We modern humans don’t live in our “environmental niche” – the environment in which human beings evolved and for which we are optimized. Many things about the world we have created are non-optimal for our hunter-gatherer minds. Don’t get me wrong, I love my modern conveniences, and I am in no way suggesting that we should abandon it all and return to the savannah. Far from it – modernity, or at least many aspects of it, is here to stay. But let’s not be naïve – certain aspects of modern life are clearly hurting us, if not outright killing us, and an “enriched” captive life is still a life lived in captivity.
So, is there a way to understand the pain and suffering of “civilization” through the lens of captivity? How can we live a modern life informed by the subtleties and comforts of our evolutionary niche? How can we break free from the bars of captivity?
This blog is an attempt to answer these, and other questions, in addition to posing many, many more.
Full STEAM Ahead! Social-emotional building blocks of STEAM learning for preschoolers
The worst is definitely not over, people. Yes, let’s take the needed sigh of relief that the calendrical end of this nightmarish year might offer, but remember that, in some ways, the nightmare is just getting started. Hold on for dear life to whatever joy you’ve got left, and please, please, please, if you’re reading this: stay home as much as you can, if you can. Wear a mask. Avoid gatherings. Do it for all of us.
Frayed: An Elegy for 2020
The worst is definitely not over, people. Yes, let’s take the needed sigh of relief that the calendrical end of this nightmarish year might offer, but remember that, in some ways, the nightmare is just getting started. Hold on for dear life to whatever joy you’ve got left, and please, please, please, if you’re reading this: stay home as much as you can, if you can. Wear a mask. Avoid gatherings. Do it for all of us.
Reader Q and A: A Good Goodbye – Resources for Talking to Children About Death
Nobody wants their children to recognize their own mortality, and that of everyone around them. But death is a part of life. Let us strive to speak the truth to our children and help them to face bravely the many goodbyes they must encounter during this life’s journey.
This Holiday Season, Just Say Yes
The world has been saying “no” a lot lately. So I’ve made a conscious decision, and here it is: This holiday season, I’m going to say “YES” as much as I can.
Getting out of the House: Family Outings in Los Angeles (Physical Distancing Edition)
Just because you’re keeping safe doesn’t mean you can’t have fun
Love in the Time of Coronavirus
Let us uphold the three hundred million years of mammalian wisdom that course through our veins: the knowledge, baked into our DNA, that we must let go of the comforts of the past in order to welcome what is to come.
Lockdown Day 45: Keeping the Pieces Together
I’m not sure what it is about my parental role that has bestowed me with some preternatural sixth sense about where everything is. Nor am I certain how I wound up the guardian and keeper of things in this relationship. But perhaps more aptly, I’m very attuned to things being lost and missing, and desperately wanting them to be found.
Groundhog day, Passover, and breaking up the monotony of lockdown
In my last post, I said we were finding our rhythm, but when rhythm becomes too predictable, it becomes monotonous. What punctuates your rhythm?
Day 22: Finding our rhythm in self-isolation
Today marked day 22 of our self-isolation. I don’t know about all of you, but we’re starting to find our rhythm around here. For those who know anything about music theory, you’ll recall that rhythm can take many forms.
Parent Q and A: Help, my preschooler doesn’t want to attend virtual circle time!
What’s a parent to do when their preschooler doesn’t want to join virtual circle time? First, count your blessings. Second, join in and sing along!
Stories, Comics, Resources, and Giant Lists to Help Families Navigate the COVID Crisis
A Google Drive folder chock full of materials to help children and families understand and cope with the current state of affairs!
Resources for Families Living in “Interesting Times”
What a strange few weeks it has been. We have the dubious honor of abiding by the apocryphal old fortune cookie whose wisdom portended, “May you live in interesting times.”
Here’s some resources to get your family through all that interestingness.
Rebekka Helford, LMFT 