I was asked by another zaadzster the following .....

"Maybe you can leave a message in this blog and leave me some tips for my adventure as a teacher….what should I know about communicating with children? How can I help them discover their potential for doing great things? What can I share with them?"

Here's my rant ...

Teach your kids that they do not need you. You are there to encourage, guide, love them, but you are not them, they need to learn how to survive without you. That’s the whole purpose we have as parents and teachers, to have our students not need us, to be able to stand on their own and run forward.

Teach them HOW to learn, how to know what they love and what they have natural talent and passion for. Teach them to do what they love. Teach them that falling down is the greatest lesson, all the greatest fall and learn a go on. Teach them to think for themselves, take chances, to be creative in how they accomplish a lesson.

Tell the whole class “I want you all to be able to do THIS  buy the end of this class" …”okay class now how are we going to do THIS”? Strategize with them, they will learn how to learn. They will learn that the world will not tell them how they are called to live only THEY can do that. They must learn to think and act and be confident in themselves.

Sorry to end this rant on a sad note but let’s look at it as a warning. I don’t see self-reliance in most children today. I see people who are living a fear-based life, always looking for someone to tell them what to do. I see frightened sheep; we need to raise courageous, kind, bold, compassionate, strong leaders and learners!

I Freeschooled my sons here's a brief definition:

Freeshooling Is living life in an instructive mode. Freeschooling is not being locked in a house, exactly the opposite it’s being free to learn anywhere, in any way, from anyone you choose! Freeschooling is learning on the beach, in your house, in a museum, taking a class, joining a club, visiting a business, traveling both in real life and taking virtual trips via the Internet and journaling your travels. It’s reading, writing, acting out, experimenting, listening to tapes, videos or talking to an expert about anything you wish to learn and become excellent at or maybe not even go that far with.

Right now if you, an adult, want to know how to do something how do you approach it? I hope you first go out and get all the info you can on that thing .. lets say you want to know more about Florida Architecture because Florida’s Architecture is beautiful to you, you may want to become an architect who specializes in this region’s architecture. Do you look for a college class perhaps degree in this or do you do the following?

1. Get and read every good book and magazine you can find on the subject
2. Visit the buildings both historic and new that are designed in this style
3. Google the hell out of it and follow the multiple leads that come from that
4. Find someone who is considered the best Florida Architect and contact him/her and visit them if they will allow and most will.
5. From steps 1-4 20 more actions will present themselves. Follow them.

Your done, you’re on your way, at the end of step 20 start doing it, actually at step 5 you can start designing, you must take steps and fall and take more steps.

Okay I just outlined Freeshooling. At the beginning of each year decide what you’ll learn and then go learn it. It’s simple, and it’s not simple, because it takes all of you to accomplish. So does a happy life.

I've been reading the comments to Brian's post "Zaadz Business Model". Interesting, I've enjoyed reading the different opinions.

The way I see it I have to do these 2 things pretty much the rest of my life:

* Give money to people in order to live
* Take money from people in order to live

I think its fine to be conscious of who I make this exchange with. I personally would like my transactions to benefit people who are doing good in the world. Basically I would like to support the ideals I believe in. I think that money is neutral, what you do with it, and who you support with it is not.

Here's What they say .... "The G Living Network is dedicated to weaving the new modern green lifestyle into the mainstream marketplace and lives of the average consumer around the world. It’s all about the next generation lifestyle we simply call “ G “:

Check it out =>

Nuff said ... I'm sure you can't image WHAT I'm talking about ... check them out here, It's our product, we've been selling them for about 3 years now:

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My whole life I never really thought about being a grandmother, I loved mine very much, but I never thought ahead about this time and place in life.

I become a grandmother 3 years ago, Nichole was born and the moment she was put in my arms I was changed in a way I never expected. It's AWESOME!

Today we cooked, we swam, we lay on our backs in the grass and watched the sky and the trees and the birds, we danced in the boat parked in the driveway. Today we watched "Over the Hedge" and read books and sang songs. This is joy ... pure JOY.

The first and last time, before last night, that I saw Eric Clapton was in 1974 in Washington, D.C.. I was in High School. He was waisted, so messed up that his show was terrible! We were mad, we paid .... what $20 each and he did not perform!!  Imagine, $20 bucks!

Anyway .... last night we drove down to Miami to see him and WOW was it awesome! He is an amazing guitar player, and the rest of his band is really incredible. The place was filled with Boomers and the vibe was so great! Gerritt, our oldest son came and he loved it proving that the music is what it's about.

I love concerts, I've seen so many in my life, I love it, I love it! Anyway if Clapton comes to town, go for it, his show is sweet!

Today is Nikki's birthday. Funny, I'm remembering more my feelings this day 3 years ago about my Son's Wife Marla than I am even about Nik (my grand-daughter). The whole Mother-In-Law thing has always made me cringe! The way I see it, Marla is my friend, she is the girl who joined paths with my youngest son and she loves and cares for the little boy I adore. It's fantastic!

What put me in awe 3 years ago today was how she shared the birth of their first child with Mike and I. How generous she was to allow us to be there, to hold Nikki hours after her birth, and sit in the room with them as they met this little human God gave them. I felt so much love for her that morning, I thanked her, I admired her generous spirit. That day was unreal!

To this day she shares her with us. And now she shares Riley, their 2nd daughter too. Of course you may say, after all she is YOUR grand-daughter, your son's daughters. I don't see it this way. I don't own anyone, not even the children I gave birth to. I'm privileged and honored to be welcomed as a part of their lives so much of the time. To be welcomed to the birth is the greatest invitation I've ever been offered. That's just how I see it.

Marla and Morgan are fantastic parents. A big part of this joyous time is just watching.

This is a picture of Nikki ... we went to Disney World in Orlando and inside one of the shops she dressed up like a princess, Sleeping Beauty to be specific. She believed she was her .. Oh man, it was amazing!

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