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Gorilla Parenting from The Jungle Room takes viewers into the parenting trenches by addressing questions modern parents confront daily. More about each episode »
Dealing with Death
Language
Tantrums
Making Peace
“Gorilla Parenting from The Jungle Room” premiered in March 2008 on TVO, a Sinking Ship Entertainment production in partnership with Liz Haines and JJ Johnson from TVOntario. The Canadian Council on Learning also provided funding for this live-action documentary series.
Each of the 10-minute segments reveals a world that moms and dads rarely get to see—kids playing in a parentless environment, or the "Jungle Room." From conflict to creativity, negotiating to nurturing, the kids at play allow us to see how they naturally go about interacting with their world.
Parents then sit with an expert to discuss what they have seen and debate practical ways they might address the issue—18 in total, ranging from food to ethics and from humour to grieving. The discussions are intercut with footage from the "Jungle Room" to illustrate, debunk or further the discussion.
Daina Kalnins, a dietician at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, discusses the importance of variety in a child’s diet, while suggesting helpful ways for parents to encourage their children to try new foods. View video »
Liz Siydock, a Child Life Specialist, talks with parents about ways they can help their children deal with death and the emotional and psychological process of grieving. View video »
Chris D’Souza, a Diversity Officer, discusses the need to nurture values like acceptance and inclusion in an increasingly multicultural society. He also touches on the challenges of addressing differences for families who have experienced international adoption. View video »
Paul McGhee, author of The Laughter Remedy and a researcher on children’s humour, discusses the role of humour in children’s cognitive development. View video »
Parent educator Beverly Cathcart-Ross talks about how children will test limits through the exploration of “forbidden words” and suggests ways that parents can set boundaries and teach their children about the appropriate use of language. View video »
Psychologist Dr. Robin Alter discusses gender with parents — from society’s role in establishing sex roles and stereotypes, to gender differences based in biology. View video »
Sexual health educator Lyba Spring discusses how parents can bring up the “sex talk” with their children. She provides strategies for raising “sexually healthy” children through the normalization of language and proper guidance about appropriate touching. View video »
Barbara Coloroso, an author and mother of three grown children, discusses the 3-D strategy (Distract, re-Direct, and Disengage) to help parents deal with their children’s temper tantrums. View video »
Linda Cameron, a professor of Early Childhood Education, suggests different ways on how parents can nurture spiritual beliefs and a frame of reference for their children—a “spiritual IQ” which may lie outside a specific religious framework. View video »
Joanne Davis, the Early Years Manager at the Toronto District School Board, talks with parents about the natural urge to compete amongst children and how parents can encourage sportsmanship by teaching them how to lose. View video »
Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander, talks with parents about bullying and conflict resolution, showing them how they can help their youngsters resolve conflicts on their own by giving them specific tools. View video »
Parenting Expert Alyson Shafer discusses personality styles in children, exploring why some initiative and others collaborate. View video »
Parenting expert Alyson Shafer discusses how modern restrictions and safety concerns hinder the important experiential learning that can result when children take risks while playing. View video »
Barbara Coloroso, author of Kids are worth it! Giving your child the gift of inner discipline, talks with parents how bribes, threats, rewards and punishment can sometimes take the place of true discipline. View video »
Mary Gordon, author of Roots of Empathy, discusses with parents how children “catch” empathy by experiencing it as it takes place because it is a skill that cannot be taught. View video »
Joanne Davis, the Early Years Manager at the Toronto District School Board, talks about the role of nature and nurture in a child’s development with adoptive and biological parents. She affirms that nurturing must take place both in terms of the child’s temperament which originates from their genetic framework, and their social and emotional interactions. View video »
Early childhood education specialist Kimberly Bezaire discusses the importance of “rough and tumble play” for boys and girls, and the opportunities it provides for taking risks and developing camaraderie in social groups. View video »
Barbara Coloroso, author of Just Because It's Not Wrong Doesn't Make It Right, discusses ways that parents can raise caring kids. View video »
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