Success, abundance, empathy

photo by Sarah Dickinson

New story, second item:
http://sandradodd.com/success

New second item, and page name very slightly changed (from / to .html, for those who might have linked it elsewhere)
http://sandradodd.com/abundance.html

New page:
http://sandradodd.com/empathy

Clare Kirkpatrick, Jo Isaac, and lots of photographers

I have added two new collection pages by unschooling moms whose writing has helped many other families:

Clare Kirkpatrick, in the U.K.

Jo Isaac, in Australia

In response to my request for assistance in November, I received photos for use in Just Add Light and Stir, from:

Jennie Gomes Meghan Pawlowski Lynda Raina Nicole Kenyon Becky Sekeres Celeste Burke Andrea Justice Eva Witsel Katy Jennings Sam and Jasmine Baykus

Megan Valnes Marin Holmes Elise Lauterbach Nancy Machaj Susan Gaissert Julie Markovitz Jane Clossick Andrea Taylor Abby Davis Sukayna and Ruqayya

Julie T Murtaza Usman Shannon Loucks Susan Waters Talia Bartoe Rachel Singer Janelle Wrock Heather Booth Charles Legacé

Ve Lacerda and Rodrigo Mattioli of wearenotlimited
Isabelle Lent
They've all been uploaded and organized, and I've used several already in Just Add Light, beginning 8 December 2015, so over the next few months you'll see new names and imagery there. Please subscribe, if you haven't already: (upper right, under "MORE OF...")

Stress release, being "open to experience"

photo by Nicole Kenyon and it's a link.

Release your stress! Stress is.... stressful. Addition to page, right-hand box.
http://sandradodd.com/stress

Added something at the bottom of "Openness to Experience" and added a link to the chat below:
http://sandradodd.com/open

Edited transcript of a chat about being open to experience:
Openness to Experience chat transcript

Lift him up

I've added a quote about being a child's partner to this page:
http://sandradodd.com/partners/child

It's my writing. I found it on Just Add Light. Sometimes I write something new there. Perhaps I was quoting myself from a discussion, but I usually note that.

The quote is:

There are WONDROUS things people can do with current technology, and it's likely to get better and better, isn't it?

Don't separate your children from the future, from progress, and from understanding and using things just because the parents don't understand them or use them as well as they might. Don't hobble your child out of fear or superstition or trying to impress people you don't even know who want to scare and shame you. Be your child's partner. Lift him up and let him see.

This is what I was glad to come across, to preserve and share again. It's small gift I can share more than once, and you can pass it on within your family:

Be your child's partner. Lift him up and let him see.

Do you have a daughter and not a son? Lift her up and let her see.

Do you have more than one? Lift them up and let them see.

Movies, Fears, Negativity, TV News

The names of the pages sound scary, but the ideas are all about more peace.
If any of this disturbs you, go back to the movie link and find something bright and funny!

This 2010 page about movies for unschoolers has a new list added, upper right:
SandraDodd.com/t/movies

Joyce, on how fears are formed and maintained (and how to avoid that), added, bottom:
http://sandradodd.com/fear

New, by Jen Keefe on being a more joyful mother, upper right:
http://sandradodd.com/negativity

An argument against watching the news on TV, for mothers of young children
http://sandradodd.com/news

Photo (a link) by Janine Davies

Screentime; Janine Davies; new, improved, mindful heart

New, about communicating with a spouse, under the photo of Noor:
http://sandradodd.com/screentime.html

First it was photos, and now it's writing! Janine Davies has blossomed, and I started collecting:
http://sandradodd.com/janine

I was going to link a podcast Amy Childs did of the dregs and leftovers of interviews—things I said that didn't fit anywhere else. The photo at right is by Janine Davies, who is linked above. Click the photo for a quote that ends "it needs to be their new, improved, mindful heart," which then has a link to where it came from. You can hear candid outtakes, as it were, of me about various unschooling ideas.

Growth, TV, Baby Jesus

New, by Janine Davies, looking back at big changes in her family's life:
http://sandradodd.com/janineSuccess

Small additions to a 2001 page—two links and an update. The world has changed!
http://sandradodd.com/t/debate

Additions to a page about the celebration of newness and innocence, and how to treat our children. MUSIC!
http://sandradodd.com/christmas04
Don't be afraid to read that, nor to watch the videos. There is something bigger and older than religion, and most parents have touched it.

Photo by Julie, of Holly Dodd and Adam Daniel, and it's a link.

14th Anniversary of Always Learning discussion at Yahoogroups

Nov 23, 2001 was the founding date of the Always Learning discussion at Yahoogroups. There were a couple of other groups involved and active in those days; one is archives only now, and one reformed with the same name but different people. Always Learning has survived for fourteen years. That's old, for an online forum! Recent posts are numbered in the 76,221 and such... and we don't have chit-chat there, so that's over 70,000 substantial posts, in fourteen years.

I missed the fifth anniversary of Just Add Light and Stir. The first post was September 2, 2010. Five years of a post nearly every day (I've missed twenty or so, I think, in scattered fashion) adds up to... over 1800, in five years.

The less placid online discussion at Facebook, Radical Unschooling Info, was five years old in February. It was created February 13, 2010.

Time/energy/cost, needs, happy moms

A page on how much time and energy unschooling takes. It's not new, but when I went to add a couple of links, I saw it hadn't been announced here before! So it will be new to some of you.
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingtime

These two are not new, but they weren't linked to each other and should have been. Each got a little clean-up as the links were added. The two together might be therapeutic for anyone confused or frustated.

Thinking about needs
http://sandradodd.com/needs

Being a happy mom
http://sandradodd.com/peace/mama

Danger, angles, strewing

Perhaps people look for or create dangers, in times of peace and plenty.
http://sandradodd.com/danger

New page on seeing things (physically and otherwise) from different angles:
http://sandradodd.com/angles

Strewing, and how to provide without being self-conscious about it, by Deb Rossing years ago
http://sandradodd.com/stringless
I don't know why that was not announced before, but here it is.

Photo by Colleen and Robbie Prieto
of trees reflecting in an upstairs window,
viewed through a skylight

Morality, choices, misconceptions

How Morality Grows, and how unschooling can help
http://sandradodd.com/issues/morality

The one above has been sitting in the queue waiting for touchup. Two others came along that go very well with it. [October 2015 note: These aren't new, but none were announced before; the post sat in the drafts folder for a long time.]

"It Depends"—thoughts on choice making
http://sandradodd.com/depends

Misconceptions about radical unschooling
http://sandradodd.com/misconceptions

Exploration, mistakes, deprivation

"Exploration" was started and just lately finished. It's one long but interesting topic from early 2014, with lots of voices:
http://sandradodd.com/exploration

Addition at the top, to the page on how one might view making parental mistakes:
http://sandradodd.com/mistakes

Not new, never announced before. Collen Prieto, on trauma, toys, hoarding...
http://sandradodd.com/deprivation

Photo of little Kirby Dodd sleeping is a link.

Proof, math, being with a child

New page, started and forgotten in 2006; found, formatted and expanded September 20, 2015:
http://sandradodd.com/proof

Second half is new, by Karen James, about her son and math at the dentist's office:
http://sandradodd.com/math/found

Karen is writing quite a bit lately, and it's good. I've saved something she wrote about being with her son, and about playing. The photo here goes with that writing.
http://sandradodd.com/karenjames/beingwith

photo by Karen James

Wonder, Bien mettre en œuvre le unschooling

New page, Karen James: "Open your heart to wonder"
http://sandradodd.com/karenjames/hindsight

New, in French, with subtitled video: Bien mettre en œuvre le unschooling; traduction : Malika Kergoat
http://sandradodd.com/french/doright

That page was already on my site in English and in Portuguese.

The photo, of Kirby and Marty Dodd, is a link.

Don't measure; avoid divorce; unschooling "schools"

New writing, second half of the page, about learning, and not comparing and measuring one's child.
http://sandradodd.com/karenjames/deschooling

Addition of writing by Cass Kotrba, about 3/4 the way down:
http://sandradodd.com/divorce

A collection for future use when people ask if an alternative school is the same as unschooling:
http://sandradodd.com/school/alternative




Photo (a link) by Janine Davies

Love of videogames, Unseen Futures, Phrases, Read a little (more)

New page on the love of video games (and it probably won't be what you expect)
http://sandradodd.com/videogames/love

Preparing for unseen futures (new page)
http://sandradodd.com/unseenfuture

Quote and image added to the page on phrases to avoid (from a 2013 Just Add Light post)
http://sandradodd.com/phrases

Addition to the "Read a little, try a little..." page, something by Karen James
http://sandradodd.com/readalittle#karen

Water; "Screentime", Shame & Guilt

Water—lots of kinds of thoughts about water play and water peace and water abundance (new page)
https://sandradodd.com/water

To the recent page on how Roxana Sorooshian used "screens" in graduate school, I have added her mom's summary of the fellowship, grant and scholarships Roxana has been given for her PhD work.
https://sandradodd.com/screentime/roxana

Helpful ideas by Marta Venturini (was Marta Pires) and Pam Sorooshian, partway down the lefthand side:
https://sandradodd.com/mentalhealth

"Disturbing content," Condemnation (avoiding), why unschool?

On "HOW Unschooled Kids Watch TV"—new, at the bottom, about "disturbing content"
http://sandradodd.com/t/holly

Condemnation—how to avoid it and how to open up the doors to allow for growth and change (new page)
http://sandradodd.com/condemnation

Why do people unschool? (existing page, cleaned up, small additions)
http://sandradodd.com/whyunschool

"If only...", deschooling, and becoming a better parent

Three new quotes on "if only":
https://sandradodd.com/ifonly

and one link to something new on deschooling, by Karen James:
https://sandradodd.com/karenjames/deschooling

Rearrangement, clean-up, new photo and quote (used once on Just Add Light before this):
https://sandradodd.com/peace/becoming

Introverts and Extroverts and in between

This was added to the bottom of a page on my site, but because I chose to put it at the bottom, I figured it should be at the top somewhere. Here it is. I followed links back to find the artist and that's credited/linked.

If people offer all of those courtesies to EVERY child (partner, friend), they won't need to worry about whether they're extrovert, introvert or a combo!

—Sandra Dodd
comment on that image
on facebook, 6/26/15

art by Becky

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Added to the page "What if your child is an introvert?" http://sandradodd.com/introvert

Spirituality, Words, Logic, Learning

Additions and clean-up; newly added exchange between Janine Davies and Rippy Dusseldorp:
http://sandradodd.com/spirituality

New writing by Alex Polikowsky, lefthand when two-column section starts:
http://sandradodd.com/mindfulofwords

Addition to a Joyce-collection on logical thought for unschoolers, lower left:
http://sandradodd.com/joyce/logic

New page, mostly Karen James' writing:
http://sandradodd.com/karenjames/reallearning

Fear, Control, Playdough

Addition of something by Joyce Fetteroll at:
http://sandradodd.com/fear

Collected something from 2014, by Jo Isaac, Jenny Cyphers, and Sandra Dodd:
http://sandradodd.com/eating/control

Added an original-writing Just-Add-Light-and-Stir post to the playdough recipe page:
http://sandradodd.com/playdough

photo (a link) by Janine Davies

Courtesy, Inspiration

Courtesy (with links to related things—a page I hadn't finished until recently):
http://sandradodd.com/courtesy

Crediting inspirations, additions to an obscure page:
http://sandradodd.com/inspiration

Fear, Bullshit, Obstacles, Choices and Mistakes

New writing about fears (top, Clare Kirkpatrick):
https://sandradodd.com/fears

New page addressing extreme nonsense presented as truth:
https://sandradodd.com/bullshit

Older page discovered and finished, on obstacles
https://sandradodd.com/obstacles

Addition and clean-up to page on better choices:
https://sandradodd.com/betterchoice

Long-lost page with Deb Lewis writing on the value of and recovery from mistakes:
https://sandradodd.com/mistakes

photo (a link) by Claire Horsley

Service; Memories and TV; Simpsons

New description of first thoughts on "Service," second on the right, Parvine Shahid:
http://sandradodd.com/service (addition to existing page)

Memories related to TV viewing, featuring writing by Karen James, instigated and reported by Ronnie Maier
http://sandradodd.com/t/memories (new page)

Philosophy, kids, banking, death, omnipotence and The Simpsons
http://sandradodd.com/strew/simpsons (page updated, cleaned up)



the photo is a link

Make-Your-Own Thinking Sticks

I got tired of making Thinking Sticks and I can't ship them overseas anymore without crazy-high shipping costs. Until I get around to making online randomizers, I'm sharing the word lists and directions. You don't need to use sticks and sharpies; there are other options. Some suggestions are in his first link:

Instructions in English and in French

Here is an introduction with links at the bottom to lists in French, Dutch and German and four English lists: American, British, Canadian and Australian.
http://sandradodd.com/thinkingsticks

Judgment, failure, self-regulation

These topics sound negative, as a group. Coincidence.

Not new, but never announced, it seems. (And some recent additions.)
http://sandradodd.com/judgment

Failure (to get unschooling, to support or maintain it)
http://sandradodd.com/failure

Nice new bit about self-regulation, from Sarah Carley Thompson, second from the bottom
http://sandradodd.com/self-regulation

Click the photo for lighter ideas.

Mindful of words; Support, "Free rein"

Word-art and a quote (me, from a post otherwise not worth saving) added here:
http://sandradodd.com/mindfulofwords

How support for change is better than support for people remaining the same (new, second item)
http://sandradodd.com/support/problem

Some thoughts about "free rein" (not "free reign")
http://sandradodd.com/freerein





photo by Chrissy Florence, and it's a link

Learning curve, Steps to the Highest Place, Rules

The learning curve of unschoolers has a plateau in the middle, it seems. Don't worry.
http://sandradodd.com/learningcurve.html

New, near the bottom, about the game Snakes and Ladders (and its purpose and history, with a new image):
http://sandradodd.com/game/snakesandladders

Video added, to go with the song lyrics that have been there for ten years and some, about rules/principles:
http://sandradodd.com/benrules

photo by Colleen Prieto, of Robbie with a hawk, and it's a link

Sugar, Barbie, Words

Sugar, children's need for it, and desire for it (additions to an existing page, bottom)
http://sandradodd.com/sugar
"no, thanks..." to birthday cake... (top of the page)
http://sandradodd.com/eating/sweets

Barbie (new writing by Robin Bentley, under "Memories" in the lefthand column)
http://sandradodd.com/barbie.html

Note added in box to right (positive comment found elsewhere):
http://sandradodd.com/words/



photo by Julie D; a link

Sweets; don't battle; learning how...

Surprising change re: chocolate frogs, top of the page:
http://sandradodd.com/eating/sweets

Negative approaches to peace (battle, fight, struggle, strive... don't!!)
http://sandradodd.com/battle

Minor additions at the bottoms of two pages, both from 2004.
http://sandradodd.com/haveto
http://sandradodd.com/readalittle

Deschooling, Young Adults, evil Christmas cookies

New at the bottom of the page; related to what's right at the top.
SandraDodd.com/deschooling/

Deb Lewis, up top, about her son and related ideas:
SandraDodd.com/youngadults/

The villification of Christmas cookies, by parents who are not good coaches (near the bottom, two things added)
SandraDodd.com/eating/sugar

Poison prevention, food, changing

Why would a child eat pills, or laundry soap packets?
http://sandradodd.com/eating/poison

New quote added, by Karen Angstadt, third item, righthand side:
http://sandradodd.com/foodproblems

Added two notes at http://sandradodd.com/feedback/

Thank you for all the time you give. Giving people a great philosophy to live by is one thing but actually helping people to put it into practice is so much more.

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Thank you Sandra, Pam, and Joyce, and so many other wonderful and generous women, for helping me strive to be a better person, a better mom, a better wife, a better daughter, a better friend. Thank you for helping me change and really BE better.

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Thost two new quotes have a similarity. They came from very different places, on the same day, but say something that isn't usually said. Reading at Always Learning or Radical Unschooling Info gives one access to ongoing assistance to change for the better.