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Kitrina,
So don't you think that those people who hold close to the same ideals as you
have, and have lived them longer and with older children have nothing more to
offer than a newbie?
I'm sorry, but if I want advice on how to handle a situation, I would turn to
Sandra, Joyce or Pam before I went to someone that has just started
Unschooling. Not that I haven't gotten great ideas from less experienced
people. I have. And I love talking to a lot of different people regardless of
how "experienced" they are. So I don't think any bias or prejudice was
implied. But if someone holds dear, the very philosophies which I believe
strongly in, and has applied them MANY more years than I, it is natural to
trust those voices as having a better grip on that idealistic philosophy.
And being in my 30's now, I have learned that I have a whole lot more to
learn than I thought I did in my 20's.
I have become more humble and willing to rethink previous beliefs.
Not everyone comes into that in their 30's...no. But a lot of people do.
Ren

Tia Leschke

>Kitrina,
>So don't you think that those people who hold close to the same ideals as you
>have, and have lived them longer and with older children have nothing more to
>offer than a newbie?

But it's also quite possible that Kitrina might have a completely new idea
about something that's gone around for a while. Up to a point, I agree
with what Sandra said about reading more and posting less. But I also
dislike ageism, and would hate to see it taken that far. (I don't think it
has, but maybe it feels that way to Kitrina.)

My daughter is 26 now and had her first child when she was 19. She read
almost every book she could get her hands on about childbirth, babies, and
child-rearing. After Skye was born, she joined a mother's group. These
women were all much older than she was, but they had done no research at
all into how they were going to parent their children. They were basically
following the usual methods of our culture. They were always looking down
their noses at her and her "weird" ideas. (attachment parenting, etc.)
They may have had more life experience, but they didn't have more smarts
than she did. She was a very mature young woman at that point. I realize
the comparison doesn't completely work, but they could have learned
something from her, had they been willing to listen.
Tia

What you think of me is none of my business.
*********************************************************
Tia Leschke leschke@...
On Vancouver Island

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/31/02 5:27:34 PM, leschke@... writes:

<< She was a very mature young woman at that point. I realize
the comparison doesn't completely work, but they could have learned
something from her, had they been willing to listen. >>

I don't doubt that. I'm sure the newest unschoolers here would have news for
people who've never heard of unschooling. But on this list, in this context,
to come and explain to us things we already know, or to argue things on
theory that we know from experience would be as for your daughter to have
pressed to have equal time, say and weight on a La Leche League discussion
with leaders and mothers of four, or on the Continuum Concept boards, without
regard to whether the people who wrote the books were in there hearing the
summary fed back to them.

I think what's bothering me at this point is the repetition.

If issues are being discussed, we can decide whether the opinions are valid,
but ALL that is being discussed is that we should consider the opinions of
young people valid. Or consider their opinions regardless of experience and
age.

WHAT opinions? If the only opinion is "consider my opinion," repeating it
ten or twenty times should be sufficient.

Sandra