Hey! Visible Child is on Substack!
You've asked. We've listened. Here we are.
So what is this really?
At its plainest, it’s the newest project of Visible Child. How’s that for vague? I guess the honest answer is: I’m not entirely sure yet. I imagine that that’s something I’m going to figure out—or maybe we are going to figure it out together. It’s a place to write. It’s a place to include videos, and maybe a podcast at some point. It’s a potential home for all those who have spurned the F-book, something that I think about doing “on the daily”, as the Brits say (where did that come from?). It’s another time sink. We’ll see.
Why here, why now?
Ah, those are great questions. In the true spirit of “my people”, my first answer is “Why not?” But yeah, I know you may want more satisfying answers, so here goes:
First off, we need another place to connect with one another. At the moment, the only places to do that are on Facebook and via the Visible Child website, which includes a membership option and features the Visible Child blog, videos, resources, and more. There are upside and downsides to both. One of the benefits of the former, the Facebook site, is that it is free (always a good thing!) and the interactive Visible Child group there has ten years worth of archives built up, which can be a tremendous resource (even though the search engine of FB is one of the worst anywhere, nearly useless!). One of the benefits of the membership website is that it gives allows me to continue to do this work, and it offers a central repository for webinars, opportunities for interactive connection, and resources that is not beholden to anyone else’s rules.
But here’s the thing: A lot of people are leaving Facebook. There are LOTS of problems with having that be the central location for my work, the most important of which is that everything I write is subject to an algorithm created by people whose interests are not similar to mine. This means that while I have 55,000 followers there, most posts reach a tiny tiny segment of that community. It’s tough, financially, to do that volume of work on a volunteer basis. And a lot of people want a simpler, lower cost way of staying involved, and can’t quite make the commitment of community membership.
Substack seems to be the happy medium. I can write, I can post podcasts, I can even post videos or audio files here, and every one of them will come to you via email. So that algorithm thing doesn’t hold us back. And you can support the work of Visible Child with a small contribution each month, if you wish!
This doesn’t mean that the Facebook community is going away. It is much more highly interactive and mutual than this space, so it fills an important need. It just won’t be our only—or even necessarily our preferred—way of connecting.
Substack is also about community—so what will that look like here?
It’s much the same community—at least I hope so—as the community we have built together over the last 10+ years on Facebook. Parents, teachers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, therapists, and more, who want to learn about the Visible Child approach — an authoritative (not authoritarian), respectful, collaborative, child-centered model that places relationship at the center, while respecting the boundaries and needs of all family members. I hope that many followers from Facebook will join us here. And with any luck, we will also welcome new folks into our community!
What do I see happening in terms of my own involvement? I anticipate doing more on-the-fly casual posts and videos here, speaking to whatever comes up, speaking to the concerns that I see coming up again and again. It will likely be my first and most automatic place to post, so if you want to stay in touch in that sort of intensive way, be sure to subscribe here!
Do you have to pay to subscribe and get updates?
No. You can “subscribe” as a “free” member. Or you can become a paid subscriber. Here’s what the options look like:
When you click on “subscribe,” that takes you to a page that explains all the options. It does not obligate you to pay anything to become a Visible Child subscriber.
One of the choices is to have a completely free membership. If you choose that option, you will receive weekly posts from Visible Child, and you will have access to an annual Visible Child Zoom meeting.
There is also an option to become a monthly or an annual paid subscriber. That will give you access to ALL posts on the site, video posts, and the full archive. It also offers you the opportunity to engage in a more interactive way, through comments and the “chat” function.
You can also become a “Founding Member”, which offers all the same benefits as a monthly or annual subscription, plus invitations to occasional live Zoom meetings with Robin. And of course, it offers you all the good feelings that come from supporting the work of Visible Child!
Robin! Welcome to Substack! I feel very excited! Woohoo! 🥳🙌 Thank you for this community 🫶
Nice to see you on here!