I think it’s easy to focus so much on extra-curricular activities that children come to see their greatest strengths as dance, music, sport, leaving them with the debacle later in life of what to pursue. There’s always the standard options: go to med school, become a lawyer, become a teacher, but what about those less noted occupations like that of an engineer, architect, plumber. How can one create a home atmosphere where intellectual pursuits are as glamorous as the showier athletics and performance?
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to instill confidence in a child or perhaps I should say how to avoid destroying a child’s confidence. I want my children to grow up to be adults that aren’t afraid to fail. Adults who will delight in their aptitudes without gloating in possibility superiority. Adults who are comfortable enough with their weaknesses to not hide them. How does one do this? I know a few people like this. All three had mothers who were ceaselessly encouraging and supportive. They don’t doubt their mother’s love and approval. (Of course there are areas of their lives where this maternal confidence weakens, but they are few.) I have to wonder if this comes from first setting the example of transparency: “Yes, I am your mother, but I have weaknesses, I try even when I know I’ll fail once twice twenty times before I achieve my goal.”
How far does one go in seeking proper nutrition? Some drink only raw milk, others eat only produce in season, some cut out all processed food- including processed sugar and salts. Is the pre-industrial age the better when it comes to food?
Is it possible to create a household where kids are instructed so clearly in how things are put away, organized, and cleaned that my love of organization can be upheld?
What sort of paint does one use on shelves? Enamel?
Are cement counter tops mainstream enough to be considered an asset to your average buyer?
Thinking of others as brothers and sisters really changes things- I’m much more willing to serve.
I live on this teeter totter of minimalism and hoarding. A part of me wants to save, “just in case” the other is upset when I buy something I didn’t need right away. Is one end better than the other?
Scotland is unbelievably dear. I can’t get enough of him.
In my quest to become a “Clevelander” I was out in the rain all day today.
My appetite has been insatiable lately. Will someone make me some cookies?
