The encouragement and the intellectual dissection of what was causing fear, and what is actual "learning" got me over many hurdles.
My youngest turned 18 in April, and is doing things that he would not have had time for if he had been in the school system. I am incredibly proud of my sons, two incredibly creative young men, with big hearts and minds, who are good citizens.
Again, thank you for being a part of my process.
Thank you for all your shared thoughts and experiences. I am so glad we have come across this wonderful way of life, and my family has been hugely helped by your resources. Happy 10th year anniversary!
Thank you for all the light. Sometimes it has been a beacon in the darkness when even stirring is hard.
Thanks for Just Add Light. . . it really does bring so much light to my days. Peace keep you, dear one.
I just wanted to thank you for every day's Just Add Light and Stir emails, but especially the "step by step" one I received yesterday. That quote, and also the rest of the Needs page, made something click for me in the last 24 hours. So thank you, as always! 💜
I have just discovered unschooling - your writing is beautiful, your observations whisper simple truths... Thank you...
Thanks for sending me a dose of light to add and stir into my days.
I signed up for the updates mid-August and can already feel a change in myself for the better.
Just Add Light and Stir is beautiful. I am the early bird in our house and before anyone is up I sit with a cup of coffee at my computer and that is the first e mail I open. I cannot even begin to tell you all how many times I feel it is written just for me or addresses something on my mind.
...when I first signed up for Just Add Light and Stir I couldn't imagine how the kinds of things you post would help me understand unschooling. But as time goes by I feel like these posts are almost what has helped me more than anything! (and more)
I wanted to say that this blog, out of all the blogs in the blogosphere, encourages me the most. It lets me know that my actually natural inclinations as a parent (to love, to focus on relationship, to care for the inside more than the outside) are what I should be listening to. It is so easy in this world to get mired down in how we *should* do something. I admit to falling for this time and time again. I just wanted you to know this blog to be a true inspiration for how to be not only a "good" unschooling parent, but just a good person. Thank you.
I just want to thank you for the time, effort, and love you put into these snippets and your blog. (And your humor as you justify a repeat now and then!). Each morning I find great joy in reading what you have to say, and it helps me to connect with and remember what I want to experience in this journey of life. Everyday I feel such deep gratitude for our family experiences and dynamics and our method of "unschooling", and I continue to stay open to new ways and new adventures that could offer even more diversity to our sort of quiet life. I have had my moments of panic, wondering if I'm doing enough, doing it "right", if I've ruined their chances for a quality education, and then beautiful people like you pop up on my email giving me a reminder to look around, look at what my children do and who they are, and instantly any and all doubt dissipates into the nothingness from which it came.
Today's blog post, from the Deschooling section of The Big Book--YES, YES, YES! I think some Buddhists call a concept similar to this beginner's mind. It's a good place to be. I had the great luck to move to a new city and state, when my oldest son was 5. We WERE tourists for a while, and we approached the year like a great adventure, soaking in as much as we could, relaxing into the knowledge that we could do it all again tomorrow since we LIVED here! It was splendid, and I couldn't have asked for more serendipitous timing for our entry into unschooling.
Thanks, again but not for the last time, for this lovely blog and email-inbox encouragement.
I have been reading your very cool stuff for many years. You have impacted my life greatly. We started homeschooling our two daughters about 12 years ago and we gradually worked our way into unschooling 7 years ago. They are now almost 20 and 18 years old. How fabulous it has been and how wonderful they are! And my marriage of 26 years is much better because of wonderful advice like you shared today.
We've been unschooling for 9 years and I've been receiving your daily quotes for only a month. I'm finding them so enriching and nourishing. Thank you for reminding me what's important, it eases my fears and oozes love into our moments as a family.
I like this blog, too, and am happy to catch up with it any time even if you miss a day here and there. I enjoy all your work, actually, but this one has become a favorite as a guarantee of something peaceful or thoughtful or often some of both. How many times have I flagged or printed little reminders for myself from these entries? Probably too many to count.
I must share with you that I have benefited so much from Just Add Light and Stir. We are one of very few unschooling families here..., so it is very refreshing to receive your daily words of wisdom and encouragement. Thank you for taking the time to publish your blog. It is truly a blessing to us in our unschooling journey. I finally feel "free" after several years of trying to "do school at home." Our whole family is living a much more peaceful existence. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am living in Italy and I can not thank you enough for the breath of fresh air your blog is to me every day! Thanks so much for helping me to unschool myself in time to help my kids! I really appreciate you!
Over the years, I have developed certain habits for helping myself over
those transition moments from *focused on kids* to *focused on writing* and
vice versa. I usually transition from kids-to-writing by writing *about* the
kids for 15 or 20 minutes—that's how my blog came into being 6 years ago.
The writing-to-kids transition takes more mental effort, if I've been deep
into the work—it can be a bit like when you wake up from a vivid dream and
you're groggy and distracted for a few minutes. Lately my favorite way to
make the transition is to visit your Just Add Light and Stir blog. It's like
a little shot of mental mom-espresso for my brain, a stimulant for the part
of me that wants to be present and attentive and cheerful when I walk back
out into this houseful of kids. So I wanted to thank you for those posts.
They make me eager to zoom back out into the "big noisy peace," to borrow
your excellent phrase, and join in the fun.
Love that sunset. Want to tell you that magnet sits on the door of my fridge and the words have allowed me to move forward so many times when I would have been stuck in a negative place. Sometimes just knowing you can give a smile instead of a frown is all it takes. —Davina
After third anniversary "gift exchange":
"Thank you for the light that begins each day for us on our home school life journey... you are truly a GIFT to us all!● You have helped me be more kind to my children. The best thing anyone could have done for them and me. Thank you!● Your sites have been a wonderful part of our unschooling journey, and we’re happy to support their continuation.● I'm happy to have an occasion to give something back to you 😊 Thank you for your help, support, inspirational words, ideas, photos, presence..."● I love this idea as just a month ago I was searching your site looking for some way to donate something in order to support your website. I've gotten so much assistance, reassurance and inspiration from your work and thoughts and ability to bring it all together. Thank you.● I imagine you know your work is important, but I wonder if you know just how meaningful so many of us find it. We truly are grateful.
[to write to the author: Sandra@SandraDodd.com]
Sandra@SandraDodd.com
