Our July Review

Hi! It’s Erika and I’m back to share with you what we’ve been up to in July. I can’t believe it’s August already!

In the past month, I’ve been diving into some fun games with both of my kids. We found a new VR game called UnLoop that is a bit of a mind-bending puzzle with a lot of creative possibilities. It reminds me a little bit of Portal, if you remember that game. My oldest has been using UnLoop’s mechanics to make some really funny little video sketches. It’s been so cool! And my youngest has gotten back into Wobbledogs on PC as well as a new game on Roblox called Pet Forest. I love that we can enjoy exploring new games together and that we are all happy being at home when the weather is so, so hot!

And here’s what’s been happening at Living Joyfully!

Our July theme in the Living Joyfully Network was the next stage of the journey in Pam’s Unschooling Journey book, Accepting Others Where They Are.

As Pam shared, during this stage, we’re asking ourselves some big questions. Who still holds power over us? How? Why? Where does it come from? Why do we continue to engage with them on the see-saw of resisting their power and seeking their approval?

During the month, we talked about releasing the need to be right, releasing the need for approval, investigating what voice still has a hold over us, and how to show up fully as ourselves. This is such deep work!

As always, our conversations were so interesting. I particularly love the discussion that followed Anna’s question, “What was the "last voice" you've found harder to shake? Or what growth edge have your children helped you move through?”

Accepting Others Where They Are, as well as our amazing library of 75 other monthly themes (and counting!) is always available for you to explore as part of the Living Joyfully Network membership.

In August, our monthly theme will be Cultivating Kindness and Compassion and I can’t wait to dive in!

We invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network, a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents. It’s a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional ideas around parenting, relationships, and learning, and explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family.

We offer a free month trial so you can meet us there and see if it’s a good fit for you. Click here to join us.

“I cannot overstate the positive effect that being in the Network has had on myself and my family! It’s been invaluable in terms of learning about and discussing unschooling, but it’s SO much more than that. The focus on how we can best show up in relationships and the emotional support around that has changed the way I approach all of the relationships in my life. I have a much clearer idea of who I want to be, what I want to offer to others, as well what I want to receive from others, and how to discuss that with them. Parenting feels much less fraught - I’m not spending my time trying to work out what I ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be doing. Instead, I can track a path that works for me and my family - which means everyone’s needs are more likely to get met, and we’re all happier and more relaxed.” ~ Nora McDonald

This past month, we shared the next Foundations episode of the Living Joyfully Podcast with Anna and Pam entitled Recognizing Our Biases.

Let’s talk about cognitive biases! Commitment bias, confirmation bias, and negativity bias are common thinking patterns that can lead to errors in judgment as well as conflict in our relationships. Anna and Pam dove into how they show up in our everyday lives and how becoming aware of our brain’s tendencies can allow us to be more open and curious and to find more joy and connection in our relationships.

Listen to the episode in your preferred podcast player or listen/read the transcript on our website here. Or watch on YouTube.

We also continued our exploration of Pam’s book in a Field Guide episode, Shifting from Control to Connection. This phase of the unschooling journey is all about deschooling our parenting beliefs.

We talked about how parenting doesn’t have to be adults vs children, that children are capable of making their own choices, that equal doesn’t mean fair, how quitting is not a failure, and how strong relationships are the key. We also remembered to allow ourselves the time and space to grow and change. Our conversation was so much fun!

Listen to the episode in your preferred podcast player or listen/read the transcript on our website here. Or watch on YouTube.

We hope you enjoyed our episodes this month!

We so appreciate you engaging with the ideas we share through all of our work. The changes we make in ourselves and in our families ripple out and change the world around us! We are so glad you’re here and hope to meet you soon in the Living Joyfully Network. Wishing you and your family a wonderful month ahead! 💖

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