lefty1foot

I'm feeling momentarily stuck! My 9 & 7 year olds are being questioned by their schooled peers parents. The typical what did you do in school today? What did you do for science? Did you do math today? type questions. The questioning comes from neighbors and seems to happen when my guys are playing inside of their house. Our kids play together regularly. The parents are very well just trying to make conversation not realizing there's more to a child's life than school. However, their concept specific questioning isn't clear to my guys and has my mind spinning trying to help with response ideas. Although brainstorming response ideas isn't new, when it comes to this type of questioning I'm having a difficult time. We don't live in a world broken into subjects. My kids nor do I want to be put in a position of explaining how we live. Especially to those that won't get it. I wanted to put this out to all your thoughtful minds hoping to have some response ideas to share with my kiddos before today's potential inquiries begin. Thank you much!
~Susan

Gwen

Megan, now 8, developed a standard answer of "I like animals." and then she'd either talk about whatever animal had her interest at the moment or she'd change the subject.  In our experience, most adults aren't really that interested in the answer - it is just the only way they can think of to talk to a child.

Gwen

--- On Wed, 9/2/09, lefty1foot <lefty1foot@...> wrote:

I'm feeling momentarily stuck! My 9 & 7 year olds are being questioned by their schooled peers parents. The typical what did you do in school today? What did you do for science? Did you do math today? type questions. The questioning comes from neighbors and seems to happen when my guys are playing inside of their house. Our kids play together regularly. The parents are very well just trying to make conversation not realizing there's more to a child's life than school. However, their concept specific questioning isn't clear to my guys and has my mind spinning trying to help with response ideas. Although brainstorming response ideas isn't new, when it comes to this type of questioning I'm having a difficult time. We don't live in a world broken into subjects. My kids nor do I want to be put in a position of explaining how we live. Especially to those that won't get it. I wanted to put this out to all your thoughtful minds hoping to have some response ideas
to share with my kiddos before today's potential inquiries begin. Thank you much!
~Susan



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Robin Bentley

If you've been unschooling for awhile and the kids play together
regularly, why do you think these parents are asking now? Are you
there when your kids are being quizzed?

My suggestion is that *you* do the explaining to your neighbors. You
might even tell them that your kids' answers probably won't look like
"school" answers. If you step in, it will take the immediate pressure
off your children.

Then, you can begin coaching them about what to say. Request that they
call it "homeschooling" because "unschooling" doesn't make much sense
to most people and it's a form of homeschooling, after all. Ask them
to use phrases like "we learn hands-on" and let them rattle off all
the cool places they go and all the cool things they do with you.
Suggest they talk about their passions with people who are inquisitive
(like Gwen's "I like animals" response).

Robin B.


On Sep 2, 2009, at 11:27 AM, lefty1foot wrote:

> I'm feeling momentarily stuck! My 9 & 7 year olds are being
> questioned by their schooled peers parents. The typical what did you
> do in school today? What did you do for science? Did you do math
> today? type questions. The questioning comes from neighbors and
> seems to happen when my guys are playing inside of their house. Our
> kids play together regularly. The parents are very well just trying
> to make conversation not realizing there's more to a child's life
> than school. However, their concept specific questioning isn't clear
> to my guys and has my mind spinning trying to help with response
> ideas. Although brainstorming response ideas isn't new, when it
> comes to this type of questioning I'm having a difficult time. We
> don't live in a world broken into subjects. My kids nor do I want to
> be put in a position of explaining how we live. Especially to those
> that won't get it. I wanted to put this out to all your thoughtful
> minds hoping to have some response ideas to share with my kiddos
> before today's potential inquiries begin. Thank you much!
> ~Susan
>
>
>

Sandra Dodd

-=-Ask them
to use phrases like "we learn hands-on" and let them rattle off all
the cool places they go -=-

Or "we go places."
It's nice when kids sound like they're speaking rather than reciting
coached answers. <g>

Sandra

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Robin Bentley

Yes, much better!

Robin B.

On Sep 3, 2009, at 10:12 AM, Sandra Dodd wrote:

> -=-Ask them
> to use phrases like "we learn hands-on" and let them rattle off all
> the cool places they go -=-
>
> Or "we go places."
> It's nice when kids sound like they're speaking rather than reciting
> coached answers. <g>
>
> Sandra
>

Pam Sorooshian

On 9/2/2009 7:03 PM, Gwen wrote:
> My 9& 7 year olds are being questioned by their schooled peers parents. The typical what did you do in school today? What did you do for science? Did you do math today?
It might be a little more than just making conversation - it might be
actual curiosity about what you do for school.

Maybe the kids could be perfectly honest and say, "It is hard to
explain, you should ask my mom."

-pam

Robin Bentley

>
> Maybe the kids could be perfectly honest and say, "It is hard to
> explain, you should ask my mom."
>
Michelle would always look to me to explain when she was younger. I
could be the buffer between her and inquisitive or just-plain-nosy
people.

Robin B.

Hope

I have always told my children that if anyone questions their homeschooling/schooling/unschooling (everyone just knows my kids are homeschooled, we don't get into details) I always tell them to ask their Mother if they want information. I do not feel comfortable with anyone questioning my children about their home education as we've been attacked once already with CPS over it and I don't care to go through that again simply because my child might say "We don't use a curriculum" or doesn't know "age appropriate" math.

--- On Fri, 9/4/09, Pam Sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...> wrote:

From: Pam Sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...>
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Seeking response ideas for school-type questioning
To: [email protected]
Date: Friday, September 4, 2009, 2:36 PM






 









On 9/2/2009 7:03 PM, Gwen wrote:

> My 9& 7 year olds are being questioned by their schooled peers parents. The typical what did you do in school today? What did you do for science? Did you do math today?

It might be a little more than just making conversation - it might be

actual curiosity about what you do for school.



Maybe the kids could be perfectly honest and say, "It is hard to

explain, you should ask my mom."



-pam





























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