Letter to my children: Screen Time, Humane Technology, and Limbic Hijacking

Letter to my children: Screen Time, Humane Technology, and Limbic Hijacking

“Momma! Stop getting distracted! You are supposed to be reading to me!”

“I know, I know, I just need to finish this sentence.” DAMMIT! I hate this fucking feeling. Stop yelling child. I only have one more sentence to write and then I can press send and not think about this anymore!!

“You just said that! You are not coming!! STOP GETTING DISTRACTED!!”

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Homeschool Learnings: Bookworms, Spelling Practice, and Snow Play

Homeschool Learnings: Bookworms, Spelling Practice, and Snow Play

“Can we go to the library?”

“Sure. Great idea. Have you read all of the books on the pile?”

“Yup. I am going after books like crazy now. I read books all the time.”

It was only 18 months I wrote about the Bean learning to read. The prodding and the pushing and the cajoling and the soft lips forming individual sounds.

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Thanks, I will insert my own speculum

Thanks, I will insert my own speculum

This is my promise to the Universe. As sterile stirrups glean in harsh fluorescent lights, that is my statement. If they can’t take 30 extra seconds to show me how to put a medical instrument into my own body - then no.

No.

NO. I am walking out and finding someone else.

I did not go through the insanity of a bone marrow transplant to keep my mouth shut in this precious life.

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Letter to Dragon: Our Red Letter Day

Letter to Dragon: Our Red Letter Day

Dearest Dragon,

Recently we had a shining, glorious, red-letter day.* I knew it was going to be glorious from the moment I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed (as Baba would say) in time to hit the erg, do yoga, and meditate before you and your sister burst forth.**

After we bundled your sister off to Flying Deer, I turned to you. “Would you like to start with school lessons or a yoga class before we do the sauna?”

“Yoga!”

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The Tale of Gwyn and the Pips - Part 2

The Tale of Gwyn and the Pips - Part 2

Continued (and refresh) from part 1

The Moon told Gwyn to go off the path. To leave the world of rules and to investigate the unknown.

Gwyn was not sure she was up for this.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

She decided that princesses are born to be challenged and, besides, she was curious.

To find out herself whether the Moon was singing. Where would she even begin?

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Letter to my children: Asking for Permission, Power Dynamics, and Family Visioning

Letter to my children: Asking for Permission, Power Dynamics, and Family Visioning

Dearest Beloveds,

“Momma, I want a play date with B!”

“Okay, I will see what I can do.”

“Momma, can we go to CVS to look for stuffies?”

“You have too many stuffies.”

“What if I used my own money, pleeeeaaase?”

“It’s your money. But remember it is just your Cranky Monster who wants them. You don’t need them.”

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Letter to Bean: Why School?

Letter to Bean: Why School?

“Momma, why can’t I write a summary of How to Train Your Dragon?”

“Because being an educated person in our culture means having a common vocabulary of books that everyone learns in school. Wind in the Willows is one of them.”

“But I want to read my books!”

I can’t believe I am curtailing her reading excitement to reinforce this paradigm.

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Letter to my children: Using your Big Voice

Letter to my children: Using your Big Voice

Dearest Beloveds,

I am so grateful to Conscious Discipline for teaching me the nomenclature around using one’s Big Voice. Our family has been steeped in this soup since Bean was a baby. According to the Conscious Discipline website, “Shubert’s Big Voice teaches the Skill of Assertiveness…and helps with Conflict Resolution, Self-regulation, Active Calming, Self-Control, Emotional Intelligence, Social Emotional Learning, and the School Family.”

Wow, all of those terms arising from the simple teaching of, “I don’t like it when you do XX, please do XX.”

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