1. this banana bread.
{and being the beneficiary of someone else’s late-night baking habit.}
2. these october flowers.
{for hanging on.}
3. these tree guides.
{and a kid very into “studying” them.}
4. these pre-loved baby socks.
{plus a pre-loved baby bouncer, and especially a cup of tea with a kindred spirit.}
5. these tiny pears.
{because mini fruit is the best kind of fruit.}
other things:
you know someone who’s had a miscarriage.
26 Comments
I’m disappointed to see what the Jacobin writers have done to Warren. Especially since they had an issue about childcare last year. And why try to discredit her? Her policies are not far off from Sanders’.
Same. Why discredit her and especially on this particular issue?
I’m not the only late night baker?!?
Abbey! One of my very favorite humans.
She’s a really good one.
Awwww!!! Blushing, you two!!! Right back at you. A mutual admiration society!
The homework ‘opt-out’ article blew my mind. It’s so genius and obvious! My son is only 3, but I definitely bookmarked it.
Such a good one! Faye’s elementary school has a no-homework policy for kindergarteners, but I’m saving this for the future, too!
I never realized this was an option and we have been getting homework…in daycare in a 3s program. It’s not been intense or time consuming, but I still find it bewildering. Why are they asking me to prove that she can trace a straight line? I might be testing this opt out theory.
I really liked reading the “Homework Opt-Out” article. Luckily my children (2nd & 4th graders) have wonderful teachers who barely give any homework at all! I live in a smaller town in CT but I have friends who in larger cities in Fairfield County and there children come home with much more homework than my children. I always thought it was city vs. small town schooling.
That’s terrific! I’m sure it’s all very teacher/school/district-specific, but I can’t think of a reason why it would be more prevalent in cities than small towns (or vice versa)!
I read to the very bottom of the “vanishing dinner” article, eagerly anticipating a “magical solution” section, ha! Good to at least know I’m not alone. :-/
Hello! The struggle I have with the opt-out movement is that, to me, it reads like a demonstration of privilege. I am no fan of elementary-school homework, but as a wealthy, white mom whose child attends a Title I school that is 75% Latinx, I’m uncomfortable telling my child she doesn’t have to do something that her peers have to do. The approach I’ve taken is to try to advocate for changes for *every child* at my daughter’s school, rather than advocating for changes that will benefit only her. Thank you very much for reading my perspective.
So many ways for that not to be the case of course! Rally support from other parents and engaging directly with teachers and administators on behalf of all students!
It is certainly the case that such a movement is possible. And I would love to read an article about a school or district community coming together to enact change around homework or testing. The pieces I’ve read, though, including this one, tend to chronicle individual (privileged) families’ choices.
Agreed; I’d love to read that, too! Especially because in the cases I know of here in the city, and in Faye’s elementary school in particular, it’s the parents of color—from all kinds of economic backgrounds—along with the school principal and administrators who are the folks leading the charge to empower parents to opt of testing, for reasons of equity in particular.
I appreciate this dialogue on the areas of privilege and that coming together matters. As a teacher, I know I would welcome working with families on this area of expectation on all fronts and how to best work together to create a learning environment that is inclusive and empowering for everyone involved.
So I actually think homework is a huge indicator of priveledge that expands upon disparities. It assumes a two parent household with parents that can be home every night, are educated themselves and that care about their child’s academic success. It also assumes things like internet access. I think the best way to allow all children to succeed would be to eliminate homework.
Those tree worksheets look great. Do you know if they are still available somewhere? I’ve tried looking them up online but haven’t been able to find a download from the NYC site. Or have you been hanging onto them for four years?
James printed that at work and brought them home. I imagine he found them online but not sure!
Finally tried the search on the NYC site…don’t know why I didn’t try it in the first place. But for anyone else looking, I found it here:
Ah I love freshly baked banana bread. Those pears look so autumnal too! Your posts are always charming and wonderful. 🙂 xx
Hi Erin! More info about these tree guides please!!
They’re just tree ID PDF printouts from the New York City Parks department!
excellent, enjoyable links this week. one of my favorites! And, if teachers or schools “must” give homework, how about asking children to read or draw or create something?
I made chocolate chip banana bread the morning I was in labor (very early labor at that point, and I felt fine) and eating it with butter in the days after my daughter’s birth was heavenly and very bolstering (even if I was scarfing it standing up in the kitchen at odd hours).
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