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Two recent incidents:

A year and a half ago, we were trying to clean up a room for it to become
Holly's room, but it had been a shared toy room and art-storage place. So I
got all the kids to help decide what could go.

Some was easy--stinky paints, dried up markers, old game parts to games we
were going to throw away for being in too bad a shape, or whatever.

But we had a lot of Duplo. And we had just lately gotten to know a sweet,
cute, four year old boy named Django. So we gave him the Duplo.

A year later, Holly missed the Duplo. She was pretty grumpy that it was
gone. So (embarrassed) I contacted Django's mom to confirm, for Holly's
benefit, that yes he DID like the Duplo and played with it a lot, and that
she wouldn't let him give it away to someone else. So when Django thinks
he's too old for the Duplo, Holly's supposed to get it back. I'm hoping that
when that time comes, Holly will be old enough to let him keep it. Because
if he gives it to Holly, he might come to miss it too. And his mom might
have other babies, but Holly's mom's not!!

The other was a box of coloring books from when Kirby was little. He loved
coloring books, but wouldn't color them all (sometimes none--just look at all
the pictures).

I thought we had decided to chuck them. Holly looked for them and was sad.
Looking for something else in the garage, she found the box of coloring books
and brought some in to color in. Super Mario Brothers. <g> Lion King.
(Stuff that used to be readily available and now is antique!) Tom Sawyer
(which makes her aske me about Tom Sawyer quite a bit, but she declines to
have me read it to her. Maybe I'll just read her the fence chapter, or the
picnic at the cave.

Sandra

Sharon Rudd

I've had similar incidents.....where is such and such
that I (I thought WE) had donated or given to younger
children. Uh oh. Or something of mine that I had
passed along..."Why didn't you save it for ME?" Oops.

Sharon of the Swamp]

--- SandraDodd@... wrote:
> Two recent incidents:


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--- In AlwaysLearning@y..., Sharon Rudd <bearspawprint@y...> wrote:
.."Why didn't you save it for ME?" Oops.
>
>
>
Jane here: "Because at THAT time, we made the decision to pass it along.
And somebody has enjoyed it all this time.

But NOW, do you think you'd like that? What exactly is it you are seeking?
Let's find a way to make it happen!"


EVERYTHING, to me, meets the definition of 'might be useful later' -
especially with these creative unschooling minds!

Some architect/designer said something about holding onto things that you
KNOW to be useful or that you KNOW to be beautiful.....that is how I choose
for myself....anyone else heard of that idea or trying to implement such
ideas? I think tied into that is a trust that what you need will come to
you. And if friends are seeking something, I trust that their needs will be
met, too. Just a different perspective....

btw, I do not go through the house in the middle of the night and start
tossing books and toys! It all happens in the light of day! Any items that
are 'precious' or we are uncertain about, go into the basement storage area.
These are things that were kept in clear view in the playroom and weren't
used. Now, on a 'rainy day', we can go in the basement and get a 'new toy'.
Any toys that the kids shrugged their shoulders about, I offered to pass them
along (or put them in the yardsale area for the 'save the earth club') and if
they didn't object, that's what happened.
Same with books. Keepers are kept - that includes favorites and reference
books. Questionable ones may be kept out for a time. Then if still nobody
chooses them, we make the decision to let them go. I tell the kids, too,
that if they decide later that they want a particular book, we can find it -
library, half.com, etc....I figured it is worth passing along 3 boxes of
books in exchange for the possibility of having to re-buy some, if any, of
them....

The space, glorious space, has become so useful! For found treasures from
outside to be displayed.....for sword fights without stepping on blocks (or
having to pick them up!).....for stimulating creativity......

I DO NOT mean to imply that this is something everyone should do....clearly
many of you are happy with your homes.....I write only to 1. offer my take on
the subject of 'doing nothing"....and how I've applied the concept of
'uncommitted/unproductive time' to my physical space.....AND 2. to elicit any
other ideas/support along those lines......

Have a good day!
Jane


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

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I want to add to Jane's last email that she DOES have Lots of cool and
interesting things around!! It's not like she gets rid of everything!!
~Elissa Cleaveland
"It is nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction
have
not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry." A. Einstein

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In a message dated 4/19/02 8:46:02 AM Central Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:

<< ! Any items that
are 'precious' or we are uncertain about, go into the basement storage area.

These are things that were kept in clear view in the playroom and weren't
used. Now, on a 'rainy day', we can go in the basement and get a 'new toy >>

We do the same! Rotating things through the basement is very useful when
living in a small space. I don't like clutter.....I don't believe in just
getting rid of things to get rid of them, AND I absolutely adore books.
Ren