[Podcast #285] Poetry All Year Long

Brave Writer Podcast

Do you ever wonder why poetry feels like a balm for the soul—especially when life gets hard?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we read aloud a collection of favorite poems, reflecting on how poetry helps us process emotions, connect with our children, and find beauty in everyday life.

We talk about:

  • why we keep reading poems even after National Poetry Month ends,
  • how Poetry Teatime can foster emotional resilience,
  • and why letting poetry “just be” can deepen our appreciation of it.

We also share personal stories, original poems, and ways to make poetry a natural part of your family rhythm.

Tune in to hear the poems that moved us—and maybe find one for your pocket too.

Show Notes

Poetry Month may come to a close, but our love affair with poetry doesn’t end on April 30th. In fact, some of the most moving encounters with poetry happen outside of celebration windows—in the quiet moments of parenting, in grief, in joy, and in the ordinary rituals that make up a family’s life. That’s why we keep poetry alive in our homes year-round, and why we believe in the transformative power of Poetry Teatime.

Poetry, after all, invites us to pause. It teaches us to notice. In a world of fast-paced curriculum and productivity checklists, poetry says: Slow down. Listen. There’s beauty here.

When we host Poetry Teatime, we aren’t simply teaching literary devices or memorizing verses. We are offering a gentle rhythm of connection—a space where kids and parents alike can gather around language that moves the heart. Some poems make us laugh with their linguistic acrobatics; others hold our sorrow with tender hands. That range is what makes poetry so vital. It meets us exactly where we are.

Let the poem do the talking

There’s no “right” way to read a poem. In fact, we try not to explain them too quickly. We let them linger. We let them land how they land. Children, especially, need room to respond from their own internal worlds. Whether it’s a limerick or a profound meditation on loss, a poem has the power to express something our kids may not yet have the words for. And often, it’s through modeling—reading aloud without agenda—that children find the courage to write their own.

Poetry as a path to expression

We’ve seen firsthand how a child who has never written much can be sparked by a single poem. Sometimes they imitate a favorite structure. Other times, they write straight from the heart. One parent told us her son wrote a poem about a traumatic car accident only after weeks of quiet Poetry Teatimes. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it—but the poem gave him a way to process. No worksheet or essay assignment could have reached him in that same way.

Language for what we feel

Poetry helps us live with our feelings, not fix them. It gives us metaphors when direct speech is too much. And it reminds us that there is a lineage of humans—across centuries—who have felt what we’re feeling. When we read aloud, especially in the shared ritual of teatime, we’re connecting to something larger than ourselves.

Make poetry a year-round tradition

That’s why we return to poetry not only when we’re teaching but when we’re grieving, celebrating, or just needing a reset. A good poem doesn’t age. It expands with us.

So whether you missed Poetry Month entirely or celebrated every day, it’s never too late—or too early—to open a book of verse, pour some tea, and read a poem together. That quiet presence poetry brings? It’s something we need all year long.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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Writing Is the Mind’s Best Friend

Brave Writer

We write first to know ourselves—our own thoughts, feelings, concerns, ideas. Writing can be its own reward.

I’ve noticed that the least read posts I share are about writing. Ironic, no? Everyone wants to be read. But we all forget that the power of writing is making our OWN thinking visible to ourselves. Writing is first and foremost for YOU! It’s a gift only you can give yourself.

Writing…

  • is the way you discover what you really think
  • can heal your pain and trauma (research says it heals as well as therapy, and it’s free!)
  • is the place to put your risky ideas before you risk expressing them to those who would judge you
  • is how you sort out whether or not a lover is the right one for you
  • gives you a moment of pause in the day to slow the racing thoughts that run your brain

My best writing has not been read by other people, and my worst writing has never been read by anyone—and I am entirely grateful for that! Also, my journals are private. Secret writing—what a rich gift!

Never underestimate the power of writing in your child’s life.

It’s not about essays or grades or getting into college.

Writing IS the best gift you can give your children for self-knowledge and relief. If nothing else, give them the gift of knowing that writing is there for them when no one else is—no commenter, reader, parent, or friend.

Writing is a witness to our insides, and we all need that loving witness.

Help! My Kid Hates Writing

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Brave Learning: Poetry Teatime

Brave Learning Poetry Teatime

Recently on Brave Learning…

Poetry Teatime [Public]

A simple idea with big implications

For as long as I can remember, adults and kids routinely confess a fear of poetry. They say, “Oh I hate poetry. It’s too difficult to understand.” In truth, most people assume they must do something with poetry—analyze it, make meaning from it, find its themes and imagery, identify its rhyme schemes. The provocative rhythms and sometimes old world vocabulary act as barriers to enjoyment, too, for so many smart, successful, fluent adults!Subscribed

Yet somehow I managed to develop a love of poetry from an early age. My grandfather gave me a book of poems to read aloud when I was seven years old. I still have it. I played with words and wrote my own poems on scratch paper and in my diary. Poetry felt like puzzles, riddles, inside jokes, and bursts of music to me. I didn’t worry too much about “getting” it.

When my children were coming along every two years, I hoped to pass my enjoyment of poetry to them. Yet the culture of anxiety around poetry was so strong, I worried they would resist or declare, “I don’t get it!” [More]

Subscribe to Brave Learning on Substack where we chat, discuss, problem-solve, and create together. Here’s what you can expect: weekly themed content, freewriting prompts, and a podcast for kiddos called Monday Morning Meeting (first 6 are free)! 

Brave Learning with Julie Bogart on Substack

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[Podcast #284] Eating in Color with Jennifer Anderson

Brave Writer Podcast

Feeding kids has become a high-stakes game, but it doesn’t have to be.

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore responsive feeding, joyful food marketing, and how to ditch fear-based nutrition rules in favor of:

  • connection,
  • variety,
  • and common sense.
Jennifer Anderson
Jennifer Anderson

Jennifer Anderson of Kids Eat in Color helps us rethink what it means to nourish our children without the stress.

Listen in to discover how food can be an invitation to connection, not control—and why it’s okay to let your child skip the broccoli sometimes.

Show Notes

Feeding children has become a loaded topic. From debates about seed oils to pressure around baby-led weaning, parents are inundated with conflicting messages about the “right” way to nourish their kids. But at Brave Writer, we’re all about approaching parenting—and education—from a place of trust, curiosity, and compassion. And that includes the way we feed our children.

There’s No One “Right” Way

One of the most liberating ideas we’ve encountered is the notion that there is no one right way to feed your child. What matters more than rigid food rules is responsive feeding—paying attention to your child’s hunger cues, offering variety, and trusting their body’s signals. This might look like letting go of the one-bite rule or choosing not to stress when your child passes on a particular dish. And it definitely includes resisting the impulse to turn mealtimes into battlegrounds.

Food as Function, Not Morality

Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” we can invite kids into a conversation about what food does in their bodies. Red foods support the heart. Orange foods help you see in the dark. Green foods boost immunity. These bite-sized messages help children make their own connections and develop a positive relationship with food—free from shame or pressure.

Yes, You’re the Marketing Department

Food marketing uses characters and fun names to entice kids, and guess what? We can use those same tools to our advantage at home. Rename feta as “rock cheese” and suddenly it becomes cool. Make a “yogurt sundae” station and watch your child enjoy a food they might’ve otherwise rejected. Framing matters, and so does play.

Picky Eating Isn’t Permanent

Another powerful insight: kids’ eating habits change over time. A picky eater at four might be the one experimenting with complex flavors at 14. Our job isn’t to control every bite they take but to create a safe, consistent environment where exploration is encouraged, not forced. We can focus on making one family meal with at least one safe food for each child and let go of the short-order cook pressure.

Nutrition Trends vs. Evidence-Based Eating

And when it comes to nutrition trends that spark fear—like the current obsession with seed oils—it helps to remember that these debates are often more about identity than evidence. Fads can create a sense of belonging, but they can also induce anxiety and misinformation. Instead of spiraling into fear over the latest headline, we can return to what we know: a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, fiber, and shared meals around the table has lasting, measurable benefits.

Trust Yourself and Your Child

Ultimately, feeding our kids well means meeting them where they are. It’s about building trust, offering choices, and modeling curiosity rather than control. We can give ourselves permission to step back from the noise and trust the quiet, ongoing work of raising confident, capable, and nourished kids.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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Simply Observe

Brave Writer

I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for me to get lathered up about every sign of unhappiness in my kids. It’s almost as if I expect everyone to be happy all the time or it means I’m doing something wrong.

But maybe just the fact that people feel free to have emotions around me means I’m doing something right!

What if today you simply lived with your children and observed their emotions and made zero meaning from them? What would it be like to simply accept everybody and everything that happens rather than using what happens as a way to beat yourself up for not being a good enough parent?

I declare today:

“The parent doesn’t have to care so much” day!

In other words: Care Less.

Rooting for you!

This post was originally shared on Instagram.
Watch the accompanying reel for more.

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