| We all are preparing for our unseen futures. Kids love the excitement of not knowing what's around the bend. Parents prefer the illusion of planning years in advance, but we don't know what's around the bend, either. Being as present as possible today, now, in this moment, will improve your unseen future. |  |
Make home a place the child is always safe, secure, loved, and respected. Model empathy, kindness, and take visible joy in good things. Bring more good things into the home for the family to take joy in. —Jessica Hughes |  |
 | I am grateful to Lisa Jonick for letting me use photos she had taken, over the years, here. Some of my favorite posts have her photos. I like the matching chickens contrasting beautifully with the green wall, on a snowy day best. You might like others better. Here they are! Enjoy. |
 | "I wish people who think unschooling is about doing nothing could know that it's about everything." —Stephanie LaBarge in an online chat in June, 2010 |
| What else can be a problem with unschooling? Trying to save time and money; skimping on attention. I've done this, "Not now," or "please not today." But what do you tell yourself about that? If it's "Good, no problem," that's bad, and a problem. |  |
 | Make the relationship between parent and child the first priority. Don’t have an image in mind of who the child should be. Begin with an image of who you want to be to your child. —Jessica Hughes |
| The improvement to life in a family where the mom feels like an attentive, present mom is huge. The improvement to the Mom's life when she is empowering her children rather than limiting them is big. The solid value of her own self esteem when she knows she is creating a safer more peaceful environment is priceless. |  |
