Around this time of year I usually have a post that talks about darkness and light and Dragons and maybe we'd all be better off if we just sat down and ate tacos, because everyone knows dragons love tacos. I don't have it in me this year. Darkness and light, inner reflection, meh. I couldn't … Continue reading they’ll be back, they always come back
Tag: parenting
the new Missionaries & Santa
The other evening as I was preparing dinner, three young women knocked on our door. They introduced themselves as the "new missionaries" in town and wanted to "share a message" with us. I politely declined, wished them a good evening and closed the door. They looked mildly surprised, but took my rejection well. Kid2, who … Continue reading the new Missionaries & Santa
banishing the darkness
We recently gathered together to celebrate the start of Advent at my children's school. The adults sat in the gathering darkness as the children entered the room, careful to avoid stepping on the pine branches and stumps arranged in a spiral on the floor. The teacher spoke a few words about our inner light of … Continue reading banishing the darkness
Straightforward & Honest
When I clicked on When A Mother Decides To Stop Cancer Treatment And Face Death I was not prepared for the onslaught of feels I was overcome with. It was another vaguely interesting article on my Facebook feed, and then a few paragraphs in I was hit with all the feels. "We’ve always been straightforward and honest," Lum said … Continue reading Straightforward & Honest
“how many gods do we have mommy?”
The other day, on our drive home, my eldest spoke up about his day: Eldest: We went and saw the -th-grade play today. It was about a blue god with a big beard. Me: Do you know which god it was? Eldest: No. I only saw it once. (pause for a second or two) How … Continue reading “how many gods do we have mommy?”
My Windowsill
Grime lives on my windowsill And forgotten cheerios Some flies That did not escape the blinds And a spider, Still very much alive A puddle of orange juice From a sippy cup That should never Have left the kitchen Mixed with dust bunnies Cleaning is pointless Until my children move out Inspired by Karen, the … Continue reading My Windowsill
Return of the Mormons Part 2: Religion, Guilt & Motherhood
For part one: Saint Kat of the Sparkling Water Mormon Missionaries often inspire unintended lines of thinking (I'm pretty sure they never intended to push me to secular humanism) and this time was no exception. Something about the afternoon's encounter bugged me, and it took some time to sort out why. Then I found it: They noticed that … Continue reading Return of the Mormons Part 2: Religion, Guilt & Motherhood
Surreal morning conversations at the play yard
I'm starting to think I need more coffee before I do the school run. (me) Today is Thursday, right? (a dad at the school play yard) Yeah, it's Friends, and Steinfield tonight, remember when we used to do that? Not really, I wasn't allowed to watch TV. I occasionally snuck some on Wednesday nights while … Continue reading Surreal morning conversations at the play yard
The Belief Book
This is another one of the books that has been sitting on my desk for longer than it should have. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support of kindism.org I don't remember where I first heard about The Belief Book by David G. McAfee and Chuck Harrison, but I do remember coming across very positive things about … Continue reading The Belief Book
Parenting Beyond Our Past: A Resource Guide
Very glad to have found this resource guide! I’ve already read How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk and Siblings Without Rivalry and found them to be helpful. Look forward to exploring the other things listed as well!
Photo Credit: Darcy Anne
“Train up a child in the way he should go……”
I have yet to meet a religious homeschooler who can’t finish that scripture from memory. If you’re like me, you grew up in a very authoritarian, punitive family environment. Punishment and pain, both physical and emotional, were believed to be the best means to teach a child “the way he should go”. Spanking and instant, cheerful obedience to authority were the norm, with many other kinds of punishments used as retribution for a child’s wrong-doing. Parents were the ultimate authority, and children had no choice but to obey or be punished, sometimes very harshly. I honestly didn’t know there were any other ways to parent. Either you spanked and “trained” your children, or you let them run wild and that meant you didn’t love them.
We were the generation influenced by “child training” teachers like the
View original post 847 more words