Creating Space for Children to Discover Themselves
At Baan Unrak, caring for children means more than providing a home, education, and daily necessities. We want to give them opportunities to understand themselves, discover their abilities, build healthy relationships, and gradually learn to become responsible and caring human beings.
Much of this learning happens naturally through everyday activities.
For example, every Saturday, the children come together to make Thai desserts. They prepare ingredients, follow the different steps, help one another, and finally share what they have made with the whole community.
Behind this simple and enjoyable activity, children are learning patience, cooperation, responsibility, communication, and the pleasure of creating something for others.
Our bakery is also becoming a learning space for children who are interested in developing practical skills. Through workshops and the new Artisan Collection, they can explore ingredients, techniques, presentation, and the care that goes into handmade food.
They learn to slow down, pay attention to details, solve problems, and take pride in something they have created with their own hands.
Creative activities, movement, sports, cooking, and simply doing things together are equally important. Not every child expresses themselves easily through words. Through these experiences, children can discover their strengths, build confidence, cooperate with others, and find different ways to express themselves.
Alongside these activities, Didi takes an active role in the children's daily development, helping them connect these everyday experiences with deeper values and self-understanding.
Daily meditation and yoga give the children time to become quiet, observe themselves, and develop greater awareness. Weekly classes explore subjects such as sexual education, understanding human desires and the mind, personal responsibility, and learning to take accountability for their own needs, choices, and behaviour.
The purpose is not only to teach rules, but to help children understand why they make certain choices and what it means to grow into a good and responsible person.
This learning also extends beyond Baan Unrak. Three times a week, Didi goes to the children's school to teach New Humanism-based values to all junior high school classes. Bringing these discussions into the school allows the wider community to participate.
Our children can explore these ideas together with their friends, hear different perspectives, and compare their own understanding with the values they encounter in the community. In this way, values are not simply taught; they are discussed, questioned, experienced, and gradually integrated into everyday life.
Support When We Need It Most
At Baan Unrak, we often feel blessed by the support that comes to us when we need it most. This month, we were especially grateful to welcome two psychologists from Italy, who volunteered with us for one month.
They spent time listening to and supporting children, including some who were going through particularly challenging and painful experiences. They created a safe space where children could gradually speak about their feelings, worries, and experiences without judgment.
Their care also reached beyond the children. During this time, a single mother came to Baan Unrak seeking help while preparing to give birth. Our psychologists supported her emotionally, cared for her feelings, and accompanied her through this vulnerable period until the birth of her baby.
Their presence helped not only individuals but our whole community to grow in understanding, listening, and care.
All these experiences cooking, baking, creativity, movement, meditation, values education, community learning, and psychological support are different parts of the same journey.
Together, they give children opportunities to discover who they are, understand others, take responsibility for themselves, and grow with greater awareness and compassion.
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