Claire

If not for unschooling my daughter Ashlin would've started school today. (In Australia the academic year runs from late Jan to mid Dec.) So this is it - we are officially unschooling! Several of Ashlin's friends started school today, so I've been hearing lots over the last few months about uniforms, lunch boxes, drop-off and pick-up, blah blah blah. Several mums have been quite open about the fact that starting school marks the end of their time as the primary influence in their children's lives. I found it a bit sad that they could be so matter-of-fact about what seems to me to be a significant separation from their children.

All I can think is that this is so much the right decision for us. We had a lovely day today playing with toy animals, going to the park, going to a kids' music session, watching Harry Potter. Unschooling is fantastic!

Claire

Sandra Dodd

-=-If not for unschooling my daughter Ashlin would've started school
today. (In Australia the academic year runs from late Jan to mid Dec.)
-=-

AH! Maybe that's why I've been selling what seemed like an inordinate
number of books to Australia. It was schoolyear decision/inspiration
time! Thanks for that; I never knew that. I'll go and google
somewhere to see what holiday breaks there are in there.

-=- Several mums have been quite open about the fact that starting
school marks the end of their time as the primary influence in their
children's lives. I found it a bit sad that they could be so matter-of-
fact about what seems to me to be a significant separation from their
children. -=-

But it is, literally, a matter of fact, when school is accepted as
natural and inevitable.

-=-All I can think is that this is so much the right decision for us.
We had a lovely day today playing with toy animals, going to the park,
going to a kids' music session, watching Harry Potter. Unschooling is
fantastic! -=-

Beautiful. So many other kids had such other things happening that day.

Sandra




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Pam Sorooshian

> -=-All I can think is that this is so much the right decision for us.
> We had a lovely day today playing with toy animals, going to the park,
> going to a kids' music session, watching Harry Potter. Unschooling is
> fantastic! -=-
>
> Beautiful. So many other kids had such other things happening that day.
>
>
I couldn't help thinking of all those children going to their very very
scary first day of kindergarten and crying for their mums who tore
themselves away and went home to cry alone.

And I'm glad to hear of someone who played with toy animals and went to
the park, instead!!

-pam

Carrie Labinski

Good for you!! I remember the feeling I had when I watched the bus pick
up the neighbor kids at the start of the school year which would have
been my daughter's first day. I have not regretted my decision to keep
her home and we are enjoying "unschooling" more than I dreamed! Enjoy,
Carrie


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Helen Cain

At 03:59 AM 2/02/2010, you wrote:
>
>
>-=-If not for unschooling my daughter Ashlin would've started school
>today. (In Australia the academic year runs from late Jan to mid Dec.)
>-=-
>
>AH! Maybe that's why I've been selling what seemed like an inordinate
>number of books to Australia. It was schoolyear decision/inspiration
>time! Thanks for that; I never knew that. I'll go and google
>somewhere to see what holiday breaks there are in there.

Plus the exchange rate between the Aussie dollar and the US dollar
was really good -- as high as 93 US cents to $1 Aussie. (About 5
years ago it was as low as 50 US cents to $1 Aus, so it makes a
really big difference.) I've been on a spending spree buying books
from Amazon (and from The Book Depository in the UK -- free postage
to Australia!) I'll have to hurry and order your book, Sandra, it's
been on my list and the US dollar is starting to rise again, so it
will cost more if I wait too long.

Cheers
Helen in Melbourne, Australia