Funny and comfortable

Make it happy and funny and comfortable and exciting so that they want to be with you. Be sparkly.

"It" could be
  - home
  - life
  - your nest
  - your children's day
  - yourself

Sparkly Unschooling
photo by Janine
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Not just about parenting

"This journey is helping me become the woman I have always wanted to be. Unschooling is not just about parenting—it truly spills over into all areas of life."

—Megan Valnes

the original comment and another resource
photo by Sandra Dodd

Joy and Ease

If the goal is to know everything, and if each person's internal "universe" is unique, then the order in which the information is acquired isn't as important as the ease and joy with which it is absorbed.

SandraDodd.com/checklists
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Choose Choices (...repeat)

"Children have to be taught to self-regulate." That "rule" is parroted by non-thinking parents with great regularity. It can be replaced with "I would like to help my child make thoughtful choices."

If you think of controlling yourself, and of your children controlling themselves, it's still about control. If people live by principles their choices come easily.. . .When you hear or say "They will self-regulate," think to yourself: "They will learn to make choices."

SandraDodd.com/self-regulation
Quote is from page 56 (or 61) of The Big Book of Unschooling.
photo by Sandra Dodd
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This post first appeared in May 2013.

Where joy is...

"Where joy is, you will find learning. Where joy is, you will find flow."

—Clare Kirkpatrick

SandraDodd.com/joy (not the source, but a companion link)
photo by Karen James
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Sleep, sleepity sleep

At 3:30 a.m., I wake up (woke up, if things went well) to take Keith to the airport, so he can fly to Texas to help our firstborn child move home. Kirby has worked for Blizzard for nine years. He moved to Austin just as he turned twenty-one. He misses New Mexico.

This personal story is a substitute for an inspiring quote. I'm sleepy, and rather than stay awake until I've found a perfect word and image combo, I will share why I went to sleep early.

SandraDodd.com/kirby
photo by Sandra Dodd, of moonflower vines outside my bedroom,
which I plan to grow there again this year
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Hats and fantasies

Karen James wrote:

What I saw on tv influenced how I saw the world. It gave me so much to play with, so many more hats to try on, so many more diverse fantasies to dream up. I'm glad I didn't have adults telling me I should be doing something different or that what I was choosing to do wasn't good for me. I wouldn't be the person I am today without those experiences.

—Karen James

SandraDodd.com/t/memories
photo by Sandra Dodd, of Marty as Dr. Strangelove, and others at a party
where the theme was to dress as a favorite movie character ___