almadoing

I have been mulling over the many different ways people begin the radical unschooling journey. I often see on lists, or hear people say that there was a particular book or a definitive incident that, perhaps retrospectively, they can see was the thing that started the ball rolling.

For me it was Alfie Kohn's "Unconditional Parenting" which doesn't even mention homeschooling never mind unschooling or radical unschooling. Nevertheless it was this book that flicked the switch for me and set off a fast moving transformation.

For my friend it was her DH reading Tom Hodgkinson's "How to be Free". Again, this is a book that has nothing to do with homeschooling. In fact, it has nothing to do with education or parenting either. But for this guy it was the right ping at the right moment. Soon after that they both attended the London Unschooling Conference.

Does anyone else have an unlikely start to the radical unschooling journey?

Alison

Heather

For us, it was the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki.

The author talks about some of the problems with public schools, which
started us investigating homeschooling (which I was sure, by the way, that I
would NEVER do). LOL.
Then we ended up at the Rethinking Education conference a few weeks later in
May 2000. We've been radical unschoolers ever since <g>.

heather

On Sun, Dec 20, 2009 at 2:06 PM, almadoing <almadoing@...> wrote:

>
>
> I have been mulling over the many different ways people begin the radical
> unschooling journey. I often see on lists, or hear people say that there was
> a particular book or a definitive incident that, perhaps retrospectively,
> they can see was the thing that started the ball rolling.
>
> For me it was Alfie Kohn's "Unconditional Parenting" which doesn't even
> mention homeschooling never mind unschooling or radical unschooling.
> Nevertheless it was this book that flicked the switch for me and set off a
> fast moving transformation.
>
> For my friend it was her DH reading Tom Hodgkinson's "How to be Free".
> Again, this is a book that has nothing to do with homeschooling. In fact, it
> has nothing to do with education or parenting either. But for this guy it
> was the right ping at the right moment. Soon after that they both attended
> the London Unschooling Conference.
>
> Does anyone else have an unlikely start to the radical unschooling journey?
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Patrice A. London

Hi everyone! I don't usually make time to post but wanted to post to this since I came across unschooling in a different way too.

I didn't know anything about homeschooling let alone unschooling but we began unschooling at birth. My husband and I were in college then and we simply enjoyed our daughter. We would introduce her to as much as possible about the world around her and follow her interests and we'd just have fun learning together. I used to get really sad when I'd think about having to separate from her once she turned 5 and would need to go to kindergarten. I always dreaded that day.

Then, one day I met a woman who after watching our children interact asked me if I homeschooled her. I didn't even know what she was talking about, lol! Long story short, she homeschooled her son and saw "something" in my daughter. I left that lady, went straight to the library and got every book I could on the subject and from that day, I knew my daughter would not be going to school.

Even though unschooling is what came naturally, I did try the school at home approach which lasted not quite a week, lol! We've been unschooling ever since.



PATRICE LONDON, Author, Doula, Coloratura Soprano, Christian Unschooling Mom

http://www.empoweredtobirthnaturally.com




http://www.patricelondon.wordpress.com


It is, in fact, nothing short a miracle that the modern methods of
instruction have
not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of
inquiry; for this delicate little plant,
aside from stimulation, stands
mainly in need of freedom.
-Albert Einstein



EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD
Join me

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

maaamaaaa!

After having my first DD I was expecting that the traditional ways of rasing her would work. But she was always very self confident and always knew what she liked and din't like from birth. So when I tried to impose my will on her we clashed and our relationship suffered tremendously. I would go to bed crying many nights not knowing what to do and how to heal our relationship. I felt guilty and aweful. Then I began to consider homeschooling because I saw how harmonious the homeschooled kids I knew from church seemed with their parents (also in college I knew kids who were homeschooled and were taking college clases at 14-15 years old and that impressed me at the time). Long story short one day I read the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, and although it's not an unschooling book it made me realise that freedom is the best way for my children to discover God's calling in their lives. So I read and researched more and eventually came across the unschooling philosophy. It was such a natural fit for us (now I have 4 kids). Now my oldest DD (who's now 9)and I have the best mother/daughter relationship that I could ask for because I've learned to give her the respect that I desire for her to have toward for me and I give her and my other children the freedom they deserve.

Blessings,
Rosy

--- In [email protected], "almadoing" <almadoing@...> wrote:
>
> I have been mulling over the many different ways people begin the radical unschooling journey. I often see on lists, or hear people say that there was a particular book or a definitive incident that, perhaps retrospectively, they can see was the thing that started the ball rolling.
>
> For me it was Alfie Kohn's "Unconditional Parenting" which doesn't even mention homeschooling never mind unschooling or radical unschooling. Nevertheless it was this book that flicked the switch for me and set off a fast moving transformation.
>
> For my friend it was her DH reading Tom Hodgkinson's "How to be Free". Again, this is a book that has nothing to do with homeschooling. In fact, it has nothing to do with education or parenting either. But for this guy it was the right ping at the right moment. Soon after that they both attended the London Unschooling Conference.
>
> Does anyone else have an unlikely start to the radical unschooling journey?
>
> Alison
>