"Follow a movie's leads..."

Movies touch and show just about everything in the world.

There are movies about history and movies that are history. There are movies about art and movies that are art. There are movies about music and movies that would be nearly nothing in the absence of their soundtracks. Movies show us different places and lifestyles, real and imagined.

SandraDodd.com/movies
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Boys becoming men

Looking back, I think the best advice I can give parents of boys who are concerned that they might not become men is this: Consider them to be whole, no matter how old they are. Treat them with respect and find ways for them to be around as many people and situations as you can, and whenever possible let them make choices about how long to be out and when to go home; what to attempt and what to stall off on; what to start and what to quit.

A rich and busy life can lead to unexpected benefits, and even if nothing remarkable happens, you will have had a rich and busy life with your sons. Few parents have that. Few men grew up in the warmth of smiles and approval and opportunities to explore or to stay home.


SandraDodd.com/interviews/bloggingboutboys
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Service as Affection

Even with grown kids who could absolutely take care of themselves if I died or if they moved away, I'm still doing laundry for them because I want to free their time up to do more interesting things. I started running out of ways to express my affection and to support their interests when they had jobs and cars, but this is a thing I can still do. If I decided it was hurting me, I could turn around and hurt them. Lots of parents do that.

If I decide it's a way to show affection, I turn around and show them affection.

Service
photo by Holly Dodd
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Just Say NO

If people want you to be disdainful of your children or to treat them harshly,
just say no.

The Big Book of Unschooling, page 46 (or something else later)
on the page that links to Logic
photo by Holly Dodd
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New Clouds

Recently, far from home,
I was looking at a "coffeetable book" of photos of clouds. The author had included contrails. Until that moment, I had always thought of them as pollution, messing up the sky. But Holly had no such aversion to them, and without knowing I had seen them bound up in a collection of images of beauty, she took this photo one day in Albuquerque.

Our children do not need to carry our negativity or our nervous fears. Clouds are temporary in any form, and behind them all is light.

photo by Holly Dodd

A Playful Attitude

Some people think of play as frolicking, or as make-believe, but it can be a pervasive mood and include the way people bring groceries in, and watch movies, and sort laundry and sing in the shower.

A light and playful attitude changes everything.


Mindful Parenting
photo by Sandra Dodd

Gentle Touch

When you touch them gently, you're experiencing gentle touch yourself.



SandraDodd.com/chats/being
photo by Sandra Dodd