Friday Freewrite: New Words

Friday Freewrite

Today’s freewriting prompt:

Create your own new words! Spell them however you like (though be sure you can pronounce them) and give them any definition. Now, use a few of your new words in a story. Go!

New to freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the freewriting prompt, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

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[Podcast #258] Turning Around a Day Gone Wrong

Brave Writer Podcast

Ever have one of those days where the kids won’t stop bickering, everything seems difficult, and overall there’s just bad energy?

In today’s Brave Writer podcast episode, we give you tips and tricks on how to turn the mood around…or at least keep your own internal peace.

We give ideas that are focused on the body: movement and the five senses. We also give tips that are focused on the surroundings: making a small new setting in your home or even going out to new learning spaces.

Brave Writer Podcast

For a full list of the ideas we share in this episode, go to our website and download the PDF we have ready for you (it’s FREE)!

Show Notes

Bad Moments, Not Bad Days

Bad moments are just that: moments. Moments end. Just because a day is going poorly doesn’t mean that day can’t get better. And, of course, bad moments, or even bad days, don’t mean that you have to lose your inner peace. It’s okay to sometimes put the kids in front of the TV, find a small space all to yourself, and eat some chocolate.

Concrete Ways to Stop Bad Moments and Start Good Ones

There are lots of ways to stop the downward spiral of your homeschooling day and start an upward spiral instead. Many of these have to do with changing the current physical experience of your kids:

  • go for an observation walk,
  • light a scented candle,
  • blow and pop bubbles,
  • do texture-rich handicrafts. 

For a full list of energy-shifting tips and tricks, download our PDF.

And don’t forget: with the holiday season coming up, make sure to let doting grandparents and other family members know that zoo and museum passes are a great gift. Sometimes, when your house is a zoo, the best option is to go to one!

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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Shift the Conversation

Brave Writer Shift the Conversation

The Washington Post once put out a controversial article about homeschooling. It showed that the number of homeschooling families has exploded since the Covid pandemic for all kinds of reasons. John Oliver did an entire episode on homeschooling and highlighted what he sees as some of its dangers as well as benefits.

Whenever home education is the topic of national conversation, the smaller percentage of homeschooling families (compared to traditional education) feel under scrutiny (the exact place none of us wants to be!). Our defensiveness rises.

What I have noticed is that we get further in these conversations when we validate the concerns offered and, rather than pitting personal experience against personal experience, we give:

  • data,
  • educational theory,
  • and principles to discuss.

Yes, some homeschooled adults resent how they were raised. There are others who champion their educations. Both are also true of public and private education—it works for some and it fails others.

Where to Start

What we want to do is shift the conversation to showcasing the theory of education that leads to learning, which is what home ed offers the entire world of educational research. We have people like Peter Grey and John Holt to thank for corroborating our experiences with quality research. Also, Renate and Geoffrey Caine’s work in brain-based ed is best realized in a home environment.

Start there. Show substance, take concerns seriously, and look at your own homeschool to ensure you are addressing the critiques in your own family.

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

Becoming a Critical Thinker

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Friday Freewrite: Teddy Bear

Friday Freewrite

Today’s freewriting prompt:

Look at the image above (a child is dragging a teddy bear by the arm across the grass). What is the teddy bear thinking?

New to Freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the freewriting prompt, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

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[Podcast #257] The Right to Play: An Interview with Eloise Rickman

Brave Writer Podcast

What does it mean to be adultist? Do children have a right to not brush their teeth… or the right not to have cavities? Eloise Rickman joins the show today to discuss her new book, It’s Not Fair, Why It’s Time for a Grown-Up Conversation About How Adults Treat Children.

Eloise Rickman
Eloise Rickman

We have a big juicy conversation about:

  • human development,
  • education,
  • societal structures,
  • lived experiences,
  • and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

If you’re looking for absolute answers, then this episode isn’t for you. But if you want to hear three homeschool moms discuss how they find the daily balance between guiding children and listening to them, you’re in the right place.

Show Notes

What is Adultism

Adultism is the concept that children across all areas of society tend to occupy a minoritized, discriminated against position. Adultism is a structural concept, not something that is happening in individual homes. Using the lens of adultism, we can critically examine things like educational policies that are harmful to children’s full development and current environment.

Being a Responsible Adult

What does it mean to be a responsible adult through the lens of adultism? Does it mean you should let your child eat only candy, never brush their teeth, and stay up all night? No, it means engaging with your child in a respectful manner, honoring their individuality and development stage. 

Eloise points to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a starting point for adults, and even kids, who are curious about this topic.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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