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In a message dated 2/20/2009 2:04:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Sandra@... writes:

<<<There is a parenting aspect apart from the unschooling aspect. To say
it's unschooling to let a toddler nap whenever he wants to doesn't
really make sense to me.>>>




I don't seem to be able to separate the parenting aspect from the
unschooling aspect. I had no concept of letting a toddler nap whenever he wants to
before unschooling. Nor breastfeeding when the baby wants to. Little
understanding that a child would eat what he needs and stop when he is full, regardless
of how "good for him" a certain food was. I really had very little *true*
understanding of balance. Or trust, for that matter. Or really, even partnership.
To me, all these things are part and parcel of unschooling. I don't know how
to separate them out, and really, I don't think I have the motivation or
desire to do so. Unschooling brought me to trust, balance and partnership and
I'm pretty darned sure I wouldn't have found them (or peace and this dimension
of joy!) without it.

It seems I can't find a way to make unschooling autonomous from parenting!
;~)

Peace,
De
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(http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000003)


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Lauren Seaver

>>>I don't seem to be able to separate the parenting aspect from the
unschooling aspect. <snip> I really had very little *true*
understanding of balance. Or trust, for that matter. Or really, even partnership. To me, all these things are part and parcel of unschooling. I don't know how to separate them out, and really, I don't think I have the motivation or desire to do so.<<<

I agree. I think attachment parenting has so many varied definitions, depending on where you look for information. I also feel like following your child's cues/needs in terms of what to eat, when to sleep, how to help them when they are upset, etc. gets fuzzier (at least in the ap circles I'm in) when it comes to toddlerhood. I've personally found the philosophies/ideas of unschooling very helpful in my day to day life with my toddler. I also feel like coming to unschooling while he is so young (under 2) is preventing me from needing to let go or undo of some of my school think/talk from my old life as a 'student' and 'teacher' later on (I 'taught' for 5 years). I've been able to begin my deschooling process much earlier, which has been amazingly helpful in my journey as a mother (and wife, and person in general!)

Actually, once I felt like I started to *get* what unschooling was all about, I realized that it does seem like a natural progression of the basic principles of attachment parenting, as I've interpereted them. But I needed to come in the 'back door' in order to see this! Finding unschooling now, in early parenthood, has been invaluable to me, and I'm so grateful for all the lists I'm on, those that focus on the little ones and the older children as well...


Lauren :)

diana jenner

> Actually, once I felt like I started to *get* what unschooling was all
> about, I realized that it does seem like a natural progression of the basic
> principles of attachment parenting, as I've interpereted them. But I needed
> to come in the 'back door' in order to see this! Finding unschooling now, in
> early parenthood, has been invaluable to me, and I'm so grateful for all the
> lists I'm on, those that focus on the little ones and the older children as
> well...
> .
>
>
>

It's always made sense to me, too, once I put the two of them together. I
came to unschooling at that toddler stage, when it seemed all the other
"attached" moms were becoming "mean" to their babes of yesterday. I didn't
want to move to that "school" stage yet and I wasn't sure how to fill that
vacuum. The unschoolers were the folks who showed me the Joy of enjoying
childhood :) The principles are the same for folks 2 - 237; that made a lot
more sense than some arbitrary forced separation date.
~diana :)
xoxoxoxo
hannahbearski.blogspot.com
hannahsashes.blogspot.com
dianas365.blogspot.com


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