photo by Charles Lagacé
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Better moments, days, and weeks
photo by Charles Lagacé
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
When it's working...
Don't expect to be perfect, but expect yourself to be improving all the time.
SandraDodd.come/betterchoice/
photo by Colleen Prieto
—Pam Sorooshian
photo by Colleen Prieto
Something looks like this:
animal,
architecture,
figure
Monday, February 22, 2016
As long and as far
photo by Sam Baykus
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Open portals
When rock and roll is an obsession or folk art, or dance… maybe not as easily impressive to the outside world. But as all things are connected, let your child see the world from the portals that open to him, and don't press him to get in line at an entryway that doesn't sparkle and beckon.
photo by Lynda Raina
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Saturday, February 20, 2016
Change one thing.
Change a moment. Change one touch, one word, one reaction. If you try to change your entire self so that next year will be better, you might become overwhelmed and discouraged and distraught.
Change one thing. Smile one sweet smile. Say one kind thing.
If that felt good, do it again. Rest. Watch. Listen. You're a parent because of your child. Your child. You should be his parent, or her parent. Not a generic parent, or a hypothetical parent. Be your child's parent in each moment that you interact with her.
photo by Jennie Gomes
Friday, February 19, 2016
Generous, thoughtful, considerate
Mary King Shawley wrote:
So I ask myself, what is my purpose? How do I want to be remembered? My purpose is to help my children grow and learn to be good humans and treat other people well.
—Mary King Shawley
photo by Janine Davies
(backup link to the article)
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Where do you focus?
photo by Rachel Singer
Something looks like this:
fish,
reflection,
rocks,
sky,
water
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
If you've wound them up...
photo by Ruqayya
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Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Full of joy
"We spend days and days watching TV, baking, doing origami, playing computer games, being silly, playing tag in the house, hide and seek. It's making me smile just writing it. It is so full of joy."
—
Sarah Shields
SandraDodd.com/typical
photo by Celeste Burke
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Monday, February 15, 2016
Don't be vigilant
Being "vigilant" sounds like absolutely exhausting effort. Relax. You do not "have to be vigilant." Especially not on yourself. That's you watching yourself. Way too much work. Let go of one of those selves. Relax inside the other one. Have a snooze. Don't be vigilant.
When you wake up, think. Am I glad to be here? Is this a good moment? If so, breathe and smile and touch your child gently. Be soft. Be grateful. Find abundance. Gently.
SandraDodd.com/battle
photo by Celeste Burke
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When you wake up, think. Am I glad to be here? Is this a good moment? If so, breathe and smile and touch your child gently. Be soft. Be grateful. Find abundance. Gently.
photo by Celeste Burke
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Sunday, February 14, 2016
Flexibility and change
"Be prepared to be flexible and willing to change as your child gets older." —Emily Strength |
photo by Janine
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Happier. Sparklier.
An ever-improving understanding of unschooling will, incrementally and gradually, create a life in which the parent is HAPPY to have done better, been more interested and interesting. Where "more" is the goal. Happier. Sparklier.
SandraDodd.com/gratitude
photo by Eva Witsel
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photo by Eva Witsel
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Thursday, February 11, 2016
Seeing what is
Sometimes a heavy thing can seem much lighter if you accept what is, instead of arguing with the air about what you think SHOULD have been. Be a light thing. Rise up. |
photo by Sandra Dodd
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Step up and see
The same life can be seen from many different angles.
The same situation can be seen while holding one's breath
and being furious,
or while seeing the alternatives
and finding ways to be grateful,
no matter how small,
because on one small bit of gratitude,
one can step up and see another one,
and another.
photo by Sukayna
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Humor and learning
photo by Becky Sekeres
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Monday, February 8, 2016
Makes sense
photo by Susan Gaissert
Sunday, February 7, 2016
From the inside
Debbie Regan wrote:SandraDodd.com/priorities
photo by Ve Lacerda
photo by Ve Lacerda
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Support and accept
Jenny Cyphers wrote:
I really can't imagine villifying anything in their lives that they might find very exciting. Well, I can imagine it, so I guess that's why I don't do it.
—Jenny Cyphers
photo by Susanna Waters
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Friday, February 5, 2016
Yourself and the world
People don't become really good at unschooling without changing the way they see themselves and the world. |
To read it: Living Unschooling
If you have the book Natural Born Learners, turn to page 199 for a longer version.
photo: Erika Ellis
Thursday, February 4, 2016
All those people
To my children, I'm someone who's getting old who could hold them back (in a way). To me, though, I have all the stages my children have ever been. I still remember the babies, toddlers, "big kids" who could put their own shoes on. Big kids who learned to read and visited places without me, and big kids who went to jobs, and moved away.
The house is empty, but my heart is full of all those people.
A Series of Selves
photo by Isabelle Lent
Something looks like this:
automobile,
children,
headgear,
siblings
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Improving the flow
One of the nicest thing I do for my husband is to withhold criticism. I could (and used to, when we were younger) say too much, comment too much. Letting things go by lets peace and love flow in.
SandraDodd.com/betterpartner
or the same article in German: Bessere Partner werden
(though the quote is from a discussion)
photo by Sandra Dodd (it's a link)
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Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Advice
If you're going to unschool, don't do it reluctantly. Don't do it resentfully.
(That advice works for just about everything.)
photo by Murtaza Usman
Monday, February 1, 2016
Once upon a grocery list...
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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Sunday, January 31, 2016
Keep the world safe!
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. |
and I made the last part up just now.
Neither is on my website.
photo by Jasmine Baykus
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Values
"Meredith Meredith" wrote:
If you value something, make it part of your life. If you value music, play music, listen to music, dance and sing. Invite the people you love to join you—maybe they will. If you value scientific thinking, think like a scientist. If you enjoy math, play with numbers and relationships. The catch is to live your own values without trying to foist them off on other people—because that's not a very good way of sharing what you love, and because personality matters. All your singing and dancing won't make your kids musicians if they're not so inclined—but they'll know a few things about music. If you push music at them, they may associate what they know with drudgery and unhappiness—and then you've failed and failed more utterly than if you never sang a note in their presence.
—Meredith Novak
photo by Sandra Dodd, of Marty kid-art
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