• Natural homeschooling is not something you do to a child, it is a way of living with a child. . If you are pressuring your kids to excel at music, I’m going to challenge you to face the reality that you are probably doing so because you want to learn music. . So instead of forcing this unfulfilled desire on your kids, pick up an instrument yourself (or warm up your voice) and learn, practice, and grow! . For those of us who were raised in the school system, it can feel unbearably vulnerable to try something we’re not confident we won’t immediately excel at (get the wrong answer, perform poorly, fail, etc.), but that’s where all the learning is! Be brave and give yourself permission to suck at something new this week. . And coincidentally, a parent who is excitedly engaged in learning music in the home with kids is the most powerful force for kids to learn music (role modeling). When I look up and learn a new song I love, West (8) does too, and we share in the appreciate and pride together. A love of learning is contagious like that. . To that end, I posted a ukulele challenge in my stories (saved as a highlight). . Though this phenomenon is not limited to music. Anytime you’re pressuring your kids, challenge yourself by asking, “Is this actually about me?” You’ll find all these new directions for personal growth (more exercise, less screens, more reading, etc.). . Comment below with something you’ve been riding your kids about that you see now might actually be about your own unfulfilled desires.
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    Natural homeschooling is not something you do to a child, it is a way of living with a child. . If you are pressuring your kids to excel at music, I’m going to challenge you to face the reality that you are probably doing so because you want to learn music. . So instead of forcing this unfulfilled desire on your kids, pick up an instrument yourself (or warm up your voice) and learn, practice, and grow! . For those of us who were raised in the school system, it can feel unbearably vulnerable to try something we’re not confident we won’t immediately excel at (get the wrong answer, perform poorly, fail, etc.), but that’s where all the learning is! Be brave and give yourself permission to suck at something new this week. . And coincidentally, a parent who is excitedly engaged in learning music in the home with kids is the most powerful force for kids to learn music (role modeling). When I look up and learn a new song I love, West (8) does too, and we share in the appreciate and pride together. A love of learning is contagious like that. . To that end, I posted a ukulele challenge in my stories (saved as a highlight). . Though this phenomenon is not limited to music. Anytime you’re pressuring your kids, challenge yourself by asking, “Is this actually about me?” You’ll find all these new directions for personal growth (more exercise, less screens, more reading, etc.). . Comment below with something you’ve been riding your kids about that you see now might actually be about your own unfulfilled desires.
  • We rode bikes for 10 miles yesterday and it was so, so good. . There’s one important piece to successful family adventures that I want to highlight: release your agenda. . We parked at the head of the trail and unloaded the bikes from the rack. Then we just followed our kids’ lead. We stopped along the way and climbed every tall ruin and rock. We waved at seals. We jumped curbs. We sat in the middle of a field of flowers (okay, that one was mine). . Family adventures become conflict ridden and stressful when the adults are attempting to enforce an agenda-when they are being driven by a goal, an expectation, a finish line. . So let that go and make the goal to simply be together in this place. Go wherever you all are inspired to go, however you are inspired to get there, at whatever pace brings the most peace. . Remember, adventures are about freedom and connection, not control. Joy is the only destination.
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    We rode bikes for 10 miles yesterday and it was so, so good. . There’s one important piece to successful family adventures that I want to highlight: release your agenda. . We parked at the head of the trail and unloaded the bikes from the rack. Then we just followed our kids’ lead. We stopped along the way and climbed every tall ruin and rock. We waved at seals. We jumped curbs. We sat in the middle of a field of flowers (okay, that one was mine). . Family adventures become conflict ridden and stressful when the adults are attempting to enforce an agenda-when they are being driven by a goal, an expectation, a finish line. . So let that go and make the goal to simply be together in this place. Go wherever you all are inspired to go, however you are inspired to get there, at whatever pace brings the most peace. . Remember, adventures are about freedom and connection, not control. Joy is the only destination.
  • Something simple I’ve been doing on lockdown: removing labels from around my home. . Everything in your home environment has an energy that you react to and labels are designed to demand your attention. . But you don’t have to give those companies free advertising space in your home! . Especially with kids, the research on how ads affect them is grim, so evict them from your sanctuary. . A little seam ripper or a small bottle of good gone are at most all that you need. . And today @shiragill is on the Sage Family Podcast with me offering loads of helpful tips on organization. Let’s use this home bound season to fall in love with our homes.
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    Something simple I’ve been doing on lockdown: removing labels from around my home. . Everything in your home environment has an energy that you react to and labels are designed to demand your attention. . But you don’t have to give those companies free advertising space in your home! . Especially with kids, the research on how ads affect them is grim, so evict them from your sanctuary. . A little seam ripper or a small bottle of good gone are at most all that you need. . And today @shiragill is on the Sage Family Podcast with me offering loads of helpful tips on organization. Let’s use this home bound season to fall in love with our homes.
  • Know that you have the legal right to do whatever is in the best interest of your children and family right now. . If anything is adding stress, you have my official permission to let it go (and I’m an “expert” with letters after my name, so the permission slip is legit). . There is a lot of fear mongering happening right now around “falling behind” but I promise you, ABCs and 123s will all shake out. . The best advantage you could possibly give your child in a time like this is stress reduction. Remove the stressful busy work and they will learn MORE. . Bay: “Will kids be reading about this in books one day?” . Me: “Yes.” . Bay: “We are IN history right now?! I’m going to read more about the Black Plague.”
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    Know that you have the legal right to do whatever is in the best interest of your children and family right now. . If anything is adding stress, you have my official permission to let it go (and I’m an “expert” with letters after my name, so the permission slip is legit). . There is a lot of fear mongering happening right now around “falling behind” but I promise you, ABCs and 123s will all shake out. . The best advantage you could possibly give your child in a time like this is stress reduction. Remove the stressful busy work and they will learn MORE. . Bay: “Will kids be reading about this in books one day?” . Me: “Yes.” . Bay: “We are IN history right now?! I’m going to read more about the Black Plague.”