Abundance, Deschooling, India

New analogy on "filling up" by Joyce (third item):
http://sandradodd.com/abundance/

Another perfect piece of Joyce-thought, on deschooling, and I'll quote it below, but it's also here:
http://sandradodd.com/deschooling

Don't expect right now to feel smooth. The days spent in school are like living with a broken leg. The days when unschooling runs smoothly are like living with two strong legs. But the deschooling phase between them is like living with a cast while the leg heals. It won't be as bad as school but won't be as smooth as unschooling.—Joyce Fetteroll

I'm in India for a month, visiting unschooling families. Notes and images are starting to be collected here:
http://sandraindia2010.blogspot.com/

Efficiency, Pokemon, Add Light, Ouija Book

Something new by Schuyler about the efficiency of unschooling:
http://sandradodd.com/substance

Old page, refurbished a bit, with links to others you might be glad to see again:
http://sandradodd.com/game/pokemon
something new by Jenny Cyphers, but definitely re-read the others

In case anyone missed the notice last month, the Just Add Light and Stir blog/mailing list is going strong:
http://justaddlightandstir.blogspot.com

A note on using The Big Book of Unschooling as a "ouija book":
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook/random

Co-sleeping; memories; interview

Something new about co-sleeping in India, upper right:
http://sandradodd.com/sleep/cosleeping

Some of the writings that led to the post noted above (new page):
http://sandradodd.com/sleep/memories

Amy Childs interviewed me recently, and today published short and long versions, set in a very nice page!
http://whateveramen.com/parenting26-interview-with-sandra-dodd/ New home; click here.

Click the photo for its source.

Priorities

New list on the Priorities page, "Example of priorities than can hamper unschooling"
http://sandradodd.com/priorities
Down a bit on the righthand side, in a box. Can't miss it.

Dads; phrases to avoid; relatives

One Dad’s Journey Thru Unschooling
Phil Biegler—Northeast Unschooling Conference, Wakefield, MA, August, 2010
http://sandradodd.com/philbiegler/NEUC2010
(now with photos)

There are also new photos at the dads page, of Ross Bentley and his daughter:
http://sandradodd.com/dads
(upper left)

Two additions to "Phrases to Avoid," one at the top and one near the bottom.
http://sandradodd.com/phrases

Kelly Lovejoy made a great suggestion about responding to critical grandparents. I added it here:
http://sandradodd.com/relatives

Teen/college; Energy; Big Book

Priscilla Sanstead wrote about her daughter's applications to art schools, acceptance to one, at 16, and decision not to go. The side discussions of what and why are very interesting. That's now here (second item):
http://sandradodd.com/teen/college

New page on Energy (personal, unschooling, learning, living energy):
http://sandradodd.com/energy

New page on Robbie taking The Big Book of Unschooling to read as soon as it arrives. (He's seven years old.)
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook/robbiereads
A quote:
And, he adds, “Tell her my favorite part so far is where someone asks what unschooling costs and she says unschooling is priceless—because she’s right—it sure is!”

Trouble, TV, differences/intelligences

"Fell in shit and came out smelling like roses" - teenage trouble
http://sandradodd.com/teen/trouble

Addition to a page about adults looking back at what they've learned from TV.
http://sandradodd.com/t/gilligan
Dola, in New Delhi, telling what she has learned of the world beyond India (bottom of the page)

Something new on the Multiple Intelligences page:
http://sandradodd.com/intelligences
(at the bottom, something Katherine Anderson wrote last night)

One Dad's Journey; "Violent" games; Peace with food

New online (and it's on my site!)
One Dad’s Journey Thru Unschooling (full text)
Phil Biegler—Northeast Unschooling Conference, Wakefield, MA, August, 2010
http://sandradodd.com/philbiegler/NEUC2010
It will have photos eventually; when it does, I'll link it here again.

Hema Bharadwaj, on video games, added to this page:
http://sandradodd.com/game/benefits
(righthand column)

Not new, but new on my site. I've lifted and slightly tweaked a year-old blogpost by Shannon Burton, a beautiful juxtaposition of words and images, about the rules for meals in her childhood, and the way her own children eat.
http://sandradodd.com/eating/childhood
(Thanks to Kelly Lovejoy for pressing me to help make sure that item was seen by more people.)

respect, costs, a shift in thinking

Holly, by Holly, last week

Kids feeling respected and supported, second item, new from Joyce Fetteroll:
http://sandradodd.com/partners/child

How Much does Unschooling Cost?
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcost

Definitions of Unschooling
http://sandradodd.com/unschool/definition

I've added this quote by Jenny Cyphers:

Just like ALL learning, learning how to live comfortably and happy are really wonderful things. It takes a focus on turning away from what you know you don't like and turning towards something else, that something else that creates happy learning and living. Unschooling really is a shift in thinking and then acting on it.

New interview (me)

A little interview, different from others!
http://naturalparentingcenter.typepad.com/natural_parenting_center/2010/08/interview-with-sandra-dodd.html

My favorite part is the last section which begins:

5. How have you created such a successful presence/business while pouring your heart into family?

Gradually. It's not "a business" so much as it's a self-supporting mission. (...and I include Keith and the kids in the description and "credits.")

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This photo doesn't go with the interview. I took it this morning, because Brenna made the cup. It was given to me for speaking at the Good Vibrations Conference in San Diego last year. And today is Brenna McBroom's twenty-first birthday. Here she is seven years ago: http://sandradodd.com/teen/brenna. I think I'll request an update. :-)

Words, connections, dads

Clean-up and a video added at Words, Words, Words
http://sandradodd.com/words/words.html

Connections: an example (new page)
http://sandradodd.com/connections/example

Dads, by dads, for dads (link to something new by Phil Biegler, up top)
http://sandradodd.com/dads

(I could use pictures of unschooling dads, to add to that dads page, please.)

"Just Add Light and Stir" (new blog and e-mail service)

Alison Potter, of Glastonbury, Somerset, wrote:

We came to the London Unschooling conference in 2009. I loved listening to you, you were my favourite—you made so much sense to me and left me with a lovely warm glow. Thank you for your website full of amazing tales of wonder and discovery and for your love of life and children. Sometimes i need a paper reminder... Do you do daily email reminders too?

And so in response to Alison Potter, who already has both my books and who wants more input, I'm launching a series of frequent (perhaps daily) notes.

It is September 2, 2010, and I've been a mother since 1986. My three children are safely and happily grown, without school, and there are things I can share with others.

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To subscribe to (maybe) brief daily e-mails:
.... [yahoogroups info removed, because there's a better way to subscribe, at the blog itself]
or
at the related new blog, subscribe by RSS feed.
http://justaddlightandstir.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Alison, for the kind words and inspiration.

Gratuitous cat photo by Holly Dodd