It's a Substack half-aversary!
Being a working mom is not easy. Is it ever?
When I became unexpectedly pregnant with my daughter, and after the confusion, joy, and fear that ensued, I had to rethink my career. Was I willing to hand over my baby all day while I taught other people’s kids? Could I even afford to? (If you live in NYC, you know). And if it turns out I could not, how was I going to balance my passion for educating kids with my own child?
I am not here to say that I have figured it all out. Circumstance carries a lot of influence over our decisions and circumstance is incredibly personal. Something I can confidently say however, is this newsletter has been a major part of my “figuring”.
In addition to my live teaching, for the last 6 months I have worked on building this space. Somewhere I can share books, knowledge, enthusiasm, writing, and inspiration for an infinite classroom of learners. On one hand I have fallen short of certain goals, and on the other I keep learning new ways to use this platform to give families something they can actually use that will be engaging, stimulating, and enjoyable for readers and writers of all ages and levels.
Not gonna lie, there have been lows. I continue to question the value this work has for others and to justify the many many hours I spend working as hard as I do. But what keeps me going is the wish I had as a young reader and writer that something like this existed. What keeps me going is the potential that one book or one prompt will lead to a new piece of writing, and a deeper love and understanding of what books can offer.
Starting something is hard. Building from nothing is hard. Balancing work, finances, and family is hard. But there is still so much I have to show you and so much to learn. I can’t wait for the next 6 months to share it all.
Before I give you a peek of what is to come, here are some highlights from the past 6 months. We read some amazing books. (Full units for each book can be found in the archives)
I’ve talked to some amazing people
And for the month of May, I am excited to share a new series I’ve been working on called, “Education Reimagined”. Where I talk to educators, parents, scientists, homeschoolers, principals, and folks in non-profits to ask questions about how to better serve our children’s learning. The first interview drops next week, so keep an eye out!
And lastly. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for reading these emails, for being curious, for caring about your kids and their development, and for giving me the room to find my way into something potentially incredible.
Here’s another 6 months!
Olivia
Happy half-aversary! I've enjoyed reading your newsletters.
It's been really cool to watch this project take shape. Great work.