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Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Sharing and Caring: An Interview with Tumbleweed Teachers about Meal Time(s)

One of the most difficult realities of the Covid-19 Pandemic has been that families are not able to come into our school.   As you all know, this means that so much of our life together at school is invisible to you unless otherwise posted on Instagram, sent via text/email, and/or through this medium, our weekly Newsletter.  Therefore, we wanted to take a moment to offer a glimpse at a part of our day that wouldn’t otherwise be seen- Meal Time.  For this purpose, I (Cody) interviewed Sam, Hayln, and Shianne, and this is what they shared:

Infant Cohort

Cody: In three words, how would you describe the Infant mealtime(s)?

Sam:  Intentional, respectful & fun!

Cody: Tell us why you chose one of those three words.

Sam: I chose the word respectful because infants' journey with food is such a new process that honoring each child’s approach makes a big difference! Each child may have a different interaction with food & as they have experiences with different whole & natural foods preferences arise! By respecting each child our meal times are very enjoyable to spend together!

Cody: What do you enjoy most about mealtime(s)? Why?

Sam: The process each day! For example Evie’s excitement as she transitioned from the blanket on the floor to sitting at the table in a chair after building those muscles! Watching Bella and Edie use sign language to express what they need. Watching Gideon smile and mimic his friends in his selection of what to eat next! Using positive language around meal time to encourage and demonstrate healthy attitudes and mindset towards food! 

Cody: Is there anything that might surprise some about that time together?

Sam: The children are familiar with the process and we can all sit at the table for up to 45 minutes!  Friends are often motivated by their peers at the table to keep trying and eating more food rather than cleaning up to play! 

Cody:  Is there anything else you’d like to share about mealtime(s)?

Sam: I wish I had had an exposure to conversations about where foods came from, how they grew, or were made into the delicious dishes we had each day, when I was growing up! Having a lush garden to contribute to our meals brings a full circle around how we energize and take care of our bodies! Infants find so much wonder through these conversations!






Toddler Cohort

Cody: In three words, how would you describe your mealtime(s) together?

Hayln: joyful, delicious, exploration

Cody: Tell us why you chose one of those three words.

Hayln: I think exploration is a big one. We try and retry a variety of foods prepared in different ways. We explore how to be with our peers at a table while eating. Lastly, we explore how to share the experience of sharing food and stories and songs. 

Cody: How have you seen mealtime(s) together evolve since infancy?

Hayln: when the group was younger, a lot of our work around mealtimes was the sensory experience of having different textures of food and drinks and what it meant to eat solid foods and drink from cups. Nowadays, with our mealtime routine established, we get to talk about the particulars of food - peels and rinds - and the experience is more centered around sharing a meal together. 

Cody:  What do you enjoy most about that time together?  Why?

Hayln: the best part about meals for me is the sharing of stories and songs in such an intimate space. We are united in the desire to share a meal (this group loves to eat) and lately we've added so much communication about the food or stories about everyone's home time, or even how to say "more" with language or signing. 

Cody: Is there anything that people might find surprising about your mealtime(s)?

Hayln: How much food everyone eats!  As the cook, I prepare a lot of veggies, protein, and grains and I find it surprising when I hear that all or most of the food was consumed at lunch time!

Cody: What else would you like to share?

Hayln: One of the parts that I really enjoy about mealtime is sharing in spoken and signed language. We have been practicing, since infancy, how to use our hands or words to communicate, and lately everyone has been participating with ease!




Preschool Cohort

Cody: In three words, how would you describe the preschool mealtime(s)?

Shianne: Silly, engaged, curious

Cody: Out of those three words, which one do you think encompases Preschool mealtime(s) best?  Why? 

Shianne: Engaged.  I think that’s seen through how we “check-in” in the mornings at the table.  And I think they’re all good at being both a speaker and a listener during that time.  They can switch between these roles well, which makes for some great mealtime conversation!  

Cody: What is your favorite part of that time together? Why?

Shianne: I love when everybody shares about their home life and their experiences.  For example, I like monday mornings when everyone comes in to share what they’ve been doing with their families.  I think it builds community!

Cody: Is there anything that people might find surprising about mealtime(s)?

Shianne: I think children expand their food palette based on their surroundings.  Without it even being spoken verbally, they come to appreciate various foods, as they witness one another enjoying all of what’s available.    

Cody: What else would you like to share?

Shianne: One of the things that the children do before every meal is choose a song to sing together.  Sometimes that song is something that we all know, and sometimes the child who is choosing decides that they want to make up their own words to an existing song.  And sometimes we all make up a new one together!  Because of this, I think that each of them has become more confident in their ability/creativity to come up with something new that we all can enjoy.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

On Resilience...

I remember a time when I did not believe in children.  I didn’t believe in their capabilities, their strength(s), and their resilience. Because of this, my image of the child was one of fragility and weakness.  To my credit, I worked at a mental health therapeutic nursery for children who lived in extreme poverty and continually dealt with the often traumatic realities of toxic stress.  However, my view of them was still too small, still lacking, still insufficient.  

And then I began to believe.  I began to believe that children are not made of glass; but rather, courage, strength, and ambition.  I realized they are not made of something to fear.  Instead, they are made of something worth celebrating…


Children are resilient humans.  They are all resilient in a diversity of ways- no matter the child, no matter the context. Skovholt and Trotter-Mathison (2016) define resilience as “the ability to bounce back” (p. 125).  With this in mind, the very act of being born into this world is a heroic act of resiliency. a fetus journeying from the only environment it has ever known, only to enter the brightest, loudest, and the most disorienting experience of their existence as an infant.  Though this example is an extraordinary one, resilience is also cultivated within the mundane.  Masten (2001) spoke to this ordinary nature of resiliency saying, “Resilience does not come from rare and special qualities, but from the everyday magic of ordinary, normative human resources” (p. 235).  In this view, even trying to put on a shoe or overcoming the common cold is building resilience within the child’s physical and neurological processes.  In fact, the absence of such trying experiences only serves to delay the emergence of resiliency (which could also be termed here as development).   

Children, our children of Tumbleweed as well as those outside our doors, are such insatiable learners, protagonists, and explorers in the celestial beauty of existence.  They are theory-builders, co-conspirators, and conduits of grace.  We have the opportunity each day to witness their resilient journeys, as well as offer them the freedom to encounter new challenges and struggle once again.  And each time they bounce back, each time they overcome, we celebrate their beauty and wonder at their continual maturation.  Yes, our children are resilient!

Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238. Retrieved from http://doi.org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu /10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.227

Skovholt, T., & Trotter-Mathison, M. (2016). The resilient practitioner: Burnout and

compassion fatigue prevention and self-care strategies for the helping professions (3rd

ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu /10.4324/9781315737447