With apologies to readers in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the tropics, here is a link to Deb Lewis's List of Things to do in the Winter
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Light and peace
Many traditional observances involve fire—from candles to fireworks to bonfires.
With apologies to readers in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the tropics, here is a link to Deb Lewis's List of Things to do in the Winter
photo by Bea Mantovani
With apologies to readers in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the tropics, here is a link to Deb Lewis's List of Things to do in the Winter
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Intangible gifts
For many families, this can be a time of stress and love and joy and exhaustion and fear of failure, concerning procurement and presentation of food or presents.
Remember intangible gifts. Remember to be kind and quiet and sweet, around and through the sound and swirl. Be grateful and express your gratitude to others, for help, for health, for being, for smiles, and for love. Touch and speak gently.
photo by Meghan Pawlowski
___
Friday, December 4, 2015
Safety net
"The goal isn't to set them free. It's to ease back on where they don't need a safety net anymore."
SandraDodd.com/freedom
photo by Chrissy Florence
__
—Joyce Fetteroll
SandraDodd.com/freedom
photo by Chrissy Florence
__
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Keep the peace
Don't be cynical and critical and dismissive. Find the good acting, the good sets, the good props. Don't say "OH BROTHER." If there's a movie you really don't like, don't watch it with your kids.
This link has a new list. While I was in there editing,
I saw the note above, by me, from 2010.
Movies for Unschoolers
photo by Janine
(not of a movie; sorry)
__
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Doors to creativity
"Unschooling has inspired us all in so many ways, and opened doors to creativity that among other worries and insecurities we just didn't have time for before in the rush and busy of that old life! But mostly I needed to be inspired and have something meaningful and of value to write about, and now I have found it in this wonderful world of unschooling, and making so many new friends, and just so much positivity it's fantastic!" —Janine |
photo by Sandra Dodd
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Open your mind and heart
"Every time I opened my mind and heart to something my kids loved or were passionate about, or just enjoyed, I learned more about my kids and my life, and theirs, became richer."
—Alex Polikowsky
photo by Jennie Gomes
Monday, November 30, 2015
Any child would flourish...
—Amy Childs
(from Amy's podcast series on unschooling)
photo by Chrissy Florence
__
Saturday, November 28, 2015
In thought and awareness
When someone recommends turning full on toward the child, that means don't keep reading your newspaper or your computer screen. Pause the video. Put down the gardening tools. It doesn't mean stare at the child until he finishes his story. It means to be WITH him, with him in thought, and with him in emotion if needed, and with him in awareness.
SandraDodd.com/eyecontact
photo by Rippy Dusseldorp,
of Adam, Julie and James Daniel
__
SandraDodd.com/eyecontact
photo by Rippy Dusseldorp,
of Adam, Julie and James Daniel
__
Friday, November 27, 2015
Look for moments
Karen James wrote:
Look for moments in the day that are good—especially the ordinary moments. Pause and appreciate them when you see them. Let them set the mood for how you move forward. Listen for pleasing sounds. A giggle. A child's breath. Your own heartbeat. Some music. Close your eyes, notice and appreciate those sounds. Find the ones that make you smile. Let your smile soften your mood.
—Karen James
Original quote from a post at Always Learning, November 26, 2015.
photo by Julie D
__
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Not enough hands?
Instead of having a rule that kids had to hold my hand in a parking lot, I would park near a cart and put some kids in right away, or tell them to hold on to the cart (a.k.a. "help me push", so a kid can be between me and the cart). And they didn't have to hold a hand. There weren't enough hands. I'd say "Hold on to something," and it might be my jacket, or the strap of the snugli, or the backpack, or something.
SandraDodd.com/toddlers
"Hold on to something" or what?
photo by Sandra Dodd
SandraDodd.com/toddlers
"Hold on to something" or what?
photo by Sandra Dodd
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Quiet reflection
—Pam Sorooshian
photo by Sandra Dodd
Sunday, November 22, 2015
"Thank you"
A good project for this season: Maybe send a thank-you note.
Not to me.
Send a thank-you note to someone who has helped you this year, or maybe deliver one by hand to the nicest person at your grocery store, or a neighbor who smiles and waves.
Maybe someone has been nice to you online, and you could send an e-mail or a facebook message.
SandraDodd.com/gratitude
photo by Sandra Dodd
___
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Other factors
It's hard to explain unschooling, partly because the best answers are "it depends," followed by questions for the parents to consider while they're making their decisions.
It depends on time available, time of day, safety, resources, the effect on other people, need for food or rest, and other factors I can't think of right now.
Some days a certain request would be just perfectly WONDERful to do/pursue, and the same request on another day might be a total flat-out "no" (or a "maybe later, but not during a funeral," or whatever it is).
Getting unschooling is a process. There will be more to get once you're comfortable with the new understandings and behaviors.
SandraDodd.com/depends
photo by Sandra Dodd
___
Friday, November 20, 2015
Fill up your family
"You can't give what you don't have," some people say, and if you want your children to give generosity and kindness and patience to others, you should give them so much they're overflowing with it.
It works with respect, too.
SandraDodd.com/spoiledkids
photo by Julie D, of Holly and Adam
__
It works with respect, too.
photo by Julie D, of Holly and Adam
__
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Don't hackle or vex
Good policy for the treatment of children, too! Keep all those things in the "bad idea" column, and choose their opposites whenever you can.
photo by Sandra Dodd
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Books? Old books?
The edition of The New York Public Library Desk Reference we have might be a little outdated, but the rules of ice hockey haven’t changed, nor the way in which one addresses a letter to the Pope, nor the date of the discovery of Krypton. (Some of you thought it was just a Superman thing, didn’t you? Nope—1898, the year before aspirin.)
SandraDodd.com/triviality
photo by Sandra Dodd
___
(Before the internet, people had reference books, and even then they seemed like trivia. Trivia can be the interesting door that leads to strange, new knowledge.)
photo by Sandra Dodd
___
Something looks like this:
architecture,
building,
signs
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Ponymania
"My Little Pony" figures and stories have changed over the years, but their contributions to happiness and learning continue to grow. |
photo by Sandra Dodd
Monday, November 16, 2015
An outpouring of love
How can one get from resentment and rigidity to an outpouring of love? Too mushy? It happens.
Making the shift
photo by Sandra Dodd
I first credited Holly. She says she put the rose in the bottle,
but I'm the one who took the photo. It's been a while.
photo by Sandra Dodd
I first credited Holly. She says she put the rose in the bottle,
but I'm the one who took the photo. It's been a while.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Pay close attention
"Pay close attention to your children. Really see what they are doing, what they are interested in, what they are enjoying, what frustrates them, what they like and what they don't like."SandraDodd.com/karenjames/deschooling
photo by Rippy Dusseldorp
__
—Karen James
photo by Rippy Dusseldorp
__
Saturday, November 14, 2015
The important things
Children can only hear "no" so many times before they start to ignore it, so we helped them make good decisions when they were young, and saved "no" for really important things.
SandraDodd.com/teenager
photo by Janine
and it's a link
SandraDodd.com/teenager
photo by Janine
and it's a link
Friday, November 13, 2015
What matters
I am willing to watch it with her because I know she loves it. I affirm something about her by taking her interest, her pleasure seriously. I let her know she matters by making it clear that she matters to me. |
photo by Karen James
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Easy flow
If a parent has too many hangups, too many fears, too many issues, that they don't take out and examine, it will destroy what unschooling could be. People can get really wrapped up in fears and "what if's". Sometimes it consumes a person, a parent, a family. Happy, peaceful, unschooling can't flourish in those conditions. Fear creates blocks. Learning needs easy flow. Easy flow can happen naturally unless a person blocks it.
photo by Chrissy Florence, the day they saw a mom and baby whale
__
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Happy and comfortable
—Joyce Fetteroll
photo by Janine Davies
Monday, November 9, 2015
The kids will follow
If you're just starting to homeschool I have a few words of advice: Breathe. Smile. Your kids will be sharing your stress and fear, so move quickly to get over them. Meet experienced homeschoolers and model your practice on families you like and respect. Deschool yourselves, and the kids will follow easily.
photo by Sandra Dodd
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Sweet surprises
Find a comfortable way to relax into the flow of life, as often as you can, appreciating the sweet surprises along the way. |
photo by Lydia Koltai
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)