About Martin Dutcher
Martin (Marty) Dutcher
Marty has over 45 years of experience in classrooms, designing activities for preschoolers through elementary school ages, and coaching parents with regard to relationships with their children - from preschool through adulthood. In addition, he has learned what does and doesn’t work from his 30+ years of study of young children from his classrooms as well as, in partnership, raising two children in partnership with his wife. He focuses on ways to build joy and ongoing family relationships, allowing them to operate naturally - for accomplishing any and everything at all stages in life.
He is the author of Beyond Good Parenting. Part science, part art, all heart, how parents can build a lasting and fulfilling relationship and support their children in the pursuit of excellence and accomplishment without force - and still be in charge. An eye-opener for the even the best educated parents.
I tear up when I see a young child melt down in frustration because she hasn't yet learned to speak the words, or doesn’t have someone to just listen, trying to do her best to share her thoughts, her desires, what she knows, and her love and appreciation. Too often we dismiss that frustration as "just" a tantrum, a behavioral problem, an attention-getting strategy. But who doesn't get upset when they aren't heard or aren't understood or are ignored by the people they love most?
I wrote Beyond Good Parenting to help parents see how and why we are all designed to work the way we do, and that a more empowering way of seeing this eliminates stress and guilt as we learn and practice building and maintaining extraordinary relationships.
In Marty's seminars, he discusses what this entails for parents, grandparents, and teachers, and then also shares many stories, examples, and ways of building and growing relationships of appreciation, partnership, and accomplishment.
Listening and accepting comes first. Then, it is not what has been said that matters, it is what is said next.
All services by appointment or agreement in advance: 717-725-8704 (now located on the West coast)
Thirty + awesome years of parenting …
Recent grads from ALG preschool move up to the K-2 school - 1980
Marty designs and leads new staff in project-based K-1 …
… and, starting in 2005, still loves sharing “workability” ideas with parents & teachers and, of course, loving grandparenting (Hey! Let’s enhance the “grand” part of it, okay?)
Marty still has his guitar with him virtually every time he is with young children, now in coffee shops, parks, and parties, aware that close and acceptional* engagement with passionate adults has a lasting influence on them.