by Alan Wilson (UK)

We need professional coaches to facilitate our new online programme to empower parents with an evidence based, an unconventional personal development programme for today’s children and parents.

To appreciate where we are coming from, we explain as briefly as possible how Develop Your Child CIC has evolved to where it is today.

The idea for this body of work started at some point during 1993-2002 after my world collapsed. My business in advertising and marketing went bankrupt, divorce and mental breakdown followed, together with loss of contact with my newborn.

This gave me time to find answers to ‘what is my purpose?’ and ‘why am I here?’ I went deep within exploring alternative therapies, personal development techniques and, ultimately, spirituality.

I woke up in 2002 with the realisation that everything we do and everything that happens to us is a learning opportunity, a chance to better ourselves and our future. Once we realise this, our life changes for the better, we become mentally resilient and invite coincidences into our lives.

Discovering the power of life coaching to build self-esteem, a growth mindset and self-responsibility, I realised that my passion was to holistically empower children across the world, making their lives and their families’ lives better.

I would not been the best Dad. I did what I thought was right at the time by being strict on my creative son. This was the biggest lesson of my life – I did not allow him to be himself.

That became my purpose – to allow children to be themselves. Children are wonderful, creative, curious and resilient when they are babies; then they go to school and learn to be something they are not, programming that’s with them for the rest of their lives.

Looking deeply within, our core belief was born: all children have innate gifts abilities and wisdom but don’t necessarily have the confidence or language to express themselves. In frustration and perhaps to get attention, they exhibit ‘bad behaviour’ and press a parent’s ‘hot button’; this creates a downward spiral of negative reaction and more turmoil.

As a starting point, I contacted the local Headteacher where my children had been taught.

I offered to speak to the children about having a USP (a fundamental concept in advertising to differentiate yourself from the competition), light bulb moments and the idea that life coaching builds self-esteem. I worked with the Head on a pilot course and after each session I wrote the next module.

For further business development details go to https://developyourchild.co.uk/about/

Moving at the present – other interesting things happened.

I was talking to my friend and a Director of Develop Your Child, Linda, about the state of our education system and society and exploring what I needed to do next. She shared what she’d learnt recently from the sequel to the book mentioned below.

‘Children born after 2000, will be teaching their peers and adults too and vice versa. Learning will not be by rote or with any set curriculum, but undertaken by those who are interested in a subject – whether pottery, free energy creation, nurturing plant life, neuroscience or astrophysics – and these children have expertise, understanding and awareness well beyond our comprehension.’

If you have children in your life and would like to understand how and why expanding your consciousness could be the start of transforming your world and ours, (depending on your belief system) read on, but you need to have an open mind and accept that anything is possible!

I recommend you read this book: Christina – Twins Born as Light  If you feel a bit disconnected with your children, it will offer some real insights.  (BTW I’m not associated or affiliated with the book in any way; I just feel it’s important that everyone reads it.)

If you have seen references to our evaluation by Canterbury Christ Church University, which proved the effectiveness of our unconventional approach with parents, you will have read their comment: ‘The concept of energetic connection is difficult to explain in physical terms and clearly has spiritual dimensions but is not linked here to any particular religion or ideology. ‘

If you read Christina – Twins Born as Light the term ‘spiritual dimensions’ will become clear to you; it is this that Linda refers to in her comment about children born after 2000.

Because our passion is to unleash the innate gifts, abilities and wisdom in children, we’re always looking at possible risks to their mental health. Currently we believe the biggest threat is from the 4th Industrial Revolution – the Internet of Everything, driven by Artificial Intelligence.

The AIED 2020 conference and EduAI-20 workshop focused on what’s happening and what should be happening in education in the UK. Our real concern is about the possibility that AI will just ‘educate machine operatives’ repeating the agenda of the 1st Industrial Revolution.

Is our educational system creating academic sausages instead of creative young people who can right the wrongs we have committed on this planet?

To be independent citizens contributing to their community and transforming our society, young people today need higher order thinking skills, such as problem solving and information evaluation. They need to be empowered to fully express themselves, developing abilities currently not in the curriculum.

Three important things came out of those Conferences:

  1. One research presenter suggested that babies learned AI from their experiences with Siri – for me that was another reinforcement of our core belief.
  2. My wish to connect with a primary school teacher researching AI and children – this happened through a connection with one of the conference participants.
  3. From a moral and business perspective, I asked the conference presenters if they were including parents in their research work – answer none.

If this approach resonates with you please email alan@developyourchild.co.uk