by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Feb 11, 2019
My husband Ed and I have enjoyed many vacations in Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks in California, an area full of beautiful mountains and a great deal of wildlife, including bears. The Illusion of Safety can make it hard to recognize potential danger. A serene setting, familiarity, tiredness, or overwhelm can cause us to […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Jan 23, 2019
It has been just over a year since my father Raim died. Although we had many heated conflicts, beneath all our differences was – and still is – an enormous amount of love. And even at the end, my father helped me learn a priceless life lesson: Don’t Wait! In the last few months of […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Jan 14, 2019
English | Español Let me tell you about a New Year’s resolution from 1994 that I’ve managed (mostly) to keep. Late in December 1993, I was getting my new 1994 weekly calendar ready: writing in appointments, project deadlines, and birthdays, thinking about the year ahead, musing on what I wanted to do differently. I came […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Dec 21, 2018
An ‘Interruption Power’ Success Story Video Most of us have been taught that, “It is not polite to interrupt!” And we might say to our kids, “Don’t interrupt.” But this one-size-fits-all rule has flaws. For example, have you ever seen children or teens squirm at a social gathering from well-meaning but intrusive questions about their […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Dec 18, 2018
Take 90 seconds to laugh with Irene and Ed The old English proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” has been especially relevant in our household these past few weeks. I have had to learn how to get around while healing from my broken ankle with a big purple cast on my leg. I […]