There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather

Posted on March 11, 2021May 3, 2023 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

2017
by Linda Akeson McGurk

I have to say, I am a total wuss about weather. I’ve spent most of my life living in mild, warm climates. I easily get “too hot” or “too cold,” and being a homebody anyway, it’s a safe bet that turning back to go into the house comes quicker to me than most.

All that being said, I KNOW in my heart the importance of being outside. I can feel it. When I was a kid and we were outside for recess or break, regardless of “weather” ( I will say heavily in quotes), I loved the feeling of wind on my face or a chill in the air or the warm sun shining down and heating my head. As a grown-up, I have the ability to go in when it’s the slightest bit uncomfortable. But, oddly, I miss the “uncomfortableness” of being outside in different weather.

Every time I read The Secret Garden, I vow to spend our entire days outside. I want our kids to run and be out in nature. Not only for their health and mental well-being, but as a way to connect with the natural world. To love it and care for it. Our world needs us as much as we need it. Having people trapped inside and staring at devices all day isn’t doing our world any good for gaining supporters who will step up for our precious Mother Nature. A huge disconnect has happened, and people don’t make the important connections about where their “stuff” is coming from and what will happen to it when they’re done with it.

I’m digressing though. There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is the author’s story and exploration of children’s time with Nature. Although her girls were born in the U.S., Linda was born in Sweden, where kids are encouraged to be outside playing, no matter the weather. So, when her family has a 6-month stay in Sweden after news of a sick family member there, the author takes the opportunity to reflect on the different approach taken in her native country.

In Sweden, outdoor time, especially for children, is highly valued. School tests and academics at ridiculously young ages are something this mom faced in her American hometown, but when her girls enroll in Swedish schools, the emphasis on play and Nature far outweighs stressful academic benchmarks. Linda goes on to reflect on other parental issues, germs and technology and when to give kids more freedom.

This book has truly been an inspiration, and I hope to re-read it again soon. Even as a parent who highly limits screen time, I find that, especially with Covid, our outdoor time has been lacking this past year. Getting out of the house with the kids is TOUGH, and I appreciate that the author acknowledges she faces these same struggles too. Sometimes, even just to step onto our front step feels like a major accomplishment. But this book has helped me realize what I’ve known all along. It’s always worth it. I need to be okay with the getting-out-the-door battles or the risk that the outing will be a big, fat fail, because the times that do work are wonderful. I think the more it can be habit and routine, the more likely it will happen. And, yes, I agree, that when the kids have other kids to play with, instead of their old mama, they’ll be inspired to play outdoors more frequently and for longer. It’s been a strange year for that piece of the puzzle. But as far as Nature goes, it’s always there waiting, regardless of the weather.

You may also enjoy:
The Secret Garden
The Year of Living Danishly

Trusting the Process–Homeschool

Posted on February 19, 2021September 21, 2023 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Even though I have a background as a public school teacher, I feel like I’m fairly flexible about our homeschool. Some of my top reasons for homeschooling are so the kids have playtime and can learn at their own pace. I know this in my heart. But, sometimes–Ok, often–my head likes to get in the way.

It’s one thing to say that I know (and even love) that our kids are learning on their own time. Schedules and standards and young kids at desks all day make me itchy and uncomfortable. And yet, these “away-school” kids will learn things sooner than my kids. Obviously. Even for those of us who know the whole parenting “race” is ridiculous, it’s hard not to feel the tug.

This is one of the reasons I don’t like using the word “due date” for new babies. A baby’s guess day, as I prefer to call it, is just that. It is perfectly “normal” for a baby to come up to two weeks before or after that estimated day. And yet…somehow parents feel this smugness for an “early” baby or feel behind if their baby is “late.” With the exception of special circumstances, all babies are eventually going to walk and talk and use the potty. And yet…parents panic if their kid is behind other kids or they feel like they’ve got a genius baby if their kid is first. This is one of the reasons we refused to go to a conventional pediatrician for many years. The percentages on growth charts and developmental stages makes me want to gag. I know, I know, there’s a bigger reason for it–for catching special circumstances early, etc. But, mostly it becomes just another comparison game. ugh.

I’m digressing, but I think it’s important to note that trusting in our kids and the process is all-encompassing. Even for those kids who go to a school setting where there are lists of standards and expectations, there are students who will learn certain skills earlier than others. We all have different abilities and interests. Kids in the same grade are different ages and have different support at home. Some students click well with certain teachers and some don’t fit into the school setting at all.

In homeschool, the differences are even bigger. A homeschooler might not read until age 9, but they might be able to have “big, juicy conversations” (as Julie Bogart says) with adults long before that. The Waldorf philosophy is that a child who can’t read yet is much better at observing the world and learning from natural surroundings than one who can read. A homeschool child might not be starting multiplication when their public school friends are, but they might have a very strong understanding of spatial awareness from sewing or of highly advanced problem solving skills from all their extra time building Legos.

All of this sounds well and good, but do I still have a slight panic when my (very understanding) family who are educators sees where we are in our schooling? Yes. Yes, I do. Our daughter spent most of what would be considered her kindergarten year running around with friends and listening to lots and lots of books while I nursed her brother. Meanwhile other kindergarteners were in school several hours a day, learning things like sight words and coding and coming home with homework.

I remember countless times in our kids’ lives when I’ve had a panic that they were never going to pick up on a certain skill. Our first-born loved sitting and listening to books for hours. And then, around age three, she wouldn’t even sit through a page without getting distracted and leaving. Instead of seeing this as a normal phase for a kid her age, I panicked. As a book lover, I was distraught when I began to think maybe this was an indication that she didn’t like books. That stage, of course, was short-lived. Now, she would listen to us read all day long if we could.
My husband, who loves bike riding, had his own “moment” when he thought our daughter would never branch out and try a bike without training wheels. (And, yes, we had tried the Strider method) Now it was my turn to be calm. It’s much easier to trust the process when it’s not something you’re passionate about.

So, the important thing for me to remember is to come back to our reasons for homeschooling. We’re not in this to “be ahead of the curve” or to “keep up” with other kids. We chose this path to be able to spend our lives together. To instill a love for learning, instead of pressuring our kids to meet a standard. We chose this to allow our kids time to be kids, to run around and play and explore. We’re very, very lucky that we have two healthy, active, strong, and smart kids. They are on their own timing for learning. All my husband and I have to do (other than, you know, be there and homeschool them) is step back and trust.

The Greatest Gift

Posted on December 17, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

When I became a mom, I quickly realized I would do ANYTHING for these kids. I want to give them all the best, always. Not in a spoil them, Veruca Salt, sort of way, but in a -I would walk to Mordor for you- kind of way. And, like so many parents out there, holidays or birthdays approach, and I get excited to give them something really special. To see their faces light up, to watch their imaginations grow. But, I can never help thinking, that the greatest gift I can give my kids, really, is a healthy planet for their future and for their kids. I know that sounds corny as all heckarooni when I say it, but I believe it deep down in my core. And while I’m not going to sit my kids down on their birthdays and tell them that their gift is that we didn’t get them anything that would add to the crisis of overconsumption and instead Mama sat down and wrote this post in the small hopes it would make a difference, I still think that we can keep things in perspective. Maybe cut down on the over gifting. Be conscious about what products we’re buying and what their company’s practices are and which local shop we’d like to support, even if it means paying a little bit more. Or even making our own gifts. Maybe we can also realize that for a lot of people, gifts aren’t necessarily brown paper packages tied up with strings, but instead might be a special outing or spending time together. I want to give my kids a healthy, sustainable planet for their future, and so with every celebration, every gift, every birthday party, I keep that at the forefront of my mind. And then all I can do is my best.

Audio Books Gift

Posted on December 15, 2020December 31, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I strongly believe in the value of kids getting books, stories, poems, and songs in person whenever possible, rather than through a device. The connection and the learning that take place when getting these stories read or told to them is invaluable.

That being said…I think there are times and places for media alternatives. And, right now, collectively, is definitely one of those times. Audio books for the family are a lifesaver on long car trips or when there is an illness in the house. And during this time, a project like this or gift like this can be a great way to connect with others, give parents a break from reading out loud, and eventually be something that can be treasured for years.

This is a simple idea and a completely free project, but it does take some effort in getting your loved ones motivated enough to participate. But, again, this just might be the perfect time to do it. The idea is to ask family members or close friends to record themselves reading a children’s picture book, reciting a poem, singing a song, telling a family story, or really anything they’d feel comfortable contributing. When I put this idea out to our loved ones, I explained that this was a gift for our kids, but if everyone felt ok with it, I’d be happy to share with the extended family. I think as parents we have so many photos and videos and recordings of our kids, and I wanted to hear from the adults too.

I put this idea out there to all our extended family. Some were very quick to respond and participate and some said they really wanted to contribute but never quite did. And that’s totally fine. Life is weird and busy, and I totally get it. I sent a couple gentle reminders, but after awhile I just let it go and figured I can always reach out again in the future.

I was so impressed with the responses I did get though, and it’s been so much fun listening to these. The kids love them, but it’s also been so much fun for my husband and I to hear. These are great to listen to on car trips or for those crazy days when I just can’t read a book the moment our kids want to hear one. And because our extended family all live far away, I love that our kids are getting to know or remember the family by hearing them here. And although I really don’t like thinking this way, I can’t help but think how much I would have loved to have recordings like these of my husband’s parents before they passed so that our kids could hear Grandpa and Grandma reading them a story. So, I treasure the ones we do have.

Here are some guidelines and tips I picked up from doing this and from hearing the family’s contributions:

—Ask participants to introduce themselves at the beginning of their recording with their first and last names. Have them avoid using a title when they say their name, such as “Aunt Suzy,” because even if you’re the one who has asked for this project for your kids, there’s a good chance you’ll be sharing it with other parts of the family who are not related to Suzy in the same way.

—Ask people to start by saying the title and author of the book, poem, story, or song. If it’s a family story, they can give it a title or just a brief description to introduce it. For example, “This is the story about when my cousin Leo got lost at the zoo.”

—One thing some of my family members did that I really liked was after saying their names and before starting their book or poem, they would give a short background about it. So, they might talk about how their mom used to tell them this poem before bed or how their kids loved reading this book when they were growing up. I felt like this was such a great added touch, and I highly recommend it.

—It’s okay if it isn’t long. Some of my family members were very comfortable on audio and some weren’t. For those who are shy but want to contribute, you can suggest telling a short joke, doing an impersonation, saying a short message about who they are and where they grew up, giving a book recommendation without actually reading it, etc. I just think it’s so nice to hear from everyone.

—Strongly encourage the adults’ participation in this, but don’t forget about the kids. I mainly wanted to hear from the adults on this since I feel like we are always so good about sharing things our kids do. But, I was also so pleased to hear my niece and nephews doing their own audio recordings on here!

—If you’re okay with it, encourage multiple contributions. I loved hearing from everyone on this, and my only “complaint,” if you can call it that, is that I wish I had more! Remember it doesn’t just have to be reading a book out loud, it can be playing an instrument, reciting a poem or nursery rhyme, telling a joke, and my favorite, telling a family story.

—Triple check that everyone is okay with you sharing this with other related members of the family. Even if families don’t have kids or don’t have kids yet, I think it’s such a precious gift. I think we’re never too old to be read to, sung to, or have stories read to us.

—Don’t forget to include yourself and your immediate family! Even though, like I said, kids will always get so much more from you or your spouse reading to them in person, I think it’s so important and so special to have a recording of you reading some of their favorite books or telling a favorite story.

All the contributions family members sent me were so awesome. Some were silly, some were sweet. Some people had super animated voices, and some people had soothing voices. Some family members read a book together, some did their own. Some selections were 30 seconds or a minute and some were 5 minutes or longer. They all varied so much, but that was what’s made them all so special. So despite all the guidelines above, I think it’s also good to leave some of it a bit open-ended and see where people go with it.

Other Tips:

—I asked people to just record their selections on Voice Memo and text them to me. If you have a better idea or a more advanced audio recording device that you can bring to a family gathering to do this, that’s awesome!

—Test where the microphone is on the phone (if you’re doing it that way) and make sure you’re not too close or too far away.

—I downloaded the recordings to DropBox and organized them into folders by family. Then I was able to make the selections available offline so we could listen to them. And I was able to share the DropBox files with the other parts of the family. There’s probably a way to get these onto iTunes as well; I just haven’t done it yet.

–The recording doesn’t have to be perfect. We’re not audio book professionals here. I think it’s good to remember that, because some people will never actually get these sent if they’re aiming for perfection.

I started this around the holiday time, which was probably why I didn’t get to hear from some of the family right away. This would be a great gift to share with the family any time, but I was thinking of some times it might be especially appropriate:

—Someone in the extended family is having a new baby. Have people share a favorite poem or nursery rhyme or children’s book.

—Someone in the family is having a milestone birthday. Have people share family stories that involve the birthday person.

—There’s an upcoming holiday. Have people share a story, book, song, poem about that holiday.

This gift requires no packaging, no wrap, no big box stores, and it is one of my favorite gifts ever. I highly recommend giving this a try!

And, again, during this time, this project can be a great way to connect with loved ones, whether family or friends. It can be a great homeschool assignment to have your kids record themselves reading a book or telling a story or singing a song. But, again, I think hearing from adults on this too is so important.

Hope this idea can spark some thoughts for you, and you can make it your own.

Stuffed Animal Solution

Posted on November 24, 2020December 31, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Our kids have more dolls and stuffed animals than I’d care to admit. But, as much as I’ve been tempted to downsize the collection in the past, they truly do love each and every one of these dolls very dearly. The problem isn’t so much the darling dolls, it was the constant mess of them ALL OVER the floor. I’m more ok than most are with untidiness, but there are breaking points. I tried every solution I could think of. And every solution I could find on the Internet. I tried stackable bins and big baskets. Shelves, drawers. I knew the hammock thing would never work, but I thought it looked cute. These animals are a part of daily life around here, and when our daughter wants one, she will dig to get it, with no second thought whatsoever to the other ones she’s thrown every which way in the process. (I know you non-parents or those with “neat” children are thinking, “Just make your kid clean up the mess.” Spend a day with our creative whirlwinds, and then we’ll talk.)

But, finally, one day a couple months ago, I woke up with a solution. Huzzah!! We have a ton of moving boxes in our garage. I know we’ll need them again soon, but hopefully, hopefully, we won’t need as many when the time comes. So, I grabbed six (was it six?) medium-size U-Haul boxes and set to work. It was important to have the dolls be at a level the kids could reach and see easily, so I knew I wanted them off the ground. The bonus benefit to this design is the storage for all those miscellaneous trucks and doll houses underneath. I was so excited about this solution finally being “the one” that I didn’t take many photos along the way, but hopefully these give an idea of it, if you, too, have been looking for a stuffed animal storage solution.

I folded the side flaps inward on the three base boxes for support. The top flaps went up to form the barrier for the animals. The bottom flaps were cut and taped to the far side barrier walls, if that makes sense…

We were lucky to have a free corner in the room where this could go, but it could definitely work as a straight line too. I think I used extra boxes laid flat across the top for more support. Then I covered the doll area with fabric. And, for good measure, I laid down some old baby blankets as well. I am NOT a “Pinterest-perfect” type person, so the basic idea was more than enough to make me happy, but I suppose this idea could be taken to the next level by those up for the task. Since these photos, I’ve taped some scrapbook-type paper on some of the bottom sections for less of a cardboard look, but that’s sort of an afterthought.

Dolls and stuffed animals are blissfully simple to put away now, and when the kids want a specific one, it’s fairly easy for them to look through without dragging all the others out. I love LOVE this solution. I get to REUSE cardboard, it’s simple and portable when we move, and best of all, it works! So SO glad I figured out what works for us.