The Sunflower Bridge Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sunflower Creative Arts
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.
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.
At Sunflower Creative Arts, we believe everyone is born to create and express themselves through the Arts. Join Susan Caruso, founding director of Sunflower, and Lindsey Mills, co-creator of Sunflower Bridge, for a conversation about broadening our definition of the Arts to include things like cooking and singing in the shower - what we like to call artful living.
Please give us a follow, rate and review the show wherever you listen, or share your favorite episode with a friend. We appreciate your support!
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.
Join Susan and Lindsey as they discuss strategies for making your daily transitions just a little bit smoother. Learn how to apply the Sunflower Bridge framework (Time, Space, Permission and Language) to alleviate the difficulties that can arise for children when moving from one place to another.
Do you have a question or a situation specific to your family that you'd like us to address on the podcast? Send us an email at lindsey@sunflowercreativearts.org, or send us a message on Instagram!
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.
We're back with more amusing interviews with campers ages 3-7 attending Sunflower Creative Arts 2023 Seedlings Camp!
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.
Have you ever noticed how when children celebrate a birthday, it seems like the very next week they are anticipating the next one? Time is a phenomenon we all experience, but the ways it can bend and change are infinite!
In this episode, Susan and Lindsey discuss cyclical vs. linear time, abstract vs. measured time, and how children's understanding of time is distinct from the way we as adults understand it.
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.
Joining Susan 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 in Lora's charming home garden to discuss their mutual love of reading, and the various ways they have passed that on to the next generation.
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.
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.
In life, sometimes we all have to say goodbye. And when you have children, there will come a time when you have to separate from them, leaving them in the care of someone new.
In this episode, Susan and Lindsey discuss how at Sunflower Creative Arts, we take care to get that moment right. Our method honors the needs of both the grownups and children in the situation.
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions!
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.
Susan and Lindsey share why they chose "Take a breath and smile with us" as the tagline for The Sunflower Bridge Podcast. Hear them describe mindfulness practices that have benefitted them, including perhaps the two most obvious: breathing and smiling.
If you're enjoying the podcast, please like and subscribe to it wherever you listen, and if you're feeling social, share your favorite episode with a friend!
The Sunflower Bridge Podcast is kindly sponsored by Switzer Musical Productions.