts.org. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

Today's episode features Kimberly Hopkins, mother of three and a Sunflower Bridge program alum many times over. Kim, Susan and Lindsey share a joyful conversation about why the conditions at Sunflower allowed Kim and her family to feel safe enough to settle in and open up to community in the middle of a pandemic. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider giving us a like, follow, share or review wherever you listen. It really helps us get the word out! The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

We've all made mistakes, this much is sure! In this episode, Susan and Lindsey break down The 80/20 Principle: the idea that no one is going to be perfect all of the time - so how can we learn to embrace our inevitable imperfections, and try to nurture more compassion for ourselves in the process? Want to learn how you can be a part of the upcoming Sunflower Bridge Journey program we've created over the last three years specifically for families with young children? Visit thesunflowerbridge.org. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

Joining Susan Caruso on the podcast today is Jill Erwich. Jill is a former Sunflower parent, and forever a member of the Sunflower community. Jill's daughter, Eleanor attended Sunflower programs from the age of 6 months all the way up to 6 years! Listen in to their conversation for a peek at what life was like for Jill and her family during this time. Want to experience the Sunflower philosophy in action and learn more about our unique form of play, nature and art-based education? Consider signing up for the upcoming Sunflower Bridge Journey, offered both online and in-person at our facility in Delray Beach, FL. Visit thesunflowerbridge.org to learn more.

Today we're asking, "Whose homework is this?" The concept of homework is one that has steadily begun infiltrating the classroom at younger and younger ages. So, if it has to be a part of your lives, how can you as a family make an informed choice about your stance? Thanks so much for listening, we really appreciate your support! To help us spread the word, please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts.

“Did anyone throw up at school?” A well-timed zany question like this might just be your ticket to getting the real scoop on your child’s day. Join Susan Caruso and Lindsey Mills for this episode on the elusive art of asking children about their day at school, camp, or other away-from-home activity. They also discuss how a relaxing after-school routine can create more well-being for everyone. Listen to us anywhere you find your podcasts, or see the video podcast on our YouTube channel.

As we welcome a brand new school year, we are also welcoming Season 2 of The Sunflower Bridge Podcast! To kick things off, Susan and Lindsey shared a conversation with the multifaceted Elizabeth Licht, an attorney and writer, turned Sunflower Creative Arts teacher and certified yoga instructor. Hear stories from Elizabeth's career as a teacher in both our Seedlings Preschool for 3 to 6 year olds and the Little Seedlings program for 2 and 3 year olds, and how her exploration of yoga and mindfulness has informed her approach to teaching. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions. If you would like to become a sponsor of the podcast, please reach out to us at lindsey@sunflowercreativearts.org. Watch the YouTube video episode here.

Last week, to mark our 30th episode, we resurfaced our second episode ever, a conversation about Sunflower Creative Arts’ core mission and inspiration. This week, we’re replaying Part 2 of that conversation! If you’re new to the podcast, these last two episodes really provide a foundational understanding of what our organization does in the world. As usual, we are so grateful to you for tuning in and listening! Episode 3: It's not a head thing, it's a heart thing (Part 2) Who are the people that have appeared in your life when things seemed darkest and showed you your next best step? Lindsey shares how she discovered the magic of Sunflower. Susan describes how children can be guiding lights too. We are so grateful for all your likes, follows and shares of the podcast - it really helps us spread the word.

In honor of our 30th episode, today we’d like to resurface one of our very first episodes, a conversation about the core philosophy of Sunflower Creative Arts. We are so grateful to you for tuning in over these last eight months. Thanks so much for your support as we continue to grow the podcast and the Sunflower community! Episode 2: It's not a head thing, it's a heart thing (Part 1) Join Susan Caruso, founding director of Sunflower Creative Arts & Lindsey Mills, co-creator & director of Sunflower Bridge as we talk about being with children. Take a breath and smile with us. In episode 2, we give you a bit of background about Sunflower and what we do in the world. Susan shares about two of her "guiding lights", Bev Bos & Nancy Carlsson-Paige. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.

This week, we expand on the idea put forth eloquently by the master painter, Pablo Picasso: “Every child is an artist - the problem is how to remain an artist when he grows up.” Who said you have to be formally trained to enjoy playing with art materials, exploring instruments, or moving creatively? At Sunflower Creative Arts, we recommend waiting until age 7 to begin considering formal art or music lessons for children. Susan talks about how she discovered the flute very early in life, but had to wait until high school to pick up formal lessons. Lindsey shares her contrasting experiences of learning piano and guitar. The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.