Re: [unschoolingbasics] Digest Number 394
Jeannine
Hi,
I am new to this group, I guess you would call me a lurker I read and never post. I wanted to respond to Elaina about the self doubt that most of us unschooling moms seem to have now and then. I took my son (now 10) out of the system after second grade (long story). my Daughter (now 13) came home shortly after. She went back to school the following year because she couldn't fight the already ingrained system ways. I think the first step to being comfortable with unschooling is to de program our selves from the ingrained ways of the system. The school systems set up in the United States where based on German Mind controll systems as a means to keep society working as good tax paying citizens. Some where inside some of us we recognize and know that there is a better way. I am always amazed at what my DS knows but when I am exploring the world with him I am learning things first hand, not taking some workbooks word for it. Then it makes me wonder why was I amazed this is the natural way
to learn. Albert Einstine said knowlage is whats left when you forget every thing you learned in school. I am glad my DS can skip the step of having to forget all that wasted time and useless information. As for my DD I honor what she wants and how she wants to learn. She is doing fine in the system. but with the system comes the attitude of the system. I know if she would have been able to stay home another year we could have gotten more of the system out of here system. She had other ideas, I wanted to honor what she wanted for her life. imagine a mom who doesn't want her child to go to school and a child who wants to go? go figure. Any way thanks for sharring and allowing me to share. hopefully we can help each other with reminders that learning what we are interested in is far better then learning what we are told we should be learning. I use the word "we" instead of our children because as we unschool them we unschool ourselves.
Jeannine
unschooling in MA.
[email protected] wrote:
There are 4 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Help with Unschooling My Boys
From: Karen Kahn
2. Intro and a question
From: "Alison Barrows Ronn"
3. Hi everyone, new here and looking more into unschooling
From: "luv_my_three_kids"
4. thanks for your support
From: "Ren"
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 12:02:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: Karen Kahn
Subject: Re: Help with Unschooling My Boys
Hi Angela,
I'm enjoying this thread. I, too have 2 boys, 9 and 13. I've been worried a lot because they don't "do anything" that looks like schooly learning. I work on my own trust, and look for evidence of what IS working: how happy and kind they are, what they ARE learning. I focus a lot on the "strategy skills, reading and persistance" gained from marathon Gameboy days.
My biggest challenge comes from the fact that I, like you, have no unschooling friends around me. Everyone else does school or school at home, and disagrees with what little I share about my philosophy. Makes trusting yourself just a little more difficult.
Something I've started doing lately may sound really goofy, but it's been a help to me. I've started reading to them from the Core Knowledge series ("What Your First Grader Needs to Know"). I don't buy that kids "need" to know things at a certain time, but it's been reassuring to me, as I read this stuff (or skim through it because the boys say, "yeah, we know that mom"). We laugh about them now having a "Good Third Grade Education." But for whatever reason, I feel better having this brief overview for a a few minutes here and there throughout the day. And I've been learning things!
Karen
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________________________________________________________________________
Message: 2
Date: 8 Apr 2005 13:27:41 -0400
From: "Alison Barrows Ronn"
Subject: Intro and a question
Hi, I'm Alison, mom to three boys. After reading about homeschooling for
a few years, we just took the plunge and committed to not sending our
oldest to kindergarten next year. Rachel from Diaper Free Baby sent me!
So this morning my oldest decides he wants to set up a lemonade stand.
There's a lot of things he's doing that will make it difficult for him
to sell any lemonade, which is frustrating for him, but he doesn't want
much guidance from me. How would you approach this? I'd like to help him
make a clearer sign, set the price "right," and have him set up on a
nice day when people are walking by. There's a general question in this
-- At what point do you intervene to avoid too much frustration, and how
do you do it?
Alison
Mama to Parker 11/9/99 Mason 3/3/02 and Evan 3/29/04
http://everydaybest.blogspot.com/
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 20:33:54 -0000
From: "luv_my_three_kids"
Subject: Hi everyone, new here and looking more into unschooling
Hi my name is Elaina. I'm 26 and have a 7 year old DD, 5 year old DS,
and 3 year old DD. This has been our first year homeschooling. I've
noticed over the past few months that we follow a more unschool
approach. So I'm looking more into just what the unschool philosphy
is, what works for different families and just how do you get over
your own self doubts. Right now we are with a charter school but I'm
not sure if I want to use a charter school again next year. Mostly
since my DS likes to do the majority of his learning through watching
and talking about what he sees and the charter school makes you tuen
in worksheets as proof of schooling. My son would rather die than sit
still and do a worksheet. But then I come full circle back to my own
self doubts and think how can he learn if he isn't sitting down doing
any actual lessons. I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.
Elaina
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 04:28:54 GMT
From: "Ren"
Subject: thanks for your support
Angela
Howard's End Ranch
Dade City, FL
Dade City eh? Have you checked out the LIFE site to find unschoolers in your area, or the homeschool registry? I just bet there are others down that way.
If you ever visit Pensacola, there are plenty of unschoolers to hang with up here.
Ren
pensacolaunschoolers.com
"If you hold on to the handle, she said, it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you. "
--Brian Andreas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics/
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I am new to this group, I guess you would call me a lurker I read and never post. I wanted to respond to Elaina about the self doubt that most of us unschooling moms seem to have now and then. I took my son (now 10) out of the system after second grade (long story). my Daughter (now 13) came home shortly after. She went back to school the following year because she couldn't fight the already ingrained system ways. I think the first step to being comfortable with unschooling is to de program our selves from the ingrained ways of the system. The school systems set up in the United States where based on German Mind controll systems as a means to keep society working as good tax paying citizens. Some where inside some of us we recognize and know that there is a better way. I am always amazed at what my DS knows but when I am exploring the world with him I am learning things first hand, not taking some workbooks word for it. Then it makes me wonder why was I amazed this is the natural way
to learn. Albert Einstine said knowlage is whats left when you forget every thing you learned in school. I am glad my DS can skip the step of having to forget all that wasted time and useless information. As for my DD I honor what she wants and how she wants to learn. She is doing fine in the system. but with the system comes the attitude of the system. I know if she would have been able to stay home another year we could have gotten more of the system out of here system. She had other ideas, I wanted to honor what she wanted for her life. imagine a mom who doesn't want her child to go to school and a child who wants to go? go figure. Any way thanks for sharring and allowing me to share. hopefully we can help each other with reminders that learning what we are interested in is far better then learning what we are told we should be learning. I use the word "we" instead of our children because as we unschool them we unschool ourselves.
Jeannine
unschooling in MA.
[email protected] wrote:
There are 4 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Help with Unschooling My Boys
From: Karen Kahn
2. Intro and a question
From: "Alison Barrows Ronn"
3. Hi everyone, new here and looking more into unschooling
From: "luv_my_three_kids"
4. thanks for your support
From: "Ren"
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 12:02:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: Karen Kahn
Subject: Re: Help with Unschooling My Boys
Hi Angela,
I'm enjoying this thread. I, too have 2 boys, 9 and 13. I've been worried a lot because they don't "do anything" that looks like schooly learning. I work on my own trust, and look for evidence of what IS working: how happy and kind they are, what they ARE learning. I focus a lot on the "strategy skills, reading and persistance" gained from marathon Gameboy days.
My biggest challenge comes from the fact that I, like you, have no unschooling friends around me. Everyone else does school or school at home, and disagrees with what little I share about my philosophy. Makes trusting yourself just a little more difficult.
Something I've started doing lately may sound really goofy, but it's been a help to me. I've started reading to them from the Core Knowledge series ("What Your First Grader Needs to Know"). I don't buy that kids "need" to know things at a certain time, but it's been reassuring to me, as I read this stuff (or skim through it because the boys say, "yeah, we know that mom"). We laugh about them now having a "Good Third Grade Education." But for whatever reason, I feel better having this brief overview for a a few minutes here and there throughout the day. And I've been learning things!
Karen
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 2
Date: 8 Apr 2005 13:27:41 -0400
From: "Alison Barrows Ronn"
Subject: Intro and a question
Hi, I'm Alison, mom to three boys. After reading about homeschooling for
a few years, we just took the plunge and committed to not sending our
oldest to kindergarten next year. Rachel from Diaper Free Baby sent me!
So this morning my oldest decides he wants to set up a lemonade stand.
There's a lot of things he's doing that will make it difficult for him
to sell any lemonade, which is frustrating for him, but he doesn't want
much guidance from me. How would you approach this? I'd like to help him
make a clearer sign, set the price "right," and have him set up on a
nice day when people are walking by. There's a general question in this
-- At what point do you intervene to avoid too much frustration, and how
do you do it?
Alison
Mama to Parker 11/9/99 Mason 3/3/02 and Evan 3/29/04
http://everydaybest.blogspot.com/
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 20:33:54 -0000
From: "luv_my_three_kids"
Subject: Hi everyone, new here and looking more into unschooling
Hi my name is Elaina. I'm 26 and have a 7 year old DD, 5 year old DS,
and 3 year old DD. This has been our first year homeschooling. I've
noticed over the past few months that we follow a more unschool
approach. So I'm looking more into just what the unschool philosphy
is, what works for different families and just how do you get over
your own self doubts. Right now we are with a charter school but I'm
not sure if I want to use a charter school again next year. Mostly
since my DS likes to do the majority of his learning through watching
and talking about what he sees and the charter school makes you tuen
in worksheets as proof of schooling. My son would rather die than sit
still and do a worksheet. But then I come full circle back to my own
self doubts and think how can he learn if he isn't sitting down doing
any actual lessons. I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.
Elaina
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 04:28:54 GMT
From: "Ren"
Subject: thanks for your support
Angela
Howard's End Ranch
Dade City, FL
Dade City eh? Have you checked out the LIFE site to find unschoolers in your area, or the homeschool registry? I just bet there are others down that way.
If you ever visit Pensacola, there are plenty of unschoolers to hang with up here.
Ren
pensacolaunschoolers.com
"If you hold on to the handle, she said, it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you. "
--Brian Andreas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics/
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Make Yahoo! your home page
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]