Stacy

There will always be someone who isn't 'okay' with your choice to UNschool. Don't let it phase you. When you hit public school age with your kidlets and you send in your intent to homeschool, put only what's necessary on the form (e-mail me if you'd like a copy of the one we use for Justin) and don't even bother to mention UNschooling...it's widely underrated and misunderstood.

Be patient, educate others. If it becomes completely stressful or annoying think of a one-line sentence that you can say, politely, to mind your own business. :)

((HUGS)) You are NOT alone!
Stacy Wheeler
Wife to Tim for 11 years
Mom to 7 year old Justin (autism)
tsjwheeler@...

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Sandra Dodd

-=-
Be patient, educate others. If it becomes completely stressful or
annoying think of a one-line sentence that you can say, politely, to
mind your own business. :-=-

I used to say "We're really liking it now. If we decide it's not
working, we can put him in school."

It shut them up and gave them hope (which was never realized <G>).

A friend of mine just a couple of months ago said she used to think I
had no idea what I was doing and that I was ruining my kids, but she
knows them (has always known them) and said she's amazed. And I
talked to her about unschooling for hours, and I know it's not going
to happen at her house, but she did finally ask.

Sandra

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Kimbrah

Thank you to everyone who has responded! I am so happy that I found
this group and Sandra's website! I can't wait until I have time to
read through everything.

I also found a group of unschoolers in my area who meet for a park
day, so that should be a good start to making new friends and learning
new things. I really like the ideas about having a one-liner handy, I
will have to think one up. I have so much to learn, but I think we are
doing okay so far. My husband and I have great ideas about how to make
things accessible to our children. My husband does graphic design, so
we have been designing this artwork for the kids rooms formed by
letters of the English alphabet, and when we are through with that we
are going to do letters of the greek alphabet. I'm really excited
about that project!

I guess the best example of hostility towards unschooling and the
reason why I am resolving to unschool would be from a good friend of
ours. She is a teacher at a local charter school that works with
homeschooling families. I had always looked up to her as this great
bastion of knowledge and read all the books that she told me to read
about learning. These included "The Well Trained Mind" and "Reading in
100 Easy Lessons." I was all set to start Karlos (3.75) on the lessons
at aged 3, but then John Holt's books gave me pause and I decided to
unschool instead. When I stated my intention to said friend, she
looked at me like I was crazy. I thought she of all people would be
supportive, but instead she told me about how all of the unschooling
families she knows are so far behind in school and she thought that
was ridiculous. This was told to me after she had just finished
talking to one of our friend's children who is in her charter school.
The conversation went as follows with A being the teacher and E the child.

E- can I show you my math lesson I did today?
A- Sure, let me see what you've got.
E proceeds to open math curriculum booklet which he has just begun
A- No, you opened it to that back, that's the hard stuff, we'll get to
that eventually, show me the front where you are.

Do you think when E gets to the back of the book that he will have a
defeatist attitude or not? After all, that's the "hard stuff."

Thank you all so much for reminding me that we are making the right
choice and to not worry about what others think or say. It has really
meant a lot.