ABOUT LOU HARVEY-ZAHRA
Lou Harvey-Zahra is a mother to two wonderful grown-children, she is a teacher (Primary, Rudolf Steiner, Special Needs) with 25 years experience, a popular parenting author with seven books, (including the Steiner bestseller ‘Happy Child, Happy Home’ and ‘Creative Discipline, Connected Family’).
International Presenter
Lou facilitates parenting talks worldwide each year (UK, USA and Australia). She presents talks and workshops in schools, libraries and for organisations, as well as teacher development. She also presents parenting online courses and workshops. But how did it all begin…?
Qualifications
Lou obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Liverpool University, a Postgraduate Degree in Education from West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs from Kingston University. Eighteen years ago Lou completed her Rudolf Steiner teacher training.
Teaching Life for 25 years
For the past twenty-five years Lou has taught in Primary, Special Needs and Rudolf Steiner settings. This is the foundation to her work with ‘Creative Discipline’. Lou was a key presenter at the World Autism Conference, and is a key lecturer for Sydney Rudolf Steiner College for the past 6 years. Lou runs teacher training for the Journey School (USA).
Lou pioneered a Saturday Social Skills Club for children with Autism/Asperger’s and their families, which obtained Government funding and still runs today. After children, she enjoyed her role for twelve years as a Steiner playgroup leader, assisting parents with young children. Lou and her husband helped to co-found a Steiner Kindergarten, and a successful Steiner-inspired curriculum in a primary school in Melbourne, which has 250 students and has run for 17 years.
It was whilst pioneering a new school initiative that Lou started to present to parents and teachers, 17 years later and Lou has 7 parenting books and is deeply blessed to continue to help families.
Lou’s Books
Lou’s popular parenting books include: Turning Tears into Laughter: Creative Discipline for the Toddler and Preschool Years (Five Mile Press, 2010, now out-of-print); Happy Child, Happy Home: Conscious Parenting and Creative Discipline (Floris Books, UK, 2014), which has become a bestseller and is translated into three languages; Lou’s third book is Creative Discipline, Connected Family: Transforming Tears, Tantrums and Troubles While Staying Close to Your Children (Floris Books) and Lou’s new parenting book is ‘Growing Children, Thriving Children: Raising 7 to 12 Year Olds with Confidence and Awareness’. Lou has a special children’s book, ‘Through the Rainbow: A Waldorf Birthday Story for Children’. Her beautiful book ‘Angels’ (Wynstones) is a lovely bedtime read. Her book, ‘Happy Families, Table Talk: 111 Fun Questions’ is connecting families, and she has produced a beautiful set of seasonal cards. For more information click Books
The Future..
Lou is passionate about assisting both parents and teachers to enhance the lives of children, and therefore, the future.