emstrength@...

We've been living by radical unschooling principles since my oldest was 2.  She is now 8 and considered by the state to be in third grade.  So for the last 2 years (for her and last year for my 2nd child), we've had to register as a private school (the only way to homeschool in our state without using a charter).  The record keeping requirements are not extensive and no one sees our records except us, unless there is a problem.

So, I've been keeping records just in case we were ever reported for anything.  I also enjoy it.  It's fun to look back over the week or the month and remember all the things we did and talked about.  I just had a notebook where every day I'd write down things like "Planted trees with 4H" and all the discussions that sprang from that- renewable resources, building houses with wood vs. rocks.  Or discussions sparked by minecraft or using fractions while we cooked or things we read and so on. 

This last year, as the year went on, I noticed myself responding differently to the kids' requests to do things depending on whether or not it was something I could record as "educational."  I truly believe that tv, video games, imaginative play, and everything else in life are all things kids learn from, but if I ever had to show my records, a judge would not likely be impressed if I had written down "watched Winx," unless I also wrote down a conversation about something "educational" that was sparked by the show. 

I would catch myself responding differently and correct it, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for how to keep records without even making that distinction in my mind. 

Another aspect of this is that my husband is out of state for work, and I really want to keep some kind of record or journal of what we do to keep him in the loop.  I have a blog, and I guess I could just blog more, but so many things aren't picture-taking, bloggable stories or events.  It's just a 4 sentence conversation here, and noticing the kids saying something new they learned to each other there, and those are the kinds of things I used to write down. 

So I guess I need ideas of how to journal our lives in such a way that doesn't require me to think daily "would this be considered educational by the state?" but would suffice (with some changes if necessary) for that purpose if it were every needed. 

Emily

E~ 8
L~ 6
Z~ 3
A~ brand new