BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

A lot of people  value books over computers and TV. 
A lot parents worry that their children are spending too much time at the computer or watching TV and videos.

Those parents are not really looking at their children and they are not seeing all they are learning. They are focused on fear ,that in my experience , has not solid basis.

Both my kids have learned so much from TV and being in their computers. My son comes up with amazing things he learns everyday!  He is 11 years old and has learned to read playing video games online ( mainly Roblox ) and he is a pretty good writer and speller. 
But that is just a tiny bit of how much he got from not ever having his TV or computer access limited.
More than that I have embraced  it!  
Just this past week my son and I built his first gaming computer and it is a nice one!
http://pcpartpicker.com/b/ED1%c2%a0( pictures and specs)


 IT has even changed how dad views technology and last night it saved a cow's life, a calf's life and probably a huge vet bill.
One of our cows was due and we could tell she was going into labor but all day long the labor did not kick in. Brian, dad, mentioned that maybe it was a uterine torsion and that  is why the labor was stuck. We waited to give her time. In the evening he went in and found out he was right. The uterus had rotated. He was in the pasture alone with his Iphone so he googled  something called "rope squeeze" where you can get a cow laying down so we could flip her over and maybe get the uterus untwisted.

He checked and was 99% sure to which side it was rotated and got working on the rope squeeze.  He called me and I walked there to tie the gator ( vehicle) to the rope and help flip.  The moment we flipped her her water broke and her bladder also was emptied and we knew he got it right!

Not wanting to wait we got the baby's feet out and the contractions kicked in instantly. He jacked the calf out and she was a beautiful and healthy baby girl. 
My husband was so thrilled ! Gosh I was so thrilled!

A few years ago he would not been so open and had the idea of just  researching like that on his Iphone, which when I got it for him because we had an upgrade and it was just 99 cents-he complained and said he did not need and it was too complicated and now he uses all the time and it has not only brought him joy but lots of great thing culminating in last night save!!! 

But my husband has seen how much the kids learn and he is also healing from his school years  that played a number on him and left him feeling like he is not that smart. 

When the parents are watching how their kids are learning, when they embrace all that is available, when they ask themselves "WHY do I fear this? " they will  stop and really see unschooling working and their children learning. 
Many parents do not even  know why they are so fearful.  It is just that they have heard TV was not good and computers should be limited , at the same time books are worshiped ( Sandra has a great page on book worshiping!). 
A book last night would not have helped. A cow and a calf could have been dead and a vet bill would have been huge.
Thank goodness for computers and internet and smart phones! Thank goodness my husband learned from my kids to google and research. Thank goodness he is open to it. It challenges him but he can see it.

If you embrace it all *with* your children you will learn with them. More than you think it is possible.
You will trust unschooling and learning because you will be learning right along your children.

It is more than *letting them watch TV or be on the computer or playing video games*. You need to see the value by embracing and sharing the joy. At least seeing it and supporting wholeheartedly! 

You do not need to be a gamer to support your child's gaming! 
You just need to be the parent that is on their team, someone they can come talk to and you will know what they are talking about. Someone who is excited as they are that they beat a level ( even if you never played a game ever).

I love books, I love computer, I love TV, I love video games ( I rarely play), I love hiking, I love biking, I love Sponge Bob and Regular show, I love Anime, I love My Little Pony and Monster High, I love everything my kids love because I love the joy it brings to them and when they are happy and  supported I can see they are learning and growing and unschooling is happening in my house.

 
Alex Polikowsky

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