These are so wonderful, Gem. I am especially inspired by the storytelling ideas. Though my little one is still a bit young for these, I am really excited to devise ways for him to express his creativity on his own terms. Through the MotherLore project, I’ve also been hoping to collect stores appropriate for children that we can work with, and that will also help him connect with our ancestry. It sounds like P is doing amazing though! I also really love the idea of sending letters. Learning in an applied way like this can be so rewarding.
Thank you for reading Ayla and I’m so pleased these little shares provide you with inspiration 🙏 Oh wow, that will be an amazing development for MotherLore, I will be thrilled to access and explore the children’s stories! I feel that’s such a missing piece in our approach, to connect with and learn from ancestral stories, beyond just the traditional fairy tales. Excited for this! And honestly, it won’t be long before your little one is expressing his creativity… my daughter has just turned two and she already loves the costume accessory bag and acting out simple things like emotions or favourite lines from story characters 🥰
Gem, what I love about your writing is the steadiness of it. There’s no urgency, no proving — just deep noticing. Your Pokémon example beautifully demonstrates how depth appears when we stop labeling interests as distractions. One insight your piece sparked for me is that “natural learning” might actually require enormous restraint from adults. Not laziness — but the discipline to not over-direct. In a culture obsessed with acceleration, choosing to trust a child’s pace may be one of the most radical educational acts available.
Thank you for such a supportive and insightful comment 🙏 I agree that a more natural path is indeed about restraint from parents/adults. In the home educating world, parents talk about de-schooling themselves and an ongoing process of “letting go”, which I feel is the same kind of thing just with different language. And yes, I do feel that trusting children’s natural unfolding, their innate drive to learn, is a radical educational act at this point in time. Thank you for articulating this so powerfully.
I love the phrase “de-schooling themselves.” That feels so honest — because so much of this work isn’t about changing the child, it’s about unwinding the urgency inside us.
The idea of “letting go” being ongoing really resonates. It’s not a one-time mindset shift; it’s a practice. Almost like catching ourselves each time we reach to optimize or accelerate, and choosing instead to observe.
There’s something deeply hopeful in what you’re describing — that learning doesn’t need to be forced into motion, only protected from interference. Thank you for holding that line so gently and consistently.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoy reading these little shares ❤️ Oh gosh yes, awareness is one thing, managing in the moment is a whole other thing! It is hard. And I feel it’s important to share experiences honestly so that others don’t perceive that anyone “has it all down” perfectly. I am certainly still learning so much about my own and my children’s regulation every day, through the ups and downs.
These are so wonderful, Gem. I am especially inspired by the storytelling ideas. Though my little one is still a bit young for these, I am really excited to devise ways for him to express his creativity on his own terms. Through the MotherLore project, I’ve also been hoping to collect stores appropriate for children that we can work with, and that will also help him connect with our ancestry. It sounds like P is doing amazing though! I also really love the idea of sending letters. Learning in an applied way like this can be so rewarding.
Thank you for reading Ayla and I’m so pleased these little shares provide you with inspiration 🙏 Oh wow, that will be an amazing development for MotherLore, I will be thrilled to access and explore the children’s stories! I feel that’s such a missing piece in our approach, to connect with and learn from ancestral stories, beyond just the traditional fairy tales. Excited for this! And honestly, it won’t be long before your little one is expressing his creativity… my daughter has just turned two and she already loves the costume accessory bag and acting out simple things like emotions or favourite lines from story characters 🥰
So much to look forward to!
Gem, what I love about your writing is the steadiness of it. There’s no urgency, no proving — just deep noticing. Your Pokémon example beautifully demonstrates how depth appears when we stop labeling interests as distractions. One insight your piece sparked for me is that “natural learning” might actually require enormous restraint from adults. Not laziness — but the discipline to not over-direct. In a culture obsessed with acceleration, choosing to trust a child’s pace may be one of the most radical educational acts available.
Thank you for such a supportive and insightful comment 🙏 I agree that a more natural path is indeed about restraint from parents/adults. In the home educating world, parents talk about de-schooling themselves and an ongoing process of “letting go”, which I feel is the same kind of thing just with different language. And yes, I do feel that trusting children’s natural unfolding, their innate drive to learn, is a radical educational act at this point in time. Thank you for articulating this so powerfully.
I love the phrase “de-schooling themselves.” That feels so honest — because so much of this work isn’t about changing the child, it’s about unwinding the urgency inside us.
The idea of “letting go” being ongoing really resonates. It’s not a one-time mindset shift; it’s a practice. Almost like catching ourselves each time we reach to optimize or accelerate, and choosing instead to observe.
There’s something deeply hopeful in what you’re describing — that learning doesn’t need to be forced into motion, only protected from interference. Thank you for holding that line so gently and consistently.
Spot on. Thank you :-)
I love hearing about all your learning, exploring and playing.
That is also so interesting about that is so interesting about the herbalist and naturopath.
I am now so much more aware of how my own responses and nervous system effects my daughter's regulation. It is so hard though.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoy reading these little shares ❤️ Oh gosh yes, awareness is one thing, managing in the moment is a whole other thing! It is hard. And I feel it’s important to share experiences honestly so that others don’t perceive that anyone “has it all down” perfectly. I am certainly still learning so much about my own and my children’s regulation every day, through the ups and downs.