How This Book Helped Me Become a Better Dad

If someone asked me, “How has this book helped you?” I would say it helped me understand and respect my daughter’s emotions. It gave me the tools to do this better and to stop reacting when her emotions didn’t match what I expected in a given situation. I would like to share some of the ideas that clicked for me, why they resonated, the changes I implemented once I internalized them, and finally, the impact these changes have had on my relationship with her. 

Architecture as a Chance to Play

This time, I want to share something special: the Pumas Spark (a group of 3 to 6-year-old girls and boys) have jumped into the world of Architecture. And while that might sound like a big and complicated topic, it’s actually been a beautiful chance to reconnect with what architecture is really about: creating meaningful spaces where form, function, and meaning all work together, with each other and with the people who live in them. Just like Vitruvius, a Roman architect and engineer from the 1st century BC, once said, architecture isn’t just about technique, it’s about humanity.

Why I Created the Comunidad Mapache: And why it might just change the way you experience parenting

Earlier this year, drawing from my experience walking alongside Tinkuy parents since 2018, I created the Ruta Mapache, a framework to guide and support families through the parenting journey. It brings together powerful questions, practical tools, and insights from many valuable sources to strengthen the five essential roles we have identified parents will step into throughout their child’s development: Guardian, Mentor, Challenger, Ally, and Legacy.

But Why Did You Do That? Making Space to Understand Each Other

This session we are focusing on giving us a pause, to wonder, and to try to understand what’s going on behind someone’s actions. Little by little, I've noticed how curiosity can become a useful tool. Not a tool to fix or solve immediately, but one that opens space to understand the other person. Instead of moving directly to consequences (like giving warnings or charging Hero Coins) some Pumas are beginning to try another step: asking why. This is risky because emotions tend to flare up in these conversations, and it can be uncomfortable. But at the end it feels better, more connected.

Rivers That Meet…to Play

As many of you know, this year at Tinkuy we opened the Studio Explorer—our group of Pumas aged 1 to 3 years old who are beginning to discover the world. Their presence has brought new dynamics to our community, especially for the Spark Tribe.

Learning Updates: Growth Mindset in Practice

On our visit to Guatemala, I learned about a tool they used, called the “Learning Update” (LU). It is an account by each Puma every Friday, to their guide, parent and partners, of how their week went.  We launched the tool in Tinkuy in the last week of our first session. In Ascend, this means sharing their goals and how many of them they had met, two words to describe their week, one lesson learned and one thing that helped them.  What I thought would be a simple reporting tool quickly proved to be a concise, authentic narrative of challenges, breakthroughs, and self-discovery.

Justice and Cinderella

One of the hallmark moments at Acton Academy is the Socratic Discussion—dialogues that foster deep reflection on a particular topic. After setting some guidelines (ROEs), the discussion begins.

This time, we explored with the Spark Pumas the themes of justice and Cinderella. Here’s a glimpse into our reflection:

Building a tribe from the ground up

Every new year brings new faces, and with them, the opportunity to reinvent the Discovery tribe. To accompany this process, the first Quest of the year, "Build the Tribe", is designed to equip the Pumas with challenges, tools, and discussions that help them build their tribe. Here they face fundamental questions: What tribe do we want to build? How do I want to feel here?

Explorer: El Regreso

En los inicios de Tinkuy, el studio Explorer recibía Pumas de 3 a 5 años. Luego de la pandemia, y con la fusión de Spark y Discovery, Explorer pasó a convertirse en el nuevo studio Spark (3 a 6 años). Esto, porque teníamos la ilusión de más adelante abrir un studio Explorer para Pumas más pequeños aún.

Un Nuevo Camino

En la última reunión del año con los Mapaches líderes de nuestra comunidad, les pedí que me ayudaran a pensar cómo comunicar lo que significa la experiencia Tinkuy para los Pumas y familias que se comprometen con su propio crecimiento y con la construcción de una comunidad learner-driven. Quisiera cerrar el año compartiendo esta historia, co-creada con ellos. ¡Felices Fiestas!

El Arte de Guiar: Sembrando caminos

Mi primer año en Tinkuy ha culminado y, al reflexionar sobre este tiempo, me doy cuenta de que ha sido un viaje de aprendizaje compartido. Mientras la Tribu enfrentaba desafíos y victorias, yo también lo hacía. Al mirar atrás, no puedo evitar cuestionarme: ¿Qué significa ser Guía en Tinkuy? ¿Qué se necesita para asumir este rol? Cada vez que pienso en estas preguntas, encuentro respuestas nuevas y distintas. Hoy quiero compartir mi intento por responderlas.