Book Zombie
L.G. Weldon, book zombie book [book] noun 1. a work of fiction or nonfiction bound within covers or digital version zom·bie [zom-bee] noun 1. a person whose behavior or responses are wooden,...
View ArticleStaring Down Worry
Image courtesy of pitrisek.deviantart.com Something happened the night Worry appeared to me. Some of us are chronic worriers. There’s probably an adaptive reason for this, since humans who envisioned...
View ArticleGive Em The Finger
geograph.org.uk “Self-trust is the first secret of success.” Ralph Waldo Emerson No one wants to be cajoled, forced, or coerced. Some of us resist mightily. Such resisters are called all sorts of...
View ArticleWe Choose Our Own Role Models
Image courtesy of s2-s2.deviantart.com There’s no predicting who we choose as our role models. Teachers, coaches, and religious leaders are held out as exemplary choices and for good reason, since...
View ArticleSuccessful Teen Homeschooling: Two Vital Factors
The teenaged years are actually the most rewarding of the homeschooling years. That’s what we’ve found with our four homeschooled children. And that’s what I was told by many of the 110 families I...
View ArticleA Moment Never Shared
His name was Vincent. He may have entered Pine Elementary School when we were both in 5th grade or may have been in my classes all along, but that spring he moved directly to the center of my...
View ArticleEngage The Window Box Effect
CC 2.0 by ahisgett When I was in college (back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth) my professors enjoyed crushing what was left of our youthful optimism with miserable statistics about how bad...
View ArticleDo Childhood Books Shape Us?
Building a self. (andycarter’s flickr photostream) Children’s inner lives may not seem all that complicated. But they are, even if kids aren’t fully aware of the complexities they’re dealing with until...
View ArticleDon’t Deprive Kids Of Risk
jessicareeder’s flickr photostream I publicly admitted to letting my teen take risks that would make most parents shudder. I’m not talking about the month long backpacking trip my 16-year-old took with...
View ArticleWhat’s The Perfect Age?
(Image:littlefantasy.deviantart.com) There must be an ideal age floating around in our collective unconscious. This is such a fixed part of our media-driven culture that it’s hard to focus on it. But...
View ArticleTalking During Recess
collage by L.G. Weldon “That’s not true,” the girl behind me said in a singsong voice. “You’re lying.” I turned around and shook my head, hoping she wouldn’t attract the teacher’s attention. Judy’s...
View ArticleHow To Grant Wishes
Image:helen-carter.deviantart.com When I was a child an elderly neighbor shared her life-long dream. Lottie Borges had always wanted to get behind the wheel of a semi, start it up, and drive. I got a...
View ArticleWhy You Care About (insert celebrity here)
Close proximity to loved ones. (dhgoodman’s flickr photostream) The distance between a baby in arms and nursing mother is eight to 15 inches, perfect for the focusing ability of a newborn. Even the...
View ArticlePoliteness Recovery In Progress
deskridge.deviantart.com Politeness is the dodo bird of our times. No one is quite sure what killed off civility but it’s obvious that two-year-olds aren’t growing out of tantrums or a sense of...
View ArticleWe Need Hidden Worlds
Image: maskrosesong.deviantart.com When I was very small I liked to climb what I called a tree. It was actually a sturdy shrub. I sat between branches less than a foot off the ground, sure I was...
View ArticleNo Parrots Here
Image CC by 2.0 Ajari Parenting would be easier if my children wanted to learn about the same things that I happen to love. I once had the naive assumption that they would naturally develop my passion...
View ArticleMy New Book is Out!
Tending rises from my life on the farm and my fascination with the world at large. Informed by quietly ordinary days, these poems look into the nature of things with questions that circle the stars....
View ArticleDecision To Make? Ask Your Body
Anatomy by defectivebarbie.deviantart.com I tend to fuss over decisions, considering all possible options while weighing the benefits and risks for everyone involved. Sometimes I choose the most...
View ArticleLeaving Little Love Letters
Image: Ebineyland My mother regularly wrote little love letters to her children. They started appearing on our pillows when we could first read, at least one every month or so. Sometimes her notes...
View ArticleRecognizing Each Child’s Particular Genius
A child’s gifts can be difficult to recognize, perhaps because they tend to unfold in mysterious ways. What we might consider idiosyncrasies or problems may very well indicate a child’s strengths....
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