Still waiting
Ren Allen
"The months pass by, still offering stuff on a daily basis, but they
wont
even leave the house for our homeschool group trip to the Narnia
premiere/party! Is this a stage? He doesn't want to go anywhere. My 7
yo just follows his lead."
It might be a stage...but instead of the 7 y.o. just following his
lead, why don't you take the 7y.o. and do some fun stuff with just the
two of you.
Don't wait for him to ask, just say "hey, we're going to the Narnia
premiere party do you want to join us?" (if the 7 y.o. thinks it
sounds fun)
I don't wait for people to WANT to do stuff, I find stuff I think
sounds fun and plan it. I say "hey guys, I want to go into downtown
Jonesborough for the Christmas parade on Saturday night, who wants to
come?"
Ren
wont
even leave the house for our homeschool group trip to the Narnia
premiere/party! Is this a stage? He doesn't want to go anywhere. My 7
yo just follows his lead."
It might be a stage...but instead of the 7 y.o. just following his
lead, why don't you take the 7y.o. and do some fun stuff with just the
two of you.
Don't wait for him to ask, just say "hey, we're going to the Narnia
premiere party do you want to join us?" (if the 7 y.o. thinks it
sounds fun)
I don't wait for people to WANT to do stuff, I find stuff I think
sounds fun and plan it. I say "hey guys, I want to go into downtown
Jonesborough for the Christmas parade on Saturday night, who wants to
come?"
Ren
Pamela Sorooshian
On Dec 8, 2005, at 3:05 PM, Ren Allen wrote:
away from the tv/video games. Find other things to offer that you
genuinely are, yourself, excited about and think they'll really enjoy.
Tomorrow we're going to see "Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star
Wars," - a collection of more than 100 costumes, accessories, and
props from all six Star Wars films.
I didn't "offer" this in order to entice the kids away from playing
"SIMS" or away from hours of chatting with online friends or away
from watching episodes of LOST over and over and over .... <G>
I heard about it and thought - "Wow, I bet one or more of my kids and
their friends would LOVE to see this." That's a very different thing
than trying to come up with things that will entice them away from
something they're currently really enjoying.
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I don't wait for people to WANT to do stuff, I find stuff I thinkRight. AND - don't find other things to offer "in order to" get them
> sounds fun and plan it. I say "hey guys, I want to go into downtown
> Jonesborough for the Christmas parade on Saturday night, who wants to
> come?"
away from the tv/video games. Find other things to offer that you
genuinely are, yourself, excited about and think they'll really enjoy.
Tomorrow we're going to see "Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star
Wars," - a collection of more than 100 costumes, accessories, and
props from all six Star Wars films.
I didn't "offer" this in order to entice the kids away from playing
"SIMS" or away from hours of chatting with online friends or away
from watching episodes of LOST over and over and over .... <G>
I heard about it and thought - "Wow, I bet one or more of my kids and
their friends would LOVE to see this." That's a very different thing
than trying to come up with things that will entice them away from
something they're currently really enjoying.
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
"But I am not interested in video games/tv. Should I fake it?"
Sort of.:)
I am not really into video games, I think my brain is just not wired
for most of what my boys play (maybe that's a cop-out, but MAN it
hurst my head). BUT, I do sit near them sometimes, ask questions
about how the game is played, try to understand their fascination
with it (because if I believe they are creative geniuses, then their
games MUST be really important, right?), and help support that
interest.
When I'm out and about, I look for magazines on the games they like,
I notice similar games and mention those to my kids, I simply try to
be part of their world. And guess what? They come to me for help,
they ask me for advice, they even share the fact that they hacked a
game with me...so I here about a lot of stuff I probably wouldn't,
just by honoring their interest as valid and worthy.
I don't play the games with them ususally, just don't care to...but
I'm still validating their interest by learning about it and showing
an interest in the things they love. I help them buy games when I
have the money, I completely support their love...THAT is what you
need to "fake" if you have to.
I've actually learned an appreciation for a lot of their interests,
that I wouldn't have if I didn't try to enter their world.
And wow, we've learned a lot of cool stuff by watching tv together.
Just sit and watch one of their shows, ask questions about it,
mention the cool stuff and LOOK for all the connections....you'll be
surprised at what you find in the seemingly "dumb" shows.
Tv is amazingly complex these days. I was just reading in "Time"
magazine about the difference between shows of our childhood vs. now
and how much more THINKING has to take place. Very cool.
Ren
Sort of.:)
I am not really into video games, I think my brain is just not wired
for most of what my boys play (maybe that's a cop-out, but MAN it
hurst my head). BUT, I do sit near them sometimes, ask questions
about how the game is played, try to understand their fascination
with it (because if I believe they are creative geniuses, then their
games MUST be really important, right?), and help support that
interest.
When I'm out and about, I look for magazines on the games they like,
I notice similar games and mention those to my kids, I simply try to
be part of their world. And guess what? They come to me for help,
they ask me for advice, they even share the fact that they hacked a
game with me...so I here about a lot of stuff I probably wouldn't,
just by honoring their interest as valid and worthy.
I don't play the games with them ususally, just don't care to...but
I'm still validating their interest by learning about it and showing
an interest in the things they love. I help them buy games when I
have the money, I completely support their love...THAT is what you
need to "fake" if you have to.
I've actually learned an appreciation for a lot of their interests,
that I wouldn't have if I didn't try to enter their world.
And wow, we've learned a lot of cool stuff by watching tv together.
Just sit and watch one of their shows, ask questions about it,
mention the cool stuff and LOOK for all the connections....you'll be
surprised at what you find in the seemingly "dumb" shows.
Tv is amazingly complex these days. I was just reading in "Time"
magazine about the difference between shows of our childhood vs. now
and how much more THINKING has to take place. Very cool.
Ren
[email protected]
On the video game thing.... a plus... Playing video games is also GREAT for
hand-eye coordination. My husband and I were watching some medical show years
ago in which they were doing a very difficult brain tumor removal, using a
video screen and teeny, tiny fiboroptics... after the procedure was done, they
interviewed the neurosurgeon about his skills at doing the surgery and he
said that, honestly, years of playing video games helped him be able to manuver
the tools while watching on the screen.
So, maybe one day, all these video game playing kiddos (including mine!!)
could become very good doctors and save lives!
Jenny
Unschooling in Greenfield, MA
Danny (12-1-99), Kelsey (11-1-01) and Evelyn (5-19-04)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as
that every child should be given the wish to learn. ~John Lubbock
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
hand-eye coordination. My husband and I were watching some medical show years
ago in which they were doing a very difficult brain tumor removal, using a
video screen and teeny, tiny fiboroptics... after the procedure was done, they
interviewed the neurosurgeon about his skills at doing the surgery and he
said that, honestly, years of playing video games helped him be able to manuver
the tools while watching on the screen.
So, maybe one day, all these video game playing kiddos (including mine!!)
could become very good doctors and save lives!
Jenny
Unschooling in Greenfield, MA
Danny (12-1-99), Kelsey (11-1-01) and Evelyn (5-19-04)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as
that every child should be given the wish to learn. ~John Lubbock
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
"The 12 year old only went to K. the seven year old never went. We have
never been school-at-home types. We really never had to deschool. But
OK... we will give it more time."
Maybe it shouldn't be called deschooling. I know that in my case, my
kids didn't have school in their heads really...we were pretty
relaxed. But because I'd been negative about the whole tv/video game
thing, they needed to deprogram from THAT.
So your kids might not need "deschooling" really, as much as just
trusting you over the tv/video gaming issues. It's a similar kind of
decompressing, it just has more to do with trust than anything school
related.
Ren
never been school-at-home types. We really never had to deschool. But
OK... we will give it more time."
Maybe it shouldn't be called deschooling. I know that in my case, my
kids didn't have school in their heads really...we were pretty
relaxed. But because I'd been negative about the whole tv/video game
thing, they needed to deprogram from THAT.
So your kids might not need "deschooling" really, as much as just
trusting you over the tv/video gaming issues. It's a similar kind of
decompressing, it just has more to do with trust than anything school
related.
Ren
Ann
Ren Allen <starsuncloud@...> wrote: So your kids might not need "deschooling" really, as much as just
trusting you over the tv/video gaming issues. It's a similar kind of
decompressing, it just has more to do with trust than anything school
related.
Ren
__________________
I think trust is a huge issue. Especially in the beginning. I learned that my kids needed to know that is was OK to say NO before they could even want to say YES. If I was really excited and invested in them going somewhere or doing something that would almost be a kiss of death. But if I was doing something just because I genuinely wanted to and would be doing it even if they chose not to, SOMETIMES, not always, they would become very entusiastic about joining me. If they thought I was disapproving of tv or video games it would be very difficult for them to want to do other things.
Ann
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
trusting you over the tv/video gaming issues. It's a similar kind of
decompressing, it just has more to do with trust than anything school
related.
Ren
__________________
I think trust is a huge issue. Especially in the beginning. I learned that my kids needed to know that is was OK to say NO before they could even want to say YES. If I was really excited and invested in them going somewhere or doing something that would almost be a kiss of death. But if I was doing something just because I genuinely wanted to and would be doing it even if they chose not to, SOMETIMES, not always, they would become very entusiastic about joining me. If they thought I was disapproving of tv or video games it would be very difficult for them to want to do other things.
Ann
SPONSORED LINKS
Secondary school education Graduate school education Home school education Graduate school education online High school education Chicago school education
---------------------------------
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
Visit your group "unschoolingbasics" on the web.
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
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Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Mother Earth (Tyra)
This thread has been so helpful for me. Despite my view of myself as a really attached and connected mother, as a result of this thread I am realizing that I have some work to do. It is making me realize the importance of really getting into my son's world and I am seeing how doing so will help me to understand him on a deeper level as well as be even more connected. I struggle like the other mother with not being interested in what my son is watching on TV. I am getting to the place where I cannot stand the Disney channel. Poor fellow, we have never had the Disney channel until recently so I guess he is catching up on lost time. But, so many of you are saying that so much can come from us participating in these activities, that they branch off into other things.
I also am realizing on this unschooling journey just how different my son and I are. I am a book person. I always have been. At this point, he likes books but he likes TV way more. I am having to deprogram myself more than my son because I often hear what I have read: "Read to a child early on and you will have a child who loves to learn." I have to make sure that I forget what the "experts" say and just follow the guidance of my son and myself when it comes to how he will learn. TRUST. What an important word. Thank you to the original poster and all who have commented because this is so helpful!
Peace
TYra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I also am realizing on this unschooling journey just how different my son and I are. I am a book person. I always have been. At this point, he likes books but he likes TV way more. I am having to deprogram myself more than my son because I often hear what I have read: "Read to a child early on and you will have a child who loves to learn." I have to make sure that I forget what the "experts" say and just follow the guidance of my son and myself when it comes to how he will learn. TRUST. What an important word. Thank you to the original poster and all who have commented because this is so helpful!
Peace
TYra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Robyn Coburn
<<<< I am getting to the place where I cannot stand the Disney channel. >>>>
Oh yes...the repeated programming cycling through the day...the continual
replays of the same promos...but at least it is free of product
advertisements (not Toon Disney which is Basic cable and does have ads), and
Jayn is always interested in those biographical snippets about kids
collecting or engaging in unusual hobbies.
Robyn L. Coburn
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Oh yes...the repeated programming cycling through the day...the continual
replays of the same promos...but at least it is free of product
advertisements (not Toon Disney which is Basic cable and does have ads), and
Jayn is always interested in those biographical snippets about kids
collecting or engaging in unusual hobbies.
Robyn L. Coburn
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.13.13/197 - Release Date: 12/9/2005