Off with the fairies

Fairies have come up a few times these last few weeks...it must be time to pay attention.:)
Sierra has a hidden spot up along the property line where she has begun to build houses for the fairies. It started with one house and now she wants to make a village for them.



One thread at Unschooling Basics recently was about children who were "off with the fairies" and how quickly those behaviors get discounted by adults, especially in school. I was often away with the fairies in my own mind and got remarks on my report card like "daydreams too much" or "doesn't pay attention". As if it's a bad thing to daydream too much. What is "too much" anyway? It wasn't enough for me.

I WAS paying attention though, just not to the things they thought worthy. I'm glad my own children can be off with their fairies all they need, or wherever else their minds decide to go and stay as long as they wish.

Patti Digh wrote a post today at the "37 days" blog titled "Catalog your fairies".
In it, she ends with some good advice about honoring a child for exactly what they see and feel.

I think we will create a small bin of fairy materials. Sticks, stones, moss and whatever materials needed to build them some comfortable homes. After all, what is a garden without a few fairies stopping by?