Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
i interviewed suz for my Tablet column:

<http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/114624/brake-for-children>
  

    
I loved my chat with Marjorie and the resulting column! We'd never
spoken before. It was a treat and an extremely warm experience. 

I am eager to try geocaching and letterboxing. Glad you brought them
up, Amy. They sound like things my whole family would really enjoy. I
love the adventure and community aspects and the fact that this seems
to be a relatively novel way to enjoy both. It also seems like
something slightly older kids can do with their families.

And, Lisa, welcome to the discussion! That's great news about the
possibilities for later language acquisition. I love getting new
information like this that can really take the edge off the frenzy. 
  

    
We had an interesting forced experiment in unplugged parenting after
being without power in our house for 6 days. After the storm we took
walks and examined the aftermath, and the kids have played pretty
nicely indoors with school cancelled for a week. Lots of drawing,
reading, and playing with Lego and Playmobil. And they were helpful
with family tasks like drying dishes (washed in the bathtub when our
sink got clogged). The older two camped in the living room together. 

Even when we escaped to my parents' in Massachusetts for a few days I
was amazed to see them mostly keep the TV off. 

They really missed their school friends, so very glad school is
reopening tomorrow. 
 
  

    
And with that, we note that another conversation has started here on
Inkwell. Not that we're chasing you away -- far from it: this has been
a very active discussion. 

Thanks for doing this, and best of wishes for the book, <sooz>!
  

    
Thank you, Ed, and thanks Jessica for your enthusiastic and informed
hosting. And thank you everyone who participated in a stimulating
conversation! I will certainly keep conversing if people remain
interested. 

Jessica, I'm glad you have power, and perhaps some semblance of
normalcy (and of course, I hope everything else is all right.) I've
heard lots of families, in this instance and others, make note, like
you did, of the unexpected outcome of lost power. From experience, I'll
say that it's usually fun and novel for one day and night, if that, to
read and play games during the day and play cards and checkers by
candle or fire light (and huddle for warmth) overnight. But families do
report that forced time without power can be a nice brief change that
encourages family togetherness and low-key activities they wouldn't
have done otherwise, even by voluntarily forgoing electronic
entertainment (while keeping the lights and heat on.) Perhaps some
families who had your experience during the outages will choose to shut
down electronics in favor of other family activities in the future.
  

    
Thank you, sooz, for your wonderful book and for talking with us here.
It's been a true pleasure!
  

    
San Francisco Bay Area folks, I will be reading from "Fed Up
with Frenzy" at the Depot Bookstore in Mill Valley, THURS 11/29, 5-7
pm. I'll also give a snapshot of the state of childhood today,
and some tips for frenzy-free holidays. There will be a lot of time
for
discussion. Food and drinks will be available for sale.

http://www.facebook.com/events/441652639205136/