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1-028 Webinar

The Power And The Culture Of Kindness

Exploring Personal Power – For Babies, Toddlers, and Ourselves

Many of us have never been taught how to truly understand or wield personal power. Yet, power is a force that shapes every interaction we have—whether we’re holding space for a baby, supporting a toddler’s autonomy, or navigating our own relationships.

Join us for this thought-provoking session with Pennie Brownlee, a beloved voice in New Zealand’s early childhood education community. Known for her bestselling books, immersive retreats for parents and educators, and her no-nonsense, passionate approach, Pennie invites us to rethink our understanding of power and its profound impact on the lives of children and the adults who care for them.

Unpacking Power: A Cultural and Personal Reflection

Just as embracing Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te Ao Māori requires Tauiwi (non-Māori) to examine their own cultural beliefs and practices, so too must we reflect deeply on our own “cultural quantum packages” about children. These unseen stories, values, and practices underpin much of the harm we see today—both within families and through institutions like Oranga Tamariki, childcare centres, schools, courts, and correctional facilities.

The Power Dynamics Shaping Early Childhood

Our society’s dysfunctional relationship with personal power shows up everywhere: workplace bullying, personal grievances, and an inability to collaborate effectively with peers. These issues stem, in part, from the fact that we’ve largely neglected to teach or practice the foundational skills of using personal power respectfully and in partnership with others.

This is especially critical during the first three years of life when children are laying the groundwork for all future interactions. How we, as adults, model and manage power in these early years profoundly impacts their sense of self, their relationships, and their ability to navigate the world with kindness and confidence.

In this session, Pennie will guide us to:

Explore the nature of personal power as it relates to babies, toddlers, and ourselves.
Reflect on how our cultural values and practices influence our interactions with children.
Consider how early experiences with power and kindness shape lifelong skills for connection and collaboration.
Identify ways to approach power in partnership, fostering respectful and empowering relationships.

This webinar is an opportunity to transform the way we think about power—not as something to wield over others but as a tool for nurturing connection, trust, and growth. Together, let’s unlock the power of kindness and create a culture that uplifts children, their families, and ourselves.

Are you ready to redefine power in your personal and professional life? Join us.

About the presenter

Pennie Brownlee

Author, Mother, Infant and Toddler Advocate

*We pay our respects to Pennie Brownlee who passed away in 2023. Pennie was one of the most passionate and inspiring advocates for infants and toddlers we have ever known. Her contributions to early childhood education, and to teachers reached the world and will have long lasting impacts. We were privileged to record this webinar with Pennie, and will treasure it forever.

I am the mother of one, grandmother of two, and began my primary school teaching career way back in 1967.My early childhood experience began with motherhood, and it grew when our daughter Clare and I attended Thames-Parawai Playcentre in 1975. We both loved it so much we stayed there an extra year instead of going to school. It was there I had the time and space to observe what happens when children play and learn.

After five years of observing many children's creativity unfolding, I wrote "Magic Places: An Adults' Guide to Young Children's Creativity", published by New Zealand Playcentre Publications in 1983, revised in 2007, and completely rewritten in 2015.

Since 1990 I have been facilitating residential retreats for parents and teachers throughout New Zealand, exploring creativity and learning, for both children and adults.In 2004, 2006, 2013 & 2014 I attended Summer Schools at the Emmi Pikler Institute in Budapest, Hungary. There my eyes were opened to what respect really looks like with infants, toddlers and young children.

Wanting to share the information that so inspired me, I designed and intensive course in 2005 - "Dance with me in the Heart • Level One". In 2008 I wrote "Dance With Me in the Heart: An Adults' Guide to Great Infant-Parent Partnerships". In 2011 I launched a 'portable course' for people who had done the "Dance with me in the Heart" training so they could go back to their own communities and seed the skills for "The Culture of Kindness" there.

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The Power And The Culture Of Kindness