Philip Mott

11/20/2023

Sometimes at the end of the day, believing the things I believe, I just shrug my shoulders and think to myself, “I understand nothing.”
It reminds me of one of my more recent mottos, “there is no influence in nuance.”

As much as we want our leaders and decision makers to respect the nuance of our world, it seems that those who have a more nuanced approach to their messenging lose their message a bit.

11/18/2023

On our family vacation to the beach! I kind of look serious but don’t be too quick to assume. I can be an irreverent goof off.

If you don’t know me or only recently started following me allow me to reintroduce myself; I’m a former elementary educator and longtime music educator. I currently teach drum and guitar lessons at a local music school.

I struggled in school myself. In fact, all my life I’ve struggled with my symptoms of inattentive ADHD. It was only very recently that I went through the process of being diagnosed. I decided to get diagnosed as I connected with more and more adults with ADHD who were open about their challenges.

These revelations brought about new conversations and tensions in my marriage that eventually spiraled me into a major depressive episode; I have never had a history of depression. I got my diagnosis and started a regimen of counseling, something I’m still engaged in. My counselor asks if I’m learning to cope with my ADHD; I don’t know and I’m afraid to say whether I am or not. I think my expectations of myself and my life are different now but not sure that constitutes as coping. I still experience heavy moments of regret for all the projects that I started and didn’t finish. My good friends remind me of the projects I did complete. One of my best friends told me that I’m really good at quitting things before I invest too much time into them, which he saw as a positive.

I use my experiences to write reflections and share insights about how children perceive themselves and the adults around them in situations where education and authority are involved (parenting, school, teaching, mentoring).

If that’s your jam then welcome to my page!

11/18/2023

I feel a little alone in this. I’m a little nervous other parents are going to think we are being lazy and not fun. Meanwhile the kids are probably going to be having a blast not arguing with any adults about whether they’re following the directions.

11/16/2023

I feel that many adults misunderstand the role peer pressure plays. Our children cannot become part of a group without facing some pressure to be like the other members in the group.

11/15/2023

I’m not interested in any discussion that starts with what children should be learning in a given environment. If we start with how young people are treated and how they are positioned within their own learning journey I will gladly be at the table joining the discussion!

11/14/2023

11/09/2023

If this concept is accurate and we also want truthful relationships with our children then the work of lessening our authority over them is serious business.

One of my good friends has suggested that removing our authority isn’t fully possible; I’m inclined to believe him too. But that doesn’t mean looking for ways to lessen our authority is a vain pursuit.

11/07/2023

Applicable to parents too. I’m reminding myself of this concept lately. I can get selfish and want things to be a certain way.

12/18/2022

I’ve tried to distill some of my thinking about how I respond to my children in “tantrum like” situations. I’ve been saying for a few years that children are indeed reasonable beings. However, biologically, there are times when reason escapes us all. Scientists have helped us understand our chemical responses to fear and intimidation which absolutely should affect the way we interact with our children when we are aware of the same things.

Find the link through my linktree if you want to read my thoughts on the topic. Or message me if you can’t find the link 😊

12/07/2022

I recall this persistent feeling from my younger years of adults looking down on the ways I invested my time and then lecturing me about hard work. I think more adults today recognize this hypocrisy and are working to correct it.

10/10/2022

I try to turn the tables as often as I can and empathize with the position my kids hold in life. For as much as we worry about protecting them from the dangerous things of this world we don’t worry enough about protecting them from our own trauma and biases.

08/16/2022

Been reading Devon Price’s new book Unmasking Autism. This quote spoke to me not just about Autism but about anyone who does not easily fit into the mold of normalcy. The book is really written for people who are or believe they are Autistic. I’m not Autistic and don’t believe I am on the spectrum but their writing gets me thinking a lot about my experiences as a newly realized ADHDer. There are some intersecting characteristics but what I share in common with Autistics is more around how I would attempt to mask my ADHD long before I knew I had it. Price writes with a lot of heart, experience, and knowledge on the topic. They are working hard to dismantle some of our most common Autistic tropes and compel people to learn how to take off the mask and get comfortable with who they are.