photo by Holly Dodd
Monday, May 9, 2022
Calm and thoughtful
photo by Holly Dodd
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Staying home in modern times
I'm sharing it because it has been two years since the covid shut-down changed my plans. I was to have stayed with a grandson while his younger sibling was born. That little girl has turned two years old now. Because I have an undiagnosed chronic cough, I fear to become sick, so I stay home, still, usually.
I could be sad at home, or I can be happy. I have years of practice at conjuring and sharing happiness. Keith knows that sometimes I fail. I get scared, or have a bad dream, or feel sorry for myself, but I revive and recover and put out one more “Just Add Light and Stir,” where people can peek into moments in other families, viewpoints of other people, and sightings of birds or lizards on other continents, in other seasons. There are words and ideas people can take in for a moment, or an hour, or to keep. Then I feel better.
I hope next year is easier and sweeter for all of us. If it is, your memories of an expansive world should allow you to jump on and ride it.
photo by Sandra Dodd
Friday, January 28, 2022
Fear doesn't have a stick
I responded:
Fear doesn't hit you with a stick in a dark alley.An additional problem, though, is that it also treats "fear" as something outside herself, that comes toward her and assaults her when she least expects it.
Don't use the word "assaults."
It's too dramatic and it makes you a victim.
Maybe ALL the negative words are doing that—personifying, or anthropomorphizing, an emotion as an external enemy. So some would say "it's just semantics," but it's a map of one's emotions that ranges outside the body and builds bad guys, I'm thinking.
photo by Ester Siroky
Friday, January 7, 2022
Five solid tools
Principles of unschooling that have helped me relate differently with my own highly active nervous system:
- expanding awareness to include all the joy life offers rather than zooming in on the negative;
- developing a habit of questioning the assumptions my mind make about potential dangers...learning not to take all my thoughts so seriously all the time;
- developing mindfulness to slow down when my mind feels chaotic so I can reconnect with my values which in turn helps create the condition to make better choices;
- learning the joy and privilege of being of service to others...I cannot overstate how vital this has been for my mental health. It’s helped me reconnect to others in meaningful ways;
- deliberately choosing love, which is a wonderful antidote to fear/anger.
photo by Karen James
Saturday, December 4, 2021
A big, calm place
photo by Ester Siroky
Friday, November 12, 2021
Secret worlds
Behind that bark is a little hidden world.
photo by Rosie Moon
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Hope and joy
Live in hope and joy, not in fear and avoidance.
photo by Elaine Santana
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Fear itself
"I always find it helpful to really pick apart my fears and compare them to other fears I could have and I usually come to the conclusion that I really should just chill out about it all and look for joy, not fear. Fear just gets in the way of everything. And fear itself is bad for you anyway—worrying about this or that all the time just means you have some nasty, harmful hormones floating round your body. You can find reasons to worry about everything but all those things will get in your way."
(original)
photo by Sandra Dodd
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Unfounded fears
But these warnings aren't about known dangers like earthquakes in LA or tornados in Oklahoma. This is about protecting your kids from shadows that might be dragons.
So while your family hunkers down behind dragon-proof walls, your kids' friends will all be out playing happily as though dragons don't exist.
photo by Karen James
Monday, June 28, 2021
Three layers down
The word "posture" is usually used to tell a child to sit up straighter or to stand more gracefully and impressively. But posture can be relative to something else—a wall, a chair, or another person. Posture can be very subtle, too. Posture can be biochemical. It's possible to read anger in another person's hands or the speed of his facial movements. It's possible to see love in the way a mother picks up or touches a baby. Or it's possible to see frustration, or resentment, or fear, in a parental reaction.
I don't think this will be easily translatable into any other language, but for unschooling to work, the relationship of the parent to the child needs to become so clean and clear that the parent is being, and not just acting. This might involve physical posture, but also thoughts and feelings, reactions and clarity.
It won't happen all at once, and it can only begin to happen when the parent understands that some postures are better, and others are harmful to a better relationship with the child.
photo by Gail Higgins
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Friday, June 18, 2021
A step toward joy
Some of the things that help people be confidently in the moment, feeling satisfied and content are:
At first it might be relief and not joy, but as relief is a step away from fear, more relief will be progress toward joy.
- Breathing
- Gratitude
- Happy thoughts
- Fondness
- Acceptance
photo by Ester Siroky
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Sunday, May 23, 2021
Don't fear sweetness
There are men here, too.What I think is that every bit of energy and thought spent on anything other than your own child(ren) takes away from your time with them. What I know for absolute certain is that a calm, accepting mother is better for life and learning than a fearful, controlling mother ready to yank things away and yell and give up friendships over sweets or snacks.
photo by Tara Joe Farrell
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Thursday, March 11, 2021
Peace might not be so quiet
Is quiet always peace? I can think of lots of times I held my breath to be quiet, out of fear. I've seen families where people passed through the house quietly, out of nervous avoidance. Sometimes "Quiet!" can be very scary and dangerous. Some families live in fear and quiet, not peace and quiet. Quiet anxiety is not peace at all!
photo by Alex Polikowsky
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Saturday, February 27, 2021
Unscheduled brilliance
photo by Sandra Dodd
of an Australian possum I saw, thanks to Jo Isaac
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
Better biochemicals
I noted:
Citric acid IS a chemical. Looking for harm is, in itself, harmful. Fear and negativity stir up chemicals your own body makes, that aren't good for you. Induce the better biochemicals by being sweet, hopeful and calm.
or a page on the irrational fear of chemicals: SandraDodd.com/chemicals
photo of a navel orange slice hanging by thread, by Sandra Dodd
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Friday, January 22, 2021
Knowledge grows and changes
My strongly held belief about most things is that no one knows for sure, knowledge grows and changes, but that stress and fear are always harmful.
photo by Janine Davies
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Shine the light
Unschooling advice—or deschooling oneself—does not change just because the kids get older: *Get closer to your child.*
Eliminate those degrees of separation that have started to grow fearful roots in you! When that happens, *you* actually start to *create* that divisiveness and separation in your relationship, by listening to your fear over the needs and interests of your kid. Do not let that monster in! Shine the light on the scary cobwebs and dark stuff.
photo by Karen James
(click to enlarge)
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Friday, October 30, 2020
Spooky midway
The exception to this would be if one was never afraid of spooky abandoned amusement parks until Scooby-Doo instilled some fear.
As slightly-spooky, mostly-silly kid adventure, though, Scooby-Doo will bring up lots of connections, and probably make kids laugh.
photo by Amy Milstein
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Knowledge / Acknowledge
In your home are homey things, and some were gifts, or were found, or inherited. In your kitchen, something was made by hand, or found in an attic, maybe. There might be a favorite bowl, or a cup with a story. We have one special spoon. I like the hand towels. I got tea for my birthday.
Who showed you how to scramble eggs? When did you learn to bake? What do you think about how to arrange your refrigerator?
Is there flexibility in there? Are there more reasons to laugh than to fear?
Be open to happy memories and gratitude for your knowledge and equipment.
photo by Holly Dodd (in the reflection) of Sandra (behind the spoon)
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P.S. If anything above brought up sad or stressful memories, consider rearranging the cabinet that contains the voices in your head. Here's help: SandraDodd.com/voices
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Being the same
Even when it's not as clear as you're used to, the sun is as bright as can be behind the clouds. It's the same sun. Even when it's not as clear as you're used to, love is as bright as can be behind fear and frustration. It's the same love. Today, be present and patient. |
photo by Beth Fuller