I woke up this morning to find this in my inbox. I’m so happy he participated in our little carnival of love!
I am THAT dad. by TJ Phillips
I:
- Sometimes Ergo (carry) one on my back, while carrying another
- Stay up until 1:00AM, because sometimes that’s the best time for one on one time in a household of 5
- Let my 2 year old jump on the trampoline, with no safety net
- Listen sympathetically when my 5 year old says FUCK, because I know that means he’s legitimately very upset about something
- Hug and kiss my family, and tell every one of them that I love them, every single time I leave the house
He’s not kidding. He really does never, ever forget. Even when I do! I love THAT dad.
I’m writing over at Enjoy Life today. We all took a family day in downtown Seattle and I had a few thoughts on kindness. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed our day together.
Thanks for sharing! It’s great to hear from THOSE moms & dads.
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love TJ’s contribution to the pot – thanks for sharing
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Wonderful list, TJ!
And, Heather, your kindness post is really beautiful. I could picture you guys at the Center – happy thought.
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TJ is that dad and y’all are a wonderful family!
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I’ve been reading your blog for few months and enjoying it a lot. I’m really grateful for all your thoughts and sharing. But I have one general question that has bothered me for some time. If you are so focused on parenting how and when do you find time for pursuing your own interests and/or being partners? The one thing that scares me most about unschooling is that I wont have any time for my own and for my partner. I cannot imagine being around and for my child 24/7.
Liina (from the other side of world)
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Heather Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
@Liina – First of all, I cannot imagine birthing children and NOT being around them 24/7. They are only young for so long! I certainly do have a different perspective on things these days. I’m sure I worried about the same thing. I will tell you that unschooling and being with my children is so much more rewarding then my “free time” ever was. An unschooled child and a child who has come home from a long day school are two completely different animals as well. Sometimes you have to be creative to get in a little alone time. I now try and choose hobbies that we can share together. I took up a video game that we can all play together and sometimes they come into the kitchen and bake with me. I also find that the harder I work to meet their needs when they are little, the more independent they are as they grow.
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