Barbara Mullins

Hello - We've been living an 'unschooling' lifestyle for more
than 1 1/2 years now, I was more of an attachment style parent when
he was younger but then (sigh) sent him to preschool for half a year
and then kindy for half a year (I didn't know about unschooling
then!) I can see in him that he is regaining some of the creativity
and joy he had before school but more 'deschooling' is still
necessary. Anyhow that just gives you a little information about our
background what I would like to have some advise on is how to help
him to realize there are other families like ours - that there are
other unschoolers - that it is okey for him to work on what he wants
for as long as he wants.
There are very few homeschoolers in our area and no other
unschoolers and he gets to play with other children rarely, although
the last 2X we went to the park he did play with another child
there. But the last several times we went to the homeschool playtime
he prettymuch played by himself, I'm thinking we should stop going.
He spends a lot of time at home working on building hotwheels
racetracks and creating scenerios, building with blocks, he watches
a few TV shows but I have found since he has unlimited access then
he won't watch unless it's something he is really interested in
(that's a GOOD thing IMHO.) He spends some time on his PS2 but even
more with his computer, but again it's not something he wants to do
constantly. I am hoping he will get better at typing and reading
soon so he can get some email "pen pals" that hopefully are
unschoolers, or just interesting nice kids - I just sense that he
feels somewhat alone.
He has TONS of books on every subject imaginable and sometimes I
read to him or we read together at his request, plus I think he
reads a lot to himself on the computer without even realizing it.
I'm not sure if I need to stew more things - I'm not sure what else
to do? I think he has investigated lots of computer sites, again he
has unlimited access to a computer with internet, should I try to
find more websites for him? I feel like he prettymuch has accessed
the best kid's sites available and done the games that he liked
until he is tired of them. I try to follow his lead but lately he
seems in a lull, should I just let him wait it out or try to
introduce something new? I really would like for him to have more
knowledge of other kids who are unschoolers. Are there any websites
yet directed more towards unschoolers, perhaps with chatboards? Is
there anything that I could say to him that would help him? I wish I
could remember what it was liked to be 7 so I could relate to him
more, to help him figure out what he really wants to ask for more...
Thank you for your suggestions! Barbara

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If he's not complaining, maybe he's fine.

As to stirring things up, can you leave town, visit something in another
town, maybe spend the night (or at least all a long day with lunch or dinner) and
be touristy? (Or maybe you can be touristy in your own town.)

After some real-life out-there, he'll play differently, and maybe look at
different websites, and work through connecting the things he saw and did with
what he already knows. It will stir things a bit, and you'll get to see what
sorts of things pique his interest, so that you can maybe follow through (a
little, not tons) on some things. It might help you both figure out some other
dots to connect.

Sandra


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