LA Home School Mom Focuses On Life Lessons

Conflict Mediation At The Core Of 13-year-old's Curriculum

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Dec 04, 2014, 10:00 ET

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Teaching children to deal with disagreements, bullying, and discrimination are equally as important as academic subjects, in the eyes of Mary Bailey. This Orange County mom, who gave up her career to home school her son Chase, diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, has set up what is possibly the first-ever conflict mediation retreat for home-schooled children.

Mary and Chase Bailey - Chase 'N Yur Face

Mary believes that children who are taught how to deal with the issues life throws at them will do better than those whose education focuses solely on academic subjects. Together with 11 other children aged 10 to 18-years-old, Chase will spend the weekend of December 6^th and 7^th taking part in this innovative program.

Mary's sister Ariel, a professional mediator and trainer in conflict management and cultural understanding, has run similar programs for troubled children in some of California's toughest areas. She has developed the weekend, alongside her sister Mary, based on her 25 years of experience. As she explains:

"We come from a family of 14. My mother died when she was just 50 and 6 of my siblings were still living at home. Five were boys - three of them teens. There was a lot of grief and anger that challenged the family relationships. I was 24 and had just left college with degrees in Sociology and Peace & Justice. I decided to help empower my brothers by teaching them communication and problem-solving skills that would help them both at home and in school. It was very rewarding to see them use these life skills to get through some difficult times."

"For Chase, learning how to communicate his frustrations and work through conflicts will give him social skills that kids with or without autism desperately need to successfully navigate life."

Adding to her sister's comments, Mary Bailey said:

"Conflict resolution is an essential part of Chase's personal development. In normal circumstances, when Chase is faced with adversity, his usual response is to freeze up or cry. Acquiring these skills empowers him and equips him with the tools necessary to manage adverse situations, because life is full of them."

Find out more about Chase, Mary and their Life Curriculum at www.chasenyurface.com

Media interested in attending are welcome on Saturday between 3pm – 5pm and should email [email protected] or tweet Sara @twowitwowoo to confirm a place or ask for further information and images.

EDITOR'S NOTES

Chase 'N Yur Face Conflict Mediation
Sat 9:30-5:00pm
Sun 10-12:30; 4-5pm - 6hrs/2.5hrs/1hr
Welcome - Icebreaker
Training Logistics

Daily Schedule
Program Overview
Learning Community
Agreements & House Rules

Effective Communication 2 hrs

Setting the Stage for Good Relationships w/Caring & Respect
Understanding Body Language
Practicing Active Listening
Expressing Feelings
Learning Listening Rules
Speaking in "I-Messages"- sharing your thoughts, feelings & needs without attacking others

Conflict Resolution 2.5 hrs

A Different Approach

Identifying Our Images of Conflict, Understanding Definitions of Key Words
4 Corners-Recognizing Our Personal Styles of Conflict Management, Discovering Strengths & Weaknesses
Understanding Different Perspectives
Practicing Fact Finding, Apologies, Forgiveness, & Repentance
Brainstorming Solutions
Agreement Writing

Diversity Affirmation 2.5 hrs