rosehavencottage

Sandra, on your blog yesterday you wrote:

Unschooling should and can be bigger and better than school.

If it's smaller and quieter than school, more should be done to make life sparkly.

I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street, moved away.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Tracy

aldq75

How old are your children?


--- In [email protected], "rosehavencottage" <rosehavencottage@...> wrote:
>
> Sandra, on your blog yesterday you wrote:
>
> Unschooling should and can be bigger and better than school.
>
> If it's smaller and quieter than school, more should be done to make life sparkly.
>
> I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street, moved away.
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Tracy
>

Angela Shaw

Visit a riding stable and offer to help.

Angela


<Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Tracy>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

rosehavencottage

I have a son who will be 18 in January and two daughters who are almost 14 and 10.

~ Tracy

--- In [email protected], "aldq75" <aldq75@...> wrote:
>
> How old are your children?
>
>
> --- In [email protected], "rosehavencottage" <rosehavencottage@> wrote:
> >
> > Sandra, on your blog yesterday you wrote:
> >
> > Unschooling should and can be bigger and better than school.
> >
> > If it's smaller and quieter than school, more should be done to make life sparkly.
> >
> > I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street, moved away.
> >
> > Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
> >
> > Tracy
> >
>

Robin Bentley

> I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with
> finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going
> to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved
> to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street,
> moved away.
>
Have you connected with a local homeschooling/unschooling group yet?

Robin B.

rosehavencottage

No, I was hesitant to connect with a homeschooling group if we're not technically homeschooling. I don't know of any unschooling groups in my area.

~Tracy

--- In [email protected], Robin Bentley <robin.bentley@...> wrote:
>
> > I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with
> > finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going
> > to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved
> > to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street,
> > moved away.
> >
> Have you connected with a local homeschooling/unschooling group yet?
>
> Robin B.
>

lylaw

what do you mean not technically home schooling? are your kids in school? I thought you said they were considering it *next* year?



From: rosehavencottage
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 10:49 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Becoming Sparkly



No, I was hesitant to connect with a homeschooling group if we're not technically homeschooling. I don't know of any unschooling groups in my area.

~Tracy

--- In [email protected], Robin Bentley <robin.bentley@...> wrote:
>
> > I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with
> > finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going
> > to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved
> > to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street,
> > moved away.
> >
> Have you connected with a local homeschooling/unschooling group yet?
>
> Robin B.
>







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-No, I was hesitant to connect with a homeschooling group if we're
not technically homeschooling-=-

Aren't you homeschooling? Unschooling is homeschooling.
Are you kids in school THIS year? I thought you were talking about
next year.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

rosehavencottage

I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...

~Tracy

--- In [email protected], "lylaw" <lylaw@...> wrote:
>
> what do you mean not technically home schooling? are your kids in school? I thought you said they were considering it *next* year?
>
>
>
> From: rosehavencottage
> Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 10:49 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Becoming Sparkly
>
>
>
> No, I was hesitant to connect with a homeschooling group if we're not technically homeschooling. I don't know of any unschooling groups in my area.
>
> ~Tracy
>
> --- In [email protected], Robin Bentley <robin.bentley@> wrote:
> >
> > > I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with
> > > finances being so tight. Also, my girls are also considering going
> > > to public school next year in order to make more friends. We moved
> > > to this town in February and the one friend they had on our street,
> > > moved away.
> > >
> > Have you connected with a local homeschooling/unschooling group yet?
> >
> > Robin B.
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

lylaw

there are many home schoolers who use curriculum, so this makes no sense to me - home schooling groups that are not specifically about unschooling will be comprised of many different types of home schoolers, including curriculum users. if you want your kids to choose home, rather than school, then finding a group for social contact seems imperitive...
lyla


From: rosehavencottage
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 12:54 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Becoming Sparkly



I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...

~Tracy-=-

Then you ARE a homeschooler!

But... until you're not a homeschooler, the best of unschooling will
elude you, and the ideas for making life more interesting aren't going
to work the same way as they would if you were all deschooled and
confident that your kids were learning by doing what they chose to do.

Rather than discuss it on the list, then, please look at these links
and find ideas you can add to what you're doing.

http://sandradodd.com/checklists
http://sandradodd.com/strewing

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Robin Bentley

Then you *are* homeschooling. Even if you were unschooling, you'd be
homeschooling.

You can check for regional groups here: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/regional/Region.htm

In addition to the pages Sandra sent you, I'd also suggest this: http://sandradodd.com/deschooling

Deschooling for families who are doing school-at-home is as (or maybe
more) important as it is for those leaving school behind.

Robin B.


> I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...
>
>

rosehavencottage

Sandra, I "get" unschooling. Unfortunately my husband does not. He thinks kids need to be taught reading, math and spelling at the very least. That is why I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet.

Tracy

--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
>
> -=-I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...
>
> ~Tracy-=-
>
> Then you ARE a homeschooler!
>
> But... until you're not a homeschooler, the best of unschooling will
> elude you, and the ideas for making life more interesting aren't going
> to work the same way as they would if you were all deschooled and
> confident that your kids were learning by doing what they chose to do.
>
> Rather than discuss it on the list, then, please look at these links
> and find ideas you can add to what you're doing.
>
> http://sandradodd.com/checklists
> http://sandradodd.com/strewing
>
> Sandra
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

I also read your post on Unschoolingbasics that yours husbad does not support
unschooling.
That maybe a problem.
http://sandradodd.com/dads

If unschooling is going to be detrimental to your marriage  you may not be able
to unschool.

http://sandradodd.com/divorce%c2%a0
Alex Polikowsky

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pam Sorooshian

On 9/27/2010 1:47 PM, BRIAN POLIKOWSKY wrote:
> If unschooling is going to be detrimental to your marriage you may
> not be able
> to unschool.
>
> http://sandradodd.com/divorce

You can still learn a lot from unschoolers about how children learn and
you can use that to create a better environment for them. Even if they
go to school, there is better and worse. Just read, watch your kids,
think, read some more. Focus on bringing joy into your lives - when you
are making choices, think of two and choose the one that brings more
joy, rather than less.

But - that said, we can't help you "not" unschool, here on this list.
You can lurk and learn - but if you ask questions, you will hear about
how to really full-on unschool.

-pam

k

>>>I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...
~Tracy<<<

Social needs are still social needs ... no matter *how* you're
homeschooling. The needs of your children to meet, talk, and play with
others will be yours alone probably completely outside school. We know
school kids through church, playing at the park, etc., and that relies on
the parents getting children to events where they can interact with other
people.

So if you're not actually unschooling, that does not say you and your
children couldn't meet with and get to know other unschoolers. I'm sure
you'd be welcome to learn from others if that's what you're interested in.

~Katherine


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

rosehavencottage

I did find a local homeschool support group which I have requested membership from at only $6/year per family. The girls are excited about the opportunity to make new friends. We go to church, too.

~ Tracy

--- In [email protected], k <katherand@...> wrote:
>
> >>>I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...
> ~Tracy<<<
>
> Social needs are still social needs ... no matter *how* you're
> homeschooling. The needs of your children to meet, talk, and play with
> others will be yours alone probably completely outside school.

Jenny Cyphers

*** He thinks kids need to be taught reading, math and spelling at the very
least. That is why I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet.***

If you've been homeschooling and using a curriculum and your kids are 10, 14,
and nearly 18 and they don't know how to read, spell, or do math, I don't see
how homeschooling is any better than any kind of unschooling. Using a
curriculum is supposed to insure that kids can read, spell, and do math,
especially by the time they reach 18. A 10 yr old might still not spell or read
or do math with the ease of an older kid. Is that the child of concern?

There are ways that kids learn these things without a curriculum. There are
kids who finish high school without these skills and they've had professionally
trained people with all the "right" materials helping them.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

plaidpanties666

"rosehavencottage" <rosehavencottage@...> wrote:
>> I "get" unschooling.

There's a lot to be learned by reading, but when it comes to learning something that's both hands-on and social, there's a whole lot of learning that can only come by doing.

Read a little, try a little, wait a little, watch.

Until you try stepping away from the curriculum, there are aspects to unschooling you won't "get". Just like if you read and read about riding a horse there would be things that would seem to make sense... until you actually got on the horse and tried putting it all into practice.

Read a bit at all those links for idea and try them. Try describing more of the fun stuff in terms that help your husband see learning happening. Build up your confidence and his so that you can try some more.

---Meredith

Jenny Cyphers

***I am having trouble coming up with ideas of things we can do with finances
being so tight.***

Ideas don't need to be expensive. Ideas don't even need to cost money. Ideas
are ideas, they come from your head. Ideas start somewhere and they grow as you
feed them. It seems to me, that either you are lacking for any initial spark,
or you aren't feeding it to let it grow and evolve into new and interesting
ideas, ones you can work with.

An idea, any little idea can become something big and life changing. If you
take away any perceived goal, it might help. I have one kid who loves make up.
She's loved it so much that it's grown and changed and added to our lives in
ways I never could have imagined when I was simply supplying eye liner and
interesting palettes with time and interest on my part.

Being sparkly starts with a spark and then letting it grow without getting in
the way and simultaneously intentionally helping it get bigger.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-Being sparkly starts with a spark and then letting it grow without
getting in
the way and simultaneously intentionally helping it get bigger.-=-

Beautiful.

Holly said the other night that she was sorry she had spent so much
money on makeup in her life. She's 18. My parents didn't let me
wear makeup until I was 15. So I waited and waited and then wore
makeup. Holly was allowed to wear makeup and she wore it for real,
and played with it, and did art on her face with it. I would buy
things for her; later she bought some of her own, and was gifted with
makeup by women who used it and knew her interest. Now she's pretty
much done, for now.

Never in there did I attach to that, not by predicting what she might
do with it to make money as an adult, nor in judgmental ways about
whether she should not be using it, or using it differently, It was
just makeup. It wasn't morality or a future career that she was or
was not "succeeding" at.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-I "get" unschooling.
Meredith responded:
-=-There's a lot to be learned by reading, but when it comes to
learning something that's both hands-on and social, there's a whole
lot of learning that can only come by doing.-=-


Even people who "get it" (and demonstrate by doing it) still "get it"
more fully and more deeply several other times, later on. There is no
one single "getting it," because the parents have their own layers and
layers of history and traumas they might not even think about until
the child hits the age the parent was when Something Happened--
something scary, frustrating, sorrowful or confusing. And I missed
some of those by having a boy turn that age that came around when my
daughter did.

Here's a collection of "getting it" stories:
http://sandradodd.com/gettingit

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

aldq75

Have you searched Yahoo groups for free groups in your area? In some areas, there are a dozen groups (or more). I learn about all sorts of events by belonging to multiple groups. If your kids are really needing socialization *now*, trying more than one group would probably be better than hanging your hopes on just one.

Andrea Q

--- In [email protected], "rosehavencottage" <rosehavencottage@...> wrote:
>
> I did find a local homeschool support group which I have requested membership from at only $6/year per family. The girls are excited about the opportunity to make new friends. We go to church, too.
>
> ~ Tracy
>
> --- In [email protected], k <katherand@> wrote:
> >
> > >>>I haven't fully let go of the curriculum yet...
> > ~Tracy<<<
> >
> > Social needs are still social needs ... no matter *how* you're
> > homeschooling. The needs of your children to meet, talk, and play with
> > others will be yours alone probably completely outside school.
>

dola dasgupta-banerji

>>>>>>>>>>>Holly was allowed to wear makeup and she wore it for real,
and played with it, and did art on her face with it. I would buy
things for her; later she bought some of her own, and was gifted with
makeup by women who used it and knew her interest.<<<<<<<<<

Lovely, I do this with Gourika, my DD. I just do it for her because it makes
her soooo happy. She also loves flashy shoes and clothes. I indulge her for
her happiness for that moment.

Dola

On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 11:06 PM, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:

>
>
> -=-Being sparkly starts with a spark and then letting it grow without
> getting in
> the way and simultaneously intentionally helping it get bigger.-=-
>
> Beautiful.
>
> Holly said the other night that she was sorry she had spent so much
> money on makeup in her life. She's 18. My parents didn't let me
> wear makeup until I was 15. So I waited and waited and then wore
> makeup. Holly was allowed to wear makeup and she wore it for real,
> and played with it, and did art on her face with it. I would buy
> things for her; later she bought some of her own, and was gifted with
> makeup by women who used it and knew her interest. Now she's pretty
> much done, for now.
>
> Never in there did I attach to that, not by predicting what she might
> do with it to make money as an adult, nor in judgmental ways about
> whether she should not be using it, or using it differently, It was
> just makeup. It wasn't morality or a future career that she was or
> was not "succeeding" at.
>
> Sandra
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]