magenta_mum

You know, I think that getting really clear about my own values,
whilst being aware that other value systems exist, having some
awareness of the lived reality of different ways of being *and*
sharing all that with my child without imposing a one right way is
what I find most useful.

I have always allowed, and continue to allow for the possibility that
my own child may grow to choose to live quite differently to what
feels right to me.

If I am clear about living by principles rather than rules
http://www.unschooling.info/articles/article4.htm, and am not valuing
more accepted mainstream ways of living
http://www.unschooling.info/articles/article10.htm over other ways of
being I believe equally valuable, then my child has real freedom to
choose the course of her life, to identify, know and live by the
lights that are her own.

I do understand the difficulty of communicating this to folks whose
views are far from our own. I find short, pointful questions that
should provoke thought in the mind of the querent the most useful
tool. Some people will never get me, and that just has to be okay,
because I do have firm foundations for my choices and beliefs and
sometimes another's beliefs are too far from my own for either of us
to feel inclined or even able to forge deeper understanding.

Jo R