photo by Manessah Ellender Garcia
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Safe and lively
photo by Manessah Ellender Garcia
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Wholly cosmic
Polly Berrien Berends refers to infants as "seeing beings," and that changed
my life, when I read Whole Child/Whole Parent, when Kirby was a baby. To
realize so profoundly that his whole, real life was fully in progress changed MY
whole, real life. And that's the purpose of her book, and the meaning of the
title. When we help our child to be whole, or rather when we acknowledge
and honor his wholeness, seeing him as the seeing being he is, then we know that
we too are, and always were, "seeing beings." We are as much a part of that
child's world as he is of ours, and we are both part of the same wholeness.
Kinda cosmic. 🙂 WHOLLY cosmic.

Children are people
photo by/of Holly Dodd
my life, when I read Whole Child/Whole Parent, when Kirby was a baby. To
realize so profoundly that his whole, real life was fully in progress changed MY
whole, real life. And that's the purpose of her book, and the meaning of the
title. When we help our child to be whole, or rather when we acknowledge
and honor his wholeness, seeing him as the seeing being he is, then we know that
we too are, and always were, "seeing beings." We are as much a part of that
child's world as he is of ours, and we are both part of the same wholeness.
Kinda cosmic. 🙂 WHOLLY cosmic.

photo by/of Holly Dodd
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Gain courage
Fearful schoolishness hasn’t ever helped unschooling yet. When you are schoolish, or fearful, or both, move toward courage. | ![]() |
Becoming Courageous
(The quote's not from there, but that's a better resource!)
photo by Gail Higgins
Monday, October 28, 2019
Seeing learning
You won't "deprogram" yourself by clinging to school stuff. Until you see learning where school stuff is not, you won't get unschooling at a gut and soul level. | ![]() |
photo by Janine Davies
Sunday, October 27, 2019
What you think
Clarity can begin with being careful with the words you use. Thinking about what you write will help you think about what you think! 
from the archives of "Unschooling Discussion"
photo by Gail Higgins

photo by Gail Higgins
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Happy, safe and comfortable
Jenny Cyphers wrote:
There are so many small generous happy-making things that parents can do for their kids throughout the day, and week, and month and year.
When kids are accustomed to feeling happy and safe and comfortable, they can move through life knowing that life is happy, safe, and comfortable, and that even when it sometimes isn't, they can always come home to find it and feel it again.

Building an Unschooling Nest
photo by Elise Lauterbach
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There are so many small generous happy-making things that parents can do for their kids throughout the day, and week, and month and year.
When kids are accustomed to feeling happy and safe and comfortable, they can move through life knowing that life is happy, safe, and comfortable, and that even when it sometimes isn't, they can always come home to find it and feel it again.
—Jenny Cyphers

photo by Elise Lauterbach
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Something looks like this:
child,
flower,
furnishings
Friday, October 25, 2019
Rhythm and connection
![]() | "I learned how to breathe and relax into the rhythm and connection that define the learning life of unschooling." —Leah Rose |
photo by Gail Higgins
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Alphabetize your shoes
That was from 2003. People are less likely now to send clippings, or birthday cards. The principle still holds true, though. 🙂
photo by Manessah Ellender Garcia
Something looks like this:
collection,
colors,
furnishings
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Time and seasons
When I was younger, I couldn't yet grasp the meaning of loving something and letting it go. All I could think of were birds.
As a parent, and as a grandparent, I see it more clearly. I remember a pregnancy, and a baby, and a toddler... but we let them move on, and grow, and appreciate then where they are, while knowing we can't keep them that way.
The new plants grew, and some survived, and harvest came, and fall. This photo shows a garden that's already gone, but will be back in some form next year.
Life flows through us and around us.
Seasons
photo by Cass Kotrba
![]() |
The new plants grew, and some survived, and harvest came, and fall. This photo shows a garden that's already gone, but will be back in some form next year.
Life flows through us and around us.
photo by Cass Kotrba
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Freeing advice
photo by Amy Milstein
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Accommodations
The more that parents can accommodate children's simple desires, the calmer and happier those children will be. | ![]() |
photo by Destiny Dodd
Friday, October 18, 2019
Curiosity and beauty
You can't see beauty without wanting to see some. Once you're looking through curiosity-tinted glasses, you will see a thousand interesting things. | ![]() |
photo by Sandra Dodd
Something looks like this:
art,
curiosity,
perspective
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Sorry... here's news
I've missed a couple of days. I could tell stories, but the highlights would be:
computer damage (it's in the shop, but that's where the photos are for this)
new granddaughter named Tommy (she's in NICU, but she is okay—preemie, but healthy)
remodelling had some problems that stressed me (back on track now)
There have been other frights and frustrations, but everyone is alive and mostly healthy. I was unable to get in here, and might be gone another few days, but I'll be back! Probably. :-)
Good thing there's a randomizer. Good thing there are way over 3,000 posts you can peruse, revisit, frolic in.
Best wishes, and be happy,
Sandra

photo by Sandra Dodd
computer damage (it's in the shop, but that's where the photos are for this)
new granddaughter named Tommy (she's in NICU, but she is okay—preemie, but healthy)
remodelling had some problems that stressed me (back on track now)
There have been other frights and frustrations, but everyone is alive and mostly healthy. I was unable to get in here, and might be gone another few days, but I'll be back! Probably. :-)
Good thing there's a randomizer. Good thing there are way over 3,000 posts you can peruse, revisit, frolic in.
Sandra

photo by Sandra Dodd
Monday, October 14, 2019
Don't always finish what you start
The only things that should be finished are those things that seem worthwhile to do.
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Sunday, October 13, 2019
Look at the moon
I don't look at the moon enough. Sometimes when I do, it amazes me. Sometimes the moon seems to be the same old moon. Sometimes it doesn't show at all. Sometimes it shows in the daytime. | ![]() |
photo by Gail Higgins
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Big world, and full
photo by Jo Isaac
Friday, October 11, 2019
The same but different
Some things are the same at a distance, or when the details are unimportant.
Up close, even things that are "the same" can be very different.
What you're doing, what people think you're doing, what you wish you were doing, all might be very different. By careful comparison and contrast, we can clarify our vision. Save the effort for things you care about, though.
Comparisons
photo by Cass Kotrba, who wrote
"These beets I grew are such beautiful colors! I have never seen a white beet before. They came from a beet mix from Seed Trust."
![]() |
What you're doing, what people think you're doing, what you wish you were doing, all might be very different. By careful comparison and contrast, we can clarify our vision. Save the effort for things you care about, though.
photo by Cass Kotrba, who wrote
"These beets I grew are such beautiful colors! I have never seen a white beet before. They came from a beet mix from Seed Trust."
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Laughing and playing and singing
I did my time in and around school, and learned things painstakingly and grudgingly that my children later learned while laughing and playing and singing. I have guarded my children's freedom and given them happy choices that I didn't have.

SandraDodd.com/schoolinmyhead
photo by Sandra Dodd, of Marty in the 20th century
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photo by Sandra Dodd, of Marty in the 20th century
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
The right way to live
photo by Karen James
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Aiming the spotlight
Joyce Fetteroll wrote:
I once described the difference between teaching and learning as where you shine the spotlight. In teaching, the spotlight is on the teacher. There may or may not be a learner taking in what the teacher is doing.
With learning, the spotlight is on the learner. The source is unimportant. There might be a teacher. There might be a set of blocks. There might just be the learner's thoughts.
If that's called "teaching" then it pulls the spotlight away from the learner. The light shines on the source as if it were the actor in the process.
I think parents like to feel like a child's learning is their project. If the teacher isn't in the spotlight, then something they aren't in control of or directing is happening.
—Joyce Fetteroll
The photo is re-run from Clearer and larger
photo by Julie D.
I once described the difference between teaching and learning as where you shine the spotlight. In teaching, the spotlight is on the teacher. There may or may not be a learner taking in what the teacher is doing.
![]() |
With learning, the spotlight is on the learner. The source is unimportant. There might be a teacher. There might be a set of blocks. There might just be the learner's thoughts.
If that's called "teaching" then it pulls the spotlight away from the learner. The light shines on the source as if it were the actor in the process.
I think parents like to feel like a child's learning is their project. If the teacher isn't in the spotlight, then something they aren't in control of or directing is happening.
—Joyce Fetteroll
photo by Julie D.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Tree appreciation
Trees need...
photo by Gina Trujillo
some other "Add Light" trees
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Viewpoint
![]() |
What we perceive is seen through our own eyes. Even looking at a photo, we see what WE see, of what the photographer saw. Our thoughts can't be theirs. What it smelled like can't be conveyed, or how it sounded.
Some scenes and places and stories, dishes, houses, I have shared with my husband and children, but still their perceptions and memories can only be their own. This is a good thing, and good to remember.
photo by Ester Siroky
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Relationship, trust and peace
The relationship, the trust, and peace, are what will help learning work. | ![]() |
Relationships and wholeness
photo by Gail Higgins
Friday, October 4, 2019
Giving
—Jessica Hughes
photo by Roya Dedeaux
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Thursday, October 3, 2019
Change it up
"Things change when you change things." —Holly Dodd (Bitsy) | ![]() |
photo by Karen James
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Good parents, good lives
![]() | If parents focus on being good parents rather than expecting marriage or children to make the parents' lives good, every single life involved will improve right then. |
A good mom
photo by Sarah Dickinson
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Some things are better
If someone wants to unschool well, positivity is better than negativity. Gratitude is better than resentment. Optimism is better than pessimism. | ![]() |
photo by Cass Kotrba
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