Words Rewritten

There is no other place that can both calm and stimulate the senses. No other place where judgment, comparison, and fear of failure are nonexistent. And no other place that can ignite the imagination and silence us with wonder all at once. Nature never bores, never disappoints, and never tires of delighting us with its marvels. One look at a sunset, one splash in a creek, one firefly in cupped hands before bed gives us the chance to collide with wonder.

"Once upon a time, all children were homeschooled. They were not sent away from home each day to a place just for children but lived, learned, worked, and played in the real world, alongside adults and other children of all ages.”

If you want to know what a child is actually learning, just listen.

“What we all want, as parents, is to find the educational situation that matches our child's particular blend of passions, abilities, and talents; meshes with our vision for our kids; and teaches to our child's strengths while gently improving on weaknesses.”

"Education,'" as Einstein said, "is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." There is certainly a time for applied studies and rigor, but it is wise to remember that only the things that stick truly matter.

"You've always had the power, dear;

Children are natural learners. They don't need trained teachers to learn. They simply need a caring guide to walk the path with them, allowing them to explore, investigate, and pursue what's before them.

If your child is introverted, hangs back in social situations, or prefers to observe rather than engage, respect her. Give her space. Continue showering her with love, and allow her to emerge when she's comfortable. After all, as Rumi said, "It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."

I am weird. You are weird. Our children are weird. And we wouldn't have it any other way because weirdness births dreamers and artists, authors and poets, mathematicians and scientists, and those who see the world through a different lens.

OH CHILDHOOD,

“We all desire to give our children the best advantages in life, to prepare them to be responsible adults. But sometimes we forget that before we can be adults, we must be children. If you want to give your kids the best chance at being healthy adults, give them a childhood.

"Lack of free play may not kill the physical body, as would lack of food, air, or water, but it kills the spirit and stunts mental growth. Free play is the means by which children learn to make friends, overcome their fears, solve their own problems, and generally take control of their own lives. It is also the primary means by which children practice and acquire the physical and intellectual skills that are essential for success in the culture in which they are growing.”

Have you heard the story of the woman who prepared a Christmas ham each year by first cutting off the end and throwing it away? Year after year, her husband and children watched her repeat this ritual until, finally, they asked her why she did it. She said her mother had taught her to do it. Why, she had no idea. They asked Grandma why she did it, but she couldn't tell them either. Her own mother had done it for years. Finally, they asked Great-Grandma, the originator of the practice, and she provided a simple answer--the ham was too big for the pot she owned.

I want to take a moment and tell you the meaning of your name.

“.. believe that childhood is a time to foster wonder, creativity, and discovery through play and exploration. You believe children learn because they want to, not because they're forced to. And you believe in letting them learn at their own pace.”

In time, you will realize that this path isn't just for childhood but for a lifetime of our kids' exploring their own interests; responding to life, not bells; pursuing their passions; and building a life based on purpose, not perfection.

"The more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think the same is true of human beings."