Hey friend,
We have a fun new routine here in Bumblebee Hollow where the kids come home from school and ask for screen time.
My line: “We all agreed you’re not doing screens on school nights during family meeting.”
And then they respond, “But, that’s not fair because… [the same argument they made yesterday].”
That’s my cue to remind them that they need to take care of their responsibilities before vegging out in front of screens. After an obnoxiously long debate, they agree to go do homework, or chores, or whatever.
And minutes later, they’re back to repeat the conversation as if it never happened.
Have they done any homework or chores? Nope. But we’ll repeat this routine throughout the day. I remind them that the family needs them to meet a few basic responsibilities before they get lost in a click-hole. And yet my 11-year-old insists he needs to first ‘search up’ how old his favorite rapper is before he can wash the pots we need for dinner.
Which… I wonder if that’s how you feel about these newsletters that I keep pestering you with.
You’ve told me what you need:
Simple methods to keep resisting while also juggling young children
Tangible ways to take action from home, locally, and in community with others
Insights, stories, and resources to guide tricky conversations with neurodivergent kids
Space to process helplessness and frustration against overwhelming forces when you have so little capacity to fight back
Instead of listening, I just keep throwing toolkits at you like a kid insisting the solution to every problem is just more screen time.
Listen, I know you’re in crisis - but have you read this book with your kids? Have you tried making a family diorama out of garbage so you can process your feelings about gun violence? How about you sign this petition? And this one? And this one?
So this autumn, let’s try something new. I’ll categorize the ways I can help into four tiers of support to meet different needs.
That way, you can get what you actually need to keep functioning. Here’s what that looks like:
Ignition Notes Newsletter (you are here) – the latest gentle reminders of issues that impact your kiddos with links to a single, non-overwhelming (!) bite-sized tool to help.
Ignition Notes Tip Jar – both the full newsletter archive and access to a videocast infodump series with expanded stories, insights, and resources. This provides more in-depth information about our latest Ignition Notes issue for families who want to dive deeper and explore additional ways to resist.
Luminary Braintrust – space to connect with caregivers facing similar challenges, plus a resource library of pre-made templates and time-saving guides for when you need to take local action and protect your community.
Winter Incubator & Summer Luminator - deep workshop collectives where you learn to pace yourself without letting everyone down, avoid common advocacy mistakes, and develop the skills you need to fight structural injustice without burning out.
I’m hoping this will help you grab the support you can use right away, instead of drowning in guilt and hundreds of unread open tabs on your browser.
This week’s call to action:
Leave a comment:
Before I start reorganizing in October, would this system actually help you resist without drowning?
Or do you have other ideas for types of support that you don’t see here?
Coming up next
We all have those moments when an issue we hadn’t paid much attention to is suddenly on our doorstep, shaking the foundations that make us feel safe.
Are you are in one of those moments? Or do you have a friend who is spinning out and want a way to help them? Over at Tangled Roots we’ve created a ‘Oh Shit. What do I do now?!’ map (it’s a working title) to help overwhelmed caregivers move from panic to intentional action.
I’d love your help polishing it! So I’ll be back next week with an invitation to join us for a collaborative session to work out the kinks and make it accessible for folks new to social justice action.
with you,
Ashia
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