your tribe

There are so many little happenings in a day, like when Elliott says

Mama, see my red toe? It’s going to fall off. I’m going to need to get a new one.

I’m sure you have them too and that you also want to remember them all. Then, when night comes and I sit down to write, I can hardly pull one out of the bunch, let alone write something coherent and perhaps even maybe meaningful? Then, to top it all off, I want to have some sweet photo to go along with the post! My. What a perfect challenge this is.

Well, here is a little something from today. I hope, as always, that you like it, and that it reminds you of how just right everything already is.

After popsicles in the hammock, the rain and cold returned today (snow? Are you kidding me?). Luckily, Papa Tim a.k.a. weather-guy, gave us the heads up.

We ended up downtown meeting our little playgroup at a coffee shop. Watching these two boys together reminded me, this is our TRIBE.

There is such a strong sentiment out there about children needing to be socialized, and needing school to do the socializing (longer article here. I don’t buy it. Our children need friendships like this. They need family, and they need a tribe.

A tribe is simply a loving and consistent group of family and friends, from zero to 100+ years of age, who are willing to mentor, nurture, guide, and care deeply for each child and each other.

I am so grateful for our tribe, both near and far, including the community created by this blog. (We actually think of it as ‘the modern village for conscious parents”). I am grateful for you.

learning to read

We are savouring a mini ski vacation to celebrate Papa Tim’s birthday, although for me and Sascha it is mostly joyfully hanging out by the fire in the lodge, while Papa and Elliott play on skis. Three days without doing dishes, wow.

The other night Elliott was “reading” the salt and pepper and mustard and ketchup packages.

“Raspberry, cream, honey, cream, popcorn, rosies, cheeks, cream.”

He looked at me with a grin, like we were both in on a secret. And we are. The secret is: no teaching necessary.

We are currently reading this book on life learning and it bolsters our intuition. One of the chapters by Naomi Aldort talks about “teacheria”. What is that overwhelming urge of so many to instruct, lecture, preach, and in the process take all the fun out of learning?
We are watching it on the ski hill.

Amazingly, children learn. The question is, are we willing to trust?

Consider unschooling…watch this video

The argument against compulsory schooling can be found in this youtube video.