photo by Gail Higgins
Monday, February 28, 2022
Positives (look around)
photo by Gail Higgins
Saturday, January 15, 2022
Relax back into learning
The way kids learn openly and honestly from the world around them can be hampered if parents have not deschooled well. If parents are still attached to school or schoolishness, if parents have prejudices or places they don't want to examine, they can't be as good at unschooling as parents who relax back into learning.
I've seen many families succeed, I've seen some wander off because it's not easy, and I've seen some fail.
I'm sorry the links didn't work, in the e-mails.
They should here, now.
Deschooling is the best next stop
though the quote came from a rougher place
photo by Colleen Prieto
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Soft, grateful, gentle
photo by Sarah S.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Hiding
Think of times you've wanted to hide, or just plain hid. Me, lately, from sunshine, from projects, from people.
Think about when it's okay for your kids to want to hide away a while.
Then, please, try not to hide from your kids. When they're older teens or young adults, you'll get to stay in the shade, procrastinating, maybe more than you even want to. 🙂
photo by Karen James
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Flexibility
A chair is not "just a chair," if you're lucky.
photo by Karen James
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Limitations
There are no guarantees, but appreciation and gratitude are better than any of their opposites.
photo by Karen James
__
Friday, April 23, 2021
Different uses for things
For fun, or for practice, be flexible enough to use items for things other than their "intended purpose." In the 1970s, I was told that it's a sign of intelligence, if a person can creatively use an object well for something it was not designed for. |
photo by Colleen Prieto
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Be soft and grateful
"I really have to be vigilant on myself and try not to control."
Being "vigilant" sounds like absolutely exhausting effort. Relax. You do not "have to be vigilant." Especially not on yourself. That's you watching yourself. Way too much work. Let go of one of those selves. Relax inside the other one. Have a snooze. Don't be vigilant.
When you wake up, think. Am I glad to be here? Is this a good moment? If so, breathe and smile and touch your child gently. Be soft. Be grateful. Find abundance. Gently.
photos by Rosie Todd
Saturday, January 2, 2021
Lax and relax
photo by Amber Ivey
Sunday, December 20, 2020
A better emotional neighborhood
photo by Sandra Dodd
___
Friday, December 18, 2020
Photos, thank you
When the blog was new, most of the photos were mine. I didn't think it would last ten years, but it has, and others have let me have some of their photos, for the pool from which I choose.
Without it being planned, the past seven photos are from Moldova, England, the eastern U.S., Northern Ireland, The Netherlands, Brazil, and the western U.S.
The week before that, Oklahoma, The Czech Republic, California, France, my home town of Española, New Mexico; more California (thank you, Karen James!)
There have been, and will be, photos from many other places, too. I hope you will continue to be soothed and amused by these images, from unschoolers, of what they're seeing, or being.
For reading, thank you.
More snow photos, mostly; mentions, maybe
If you're at a computer, or in webview, try this for fun: Mosaic
Friday, December 11, 2020
Your full self
photo by Elaine Santana
__
Monday, December 7, 2020
Like real life
Soft, hard, lasting, fleeting, solemn or sweet—the nature of "real life" can be shifty. Be soft, and lasting, and sweet as well and as often as you can be. |
but a good follow-up is
How to be a Good Unschooler.
photo by Karen James,
of art by Karen James,
with subject posing
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Cats and history and folklore
Think beyond house cats to wild and jungly, crazy, cartoony, and alien-species-imagined cats.
Once you've thought up your own, you might check against other people's lists here:
Feline Good with Our Favorite Literary Cats
Here, Kitty, Kitty… 20+ Children’s Books That Are the Cat’s Meow
The Worship of Cats
15 of the Most Famous Cat Characters in Books
That title was changed to "15 Well Known Cats in the Bookish World," but they didn't change the original title in the code. Somehow, there were discussions and disagreements there. Perhaps it was about cartoons and films.
Cats in stories and songs (a Google search link)
scratch-art by Devyn Dodd
photo by Sandra Dodd
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Being glad
And don't do it to train them. Do it because it's true. It will be uplifting, in that moment to kind of put a blessing on it.
photo by Amber Ivey
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Relax
Sleep When You're Tired
photo by Colleen Prieto
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Adoration
Moms and dads are big characters in other people's lives. How's your acting? How is your being?
You're famous in your family.
Don't disappoint your fans!
photo by Cass Kotrba
__
Monday, August 10, 2020
Balancing gently
People don't need to enact each extreme to find a resting place. Because we have the ability to imagine, and remember and to plan, here is an idea. Think of what too much noise would be—too much talking, too much background noise, too many wind chimes, too many power tools.
What would be too much silence? No running water, no bird song, no fan, no one to ask you questions, at all.
Too much talking can be as harmful as no talking at all. Approach the balance from the quiet side.
photo by Janine Davies
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Being gentle
Children whose parents are gentle will understand what that's good for.
Be the sort of person you want your child to be.
It's better for the cat, if you do that.
photo by Amber Ivey
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Safe inside
Happy, safe and comfortable
photo by Gail Higgins