November 2021

November is a month of LaterneLaufe (walk with lantern) here in Germany, typically organized by educational-units (Kindergartens, schools, etc.). My kids are homeschooled so we simply one evening spontaneously decided that we will just go around the neighborhood on our own. It was not a performance of a lifetime as we were singing one song on repeat or to be precise one or two lines from that song... but it did a trick of pleasing my 4 year old completely. Mission good-parenting his time was successfully accomplished without extensive effort... high-fives all around ;)

From work stuff, my new PhD direction was approved. It was a bit of risk and there is still risk involved but I proposed my own topic and methods. It was questioned and discussed but in the end of the meeting I heard from my committee that they are to support me in my plans and hope I succeed. So far so good… 

I have read two very different books but I would recommend both.

First was "Hold on to your kids" by Gabor, which was very helpful to build a mental framework for some aspects of parenting that align with my vision. Specifically, that kids do benefit from attaching to parents and important in their life adults as opposed to relying emotionally on their peers. I have myself been adult attached and even if not all aspects of it went as their should I believe especially in primary school and early teenage years it helped me to be more self assured. 

Second book was surprisingly good and interesting, it was "My body" by Emily Ratajkowski. The surprise was how relatable it was and how little focus was on glamour versus valuable discussion of relationship to ones own body.