Making Change

Lessons I Learned at Homeschool

March 24, 2020 1 Comment

It wasn’t until I was in college and read the book, Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Childrearing, that I began to believe—for the first time—that children, that people, can learn, do learn all the time, without coercion. In fact, learning that is self-directed is the best learning of all because it springs forth from the needs of the individual learner and it suggests that the … [Read more...] about Lessons I Learned at Homeschool

Quarantined? Lessons From Living on the Land

March 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

A friend asked me this week, "What did you learn from living on the land that would help me cope if I'm stuck at home for two weeks with my children?" An interesting question. I, of course, immediately began trying to work that out. We moved off the grid in 1973 and raised most of our own food for many years. What did my children do for entertainment, and how did I keep … [Read more...] about Quarantined? Lessons From Living on the Land

4 Ways to Build a “We” Community

February 19, 2020 Leave a Comment

We live in a society that is all too often “every man or woman – or even child – for him or herself,” and these skewed values are shaping young generations. Do we really want to live in a world in which we can’t recognize that our neighbor’s triumphs and struggles are very much our own? What if, instead, we taught our children to embrace a “we” mentality as they grow and eventua … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Build a “We” Community

The Oscars and Representation

February 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

For his performance in Joker, Joaquin Phoenix has won the Best Actor award at the 2020 Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTAs. At his BAFTA acceptance speech, Phoenix said that he was conflicted about the award because so many of his fellow actors do not have the same privilege as he has. I think we send a very clear message to people of color, that you're not … [Read more...] about The Oscars and Representation

Freedom is a Constant Struggle

January 20, 2020 Leave a Comment

The tragedy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's assassination is embedded in our cultural fabric: another moral leader lost to us because of his revolutionary actions. We can honor his death by remembering his life and legacy. We've come far since Selma, but have much further to go to achieve racial equality in our society. As the North Carolina pastor, Reverend William Barber ll … [Read more...] about Freedom is a Constant Struggle

Give Them Free-Range Play

January 8, 2020 1 Comment

Someone once told me that mammals learn through play. When children run and play they are also learning. They are using their creativity, developing their self-confidence, building resiliency, increasing physical prowess; learning how to work in groups, to share, negotiate, and resolve conflicts; and honing self-advocacy skills. Play is the work of children and it is through … [Read more...] about Give Them Free-Range Play

The Voices of Mothers Matter

January 6, 2020 Leave a Comment

We often ask ourselves, as women and mothers, what we can do to improve society. Those of us with young children rightly feel overwhelmed by the prospect of any more responsibilities beyond our everyday struggles. For those of us with older children, however, the timing could be right for making our voices heard outside or our own homes. And, while social action is important, … [Read more...] about The Voices of Mothers Matter