What I’ve been thinking about lately – how we categorize Mighty’s things as “mess” that needs to be cleaned up and our things are “house” – as in that’s just how the house is.

That feels unclear. Let me explain.

Almost nightly as Mighty prepares for bed, we often tell her to take these socks that you took off, these toys that you brought down here, this book you were reading, these papers that you were doing your artwork on, this iPad, all of this stuff – take it back to your room or put it up.

But, I have forgotten socks on the floor. I’ve left my laptop. I have a table full of puzzle pieces. I’ve left a book open on a table. My scarf is hanging over a chair.

Why is it different?

It’s not that a daily effort of picking up and keeping rooms straight is wrong. I’m questioning how that is applied to all the folks in the house. It’s very possible that by this habit we are telling her that HER stuff needs to be contained. YOU, Mighty, need to be contained…in your room. The rest of this house, where adults are allowed to forget things, where folks are allowed to be messy, where we are allowed to leave things where they are so they can be picked up and continued the next day is not available to you.

I wanted to put “yet” at the end of that sentence…but I’m wondering if that actually applies. There probably is a whole bunch of other stuff related to “my” house versus “our” house that I’ve been working through. But Imma leave it here for today.

#deschooling #deschoolingoutloud #consciousparenting