Just Add Light and Stir

What does a tree need for its leaves and twigs to develop more? What does a cat need for its brain to develop more? They need a lac...

Question: But suppose I have a block about, say, world history; if I let my child lead, and she never thinks to think about world hist...

When we talk about making decisions within unschooling discussions, it's not something like "I made the decision to be an uns...

Play can be serious business. Playing is certainly the main way that very young children learn, until they go to school. What if the...

Traditional seasonal art, knitted and put on a postbox, by a volunteer. There are many soft traditions, with pillows, blankets, soft ...

"Real learning comes from play. And it stays longer and means more." —Kelly/mina SandraDodd.com/game/ccg photo by Jul...

Looking at what a child (or oneself) CAN do well is better (in time, emotion, confidence, relationships) than finding why he's off, o...

Read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch. Reading does nothing without action. Action does nothing without patience and observa...

If one thing makes you think of another thing, you form a connection between them in your mind. The more connections you have, the better...

Unschooling should be about peaceful, supportive relationships, about modelling consideration and thoughtful choicemaking, and about l...

It will add calm, value, and solidity to your life if you're reliable, honest, and trustworthy. SandraDodd.com/trust (Thanks to Am...

The second you have a positive attitude, even fleetingly, your life is better, right then. SandraDodd.com , any page photo by Sa...

Rather than moving from one edge of a dichotomy to the other, the goal is to move to a whole new previously unknown middle place. M...

Kelly Lovejoy wrote: No one chooses to unschool without questioning. That's the nature of the beast. Parents who aren't going...

Strength doesn't need to be high-tech or glitzy. Plain, thoughtful underpinnings and principles can be enough to quietly strengthen a f...

Sandra, responding to a mom who said her son only wanted to play, play, play. You’re looking for school. Because you don’t know what un...

Having a clean house isn't anywhere near as important as having a house that all of us enjoy living in. Having dishes done isn...

When you see something, or picture it in your mind, you might be examining a small detail of it, close up. If it is shown at a distanc...

Look at your child directly, and not through the lens of other people's fears. See the joy and learning and doing and being. Be with...

Deb Lewis, as part of a long list of things to do in winter: We've gone on picnics on the coldest of cold days. There is a big shel...