Happy DAY!

This photo is the background for the word "DAY" on the Learn Nothing Day logo.

"It helps a lot to try for better moments not days. Don't judge a day by one upset, judge it as a bad moment and move forward. A little bit better each moment. A little bit more aware."

—Schuyler Waynforth
at Moments

The photo first appeared here in 2015: Water play
Thank you, Janine Davies.

"G" is for Growth

This photo is the background for the "G" on the lovely Learn Nothing Day logo.



Children need to be protected from physical and emotional harm. They need to have positive regard, food, shade and sun, things to see, hear, smell, taste and touch. They need someone to answer their questions and show them the world, which is as new to them as it was to us. Their growth can't be rushed, but it can be enriched.

from "Thoughts on Growth"
(one word changed)

The photo first appeared here in 2017: Sky
Thank you, Gail Higgins.

"N" is for No

This photo is the background for the third "N" on the spiffy Learn Nothing Day logo.

I like the idea that moms should think of saying "NO" as though the child comes with 200 tickets at birth. Some moms use them all up the first year and the child ignores "no" forever after.

—Sandra, here, third message down
(and it was my idea)

Yes is probably a happier link

The photo first appeared here in 2018: Amusing moments
Thank you, Brie Jontry.

"I" is for Integrity

This photo is the background for the "I" on the new/improved Learn Nothing Day logo.

Integrity is a strong wholeness. The fabric of the being of a thing can't be broken. A bucket with one hole in it is lacking integrity. It's not a good bucket. A frayed rope lacks integrity. No matter how long or strong the rest of the rope is, that frayed part keeps it from being a good rope.

In people, integrity requires some degree of reliability and honesty (the more the better).

from SandraDodd.com/integrity

The photo first appeared here in early 2020: Active participants
Thank you, Nina Haley.

"H" is for Healing

This art is in the "H" of "Nothing" in the logo created by Holly Dodd in 2020.

For me, it seems like a gift to me and my mom both, if I can do better than she did. She would have liked to have done better, too, so I can do it for her.

I get some healing benefit either way.

from the page SandraDodd.com/healing

from Kids' stuff, and sunrise. 2019
Thank you, Holly Dodd, for the photo and the logo.

"T" is for Teaching

This photo is the background for the "T" on the Learn Nothing Day logo.

"Teaching" isn't always about learning. Learning happens inside the learner.

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"Children will flourish if their needs are joyfully met as they explore the world. Creatively support your child in what he's genuinely interested in."

—Debbie Regan,
at The Problem with Teaching

This image was used in 2019, at Some ideas for beginning.
Thank you, Lisa Jonick.

"O" is for Options

This photo is the background for the only "O" on the Learn Nothing Day logo.

Colleen Prieto wrote:

Our son knows that if he wants something, his Dad and I will do our best to make it happen. He knows he doesn't have to second-guess himself before expressing what he wants - and he knows that he doesn't need to feel guilty or ashamed for thinking "ice cream (or anything else) sounds really good right now" and saying it. He knows that his desires won't be judged and he won't be told "it's too cold" or "you just did that yesterday" or "don't you have enough of that already" or any other such thing - whether his desire is for a particular food, or more time with a video game, or another drive out to the beach, etc.

—Colleen Prieto, at Options

The photo first appeared here in November 2019: Growing newness
Thank you, Karen James.

"N" is for Nicer

This image adorns the big initial "N" in the word "Nothing," of the Learn Nothing Day logo from summer, 2020.

"If someone can take a moment to consciously be nicer and kinder to their children, a shift can take place. The choice to be nicer removes the choice to be mean. That can become a habit."

—Robin Bentley,
Being Nicer

This photo was first used at Kinder, gentler ways, in May 2020.
Thank you, Vlad Gurdiga.

"N" is for Nest

This photo is the background for the "N" in "Learn" on the newer Learn Nothing Day logo.
There's a basis, a foundation, on which confident, workable unschooling is built, and most of it involves confidence, and confidence can't come without examination of one's purpose, priorities and principles. It takes a while to figure those things out, and while they can be figured out at the same time unschooling is unfolding, and will probably continue to evolve (maybe even after the kids are grown), it's not "nothing" to do that.

from SandraDodd.com/nest

The photo first appeared here in 2020: Be positively positive!
Thank you, Shonna Morgan.

"R" is for Reality

This image fills in the "R" on the spiffy nearly-new Learn Nothing Day logo.

People can't actually leave the planet and can't actually go back in time. The only place we can live is the here and now.

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Live with your children in the moment, and the moment is not in the past. Live with your child in the moment, in the world where you are.

SandraDodd.com/reality/

The photo adorned Better, kinder, stronger, in early 2020.
Thank you, Cass Kotrba.

"A" is for Abundance

This photo is the background for the "A" on the current Learn Nothing Day logo.

Jenny Cyphers wrote:

In order for kids to feel and see abundance, they first must have parents who feel and see it too, even if there is no money. Go to parks, pick up sticks, ride bikes to new places, swing on the swing differently, make bubbles and blow them in front of a fan. Look at stars at night and try to find constellations, light things on fire with magnifying glass, roast hot dogs for dinner (it's cheap), the possibilities are limitless, but only if you choose to see them. THAT is what will help your kids learn how to be creative thinkers—seeing and doing creative things.

—Jenny Cyphers
at SandraDodd.com/abundance

The photo appeared here in First aid for scary, sad days of doubt
Thank you, Alex Polikowsky.

"E" is for "Enough?"

This art was used behind the letter "E" in the recently new logo for Learn Nothing Day.

Someone asked "Am I doing enough?"

Karen James responded:

I asked the same question a few years back. I got an excellent, but unexpected reply. I was told if I thought I wasn't doing enough, then to do more.

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The photo first appeared in 2019, in a post called "Non-emergency services"
Thank you, Jihong Tang.

"L" is for Learning

This photo is the background for the "L" on the new(ish) Learn Nothing Day logo.

Joyce Fetteroll wrote:

Real learning, the kind of learning humans are hard wired to do, is about discovering connections between one thing and dozens of things. What those connections will have in common is interest.

—Joyce Fetteroll, saved at Real Learning

The photo first appeared here in 2018: Laugh, think, smile
Thank you, Amber Ivey.

Art credits for LND 2020

Photo credits:
(Links lead to the Just Add Light and Stir post in which the art appeared first.)

L — Amber Ivey
E — Jihong Tang
A — Alex Polikowsky
R — Cass Kotrba
N — Shonna Morgan

N — Vlad Gurdiga
O — Karen James
T — Lisa Jonick
H — Holly Dodd
I — Nina Haley
N — Brie Jontry
G — Gail Higgins

D-A-Y — Janine Davies


Concept and offer of a remake: Holly Dodd
Outlined letters: Sandra Dodd— ("Similar to last time but different," Holly instructed)

Learn Nothing Day

click to enlarge
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credits tomorrow

Learn Nothing Day starts at midnight

Learn Nothing Day begins circling the world soon, from one midnight to another, from New Zealand through Australia, Singapore and Malaysia, India, Kuwait, Moldova, South Africa, western Europe... a little lull across the Atlantic to Brazil, while the others wake up and see how well they can do at not learning for just one day. A holiday. Un-"School break."



New Art from Rotterdam, 2018
new photos underlaid by Saskia Ruder
click to enlarge
Dear reader:
If you are near the areas listed above and I left you out, let me know.

Flowing...

Learning every day (except one)

July 17 was my dad's birthday. For me, it was the marker of "one more week" until my own birthday.

And so in the absence of my dad in this world, with the addition of Learn Nothing Day, eleven years ago, July 17 is the "One More Week until Learn Nothing Day" day, for me. 😊

Please explore the art and notes of many years, at
the Learn Nothing Day Blog

Fascinating or non-fascinating?

In a discussion on why children should learn things, I suggested that it would make them more interesting at cocktail parties. Someone objected, saying children shouldn’t be pushed to learn things just to make them interesting. She had missed my point, but that only made the discussion more vibrant.


The cocktail party goal might be more worthy than pushing them to learn things so that they can get into college, but I was really enjoying the discussion because it was so different. For one thing, it’s quite a figure of speech now, so many years after the heyday of “cocktail parties." And wouldn't an admissions officer prefer fascinating over non-fascinating? But the stated objection was this: “To push kids in all kinds of directions in order for them to be fluent at cocktail parties is a waste of time, imho." It amused me and I responded. ...

SandraDodd.com/connections/cocktail
photo by Holly Dodd, of herself in a Learn Nothing Day shirt
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