Ethan, after a pause: Yeah. Lettuce.
Karen: Lettuce?
Ethan: Yeah, lettuce...and other good snack food like that.
Karen: Okay.
photo by Sandra Dodd, at an allotment garden in West Sussex
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A child who can recite prime numbers or reel off the infinitesimal pieces of pi might not be able to wipe his own ass. What kind of gift is that for anyone? It's just a thing, like being able to pogo stick for an hour, or to learn all the dialog and songs in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It will neither save nor destroy the world. Keep your child safe from pressure and labels. Have a happy life. |
What can I do now to make this moment better? —Eva Witsel |
"Homeschooled children who grow up in a stimulating and enriched environment surrounded by family and friends who are generally interested and interesting, will learn all kinds of things and repeatedly surprise you with what they know." —Pam Sorooshian |
Some people go to school, have Special Ed for many years, have labels and they still cannot do things they way they are "supposed to." Those will still carry all the harm from feeling less than, and broken. I would not want that for any child. |
Where learning is concerned, it's never too late and everything counts. |
You get to a place by physically getting there, by emotionally getting there, by mentally getting there.
My friend Bela sent me the following story, which has a good description of mindful living: One zen student said, "My teacher is the best. He can go days without eating." |
Equip yourself with:confidenceBuild your nest with food |
When thinking of new things to do, consider the five senses—taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing. Not all people have all five, but try to do new and different things. There will be connections, and children will do unexpected things. Be flexible in your acceptance, when activities don't go the way you envisioned them. Home-made play dough can have texture, scent, color, and by trapping some air in there, you can probably get sound out of it. There are recipes online for edible versions, but there's a good recipe on the "Young Children" page, along with dozens of other ideas. |
Digital cameras provide the best opportunity ever for children to take photos. Offer them your phone or camera sometimes, and let them look in new ways. (Neck straps or wrist straps can be good.) Save their photos for them, if you can. See what they see. |