Feeling inferior and wrong
[email protected]
I don't know how to "capture" stuff, but the comment about being made to feel
inferior
and wrong came up. This is something that goes through my mind whenever some
type of formal group comes up and my children want to join, like a church
activity.
Some programs are so academic and competitive even if they look "fun" to the
child. The last thing I want my child to experience is feeling wrong and
inferior,
especially at church. My "mom protection instinct" kicks in. :)
Joy
inferior
and wrong came up. This is something that goes through my mind whenever some
type of formal group comes up and my children want to join, like a church
activity.
Some programs are so academic and competitive even if they look "fun" to the
child. The last thing I want my child to experience is feeling wrong and
inferior,
especially at church. My "mom protection instinct" kicks in. :)
Joy
kekje_uk
Hi I am a newby on this list and i felt moved to reply to what joy
wrote. I used to feel like that too, although i didnt want to
overprotect my kids. But i did find a great organisation, Woodcraft
Folk, which is a co-operative organisation for girls and boys, and it
is like cubs without the authoritarianism etc. They do loads of
really cool stuff depending where you live of course, and have camps
which are for the whole family.Many of the people we met there were
like minded, there were a few unschooies and the kids were all really
great, non-judgemental, not into being fashion vicitms etc!
To introduce myself, which i should have done first, I am single mum
to 2 great unschooled autonomous boys, age 11 and 17. My eldest has
an autistic spectrum "disorder" which was only a problem during the
few years he did attend school. By the time i was thinking about
stuff like home-school conflict etc I had a 5 year old as well and i
decided to continue the free child stuff and not send him to school,
and my eldest came out of school. His "problems" are only problems in
a false environment where kids are judged by their ability to fit in
with school. To cut a long story short, the youngest has never had
any formal education, not been "taught" to read and write etc and is
a happy, confident and independent young kid, who knows how to talk
to people and knows how to learn what he needs to. He is into
building websites, repairing and upgrading PCs, and a lot
of "outdoor" stuff. He is very popular with his friends of all ages,
including babies! The eldest works part time in a bakery in a
supermarket, he manages okay, and is happy which are the main
concerns with autistic kids as far as i feel, not whether or not they
can seem "normal". Unschooling has worked for us,I know a lot of
people who don't trust their kids enough to let them be free, even
though they do comment on my kids and how "well" they do,
particularly the youngest. I also know people who cannot believe that
their children would be able to educate themselves. I always say to
them, let them be for a few weeks and see just how much they do, even
if it isn't "educational". In fact we don't distinguish between
educational and non-educational as all things are ducational to a
child.
We are also an attachmentparenting/continuum family and i feel that
unschooling has followed on naturally from that, although i know some
people only "do" attachment parenting for the first few years and
even then not all the time.
I would like to recommend a book called Magical Child by Joseph
Chiltern Pearce, which explains in more detail how children do learn
from their experiences and why it is so important that they should be
able to explore their environment, by touch, taste, smell etc,
without interference from well meaning adults, and why things like
having their needs met on cue can affect the development of their
minds. It also explains why teaching young chidren abstract concepts
is so damaging. I havent seen this book in the UK as it is not in
print here, but i happen to sell it through my attachment parenting
small business, along with all the John Holt books and other home
ed,unschooling and natural parenting books, plus baby slings and so
forth. You can email me for a list or catalogue at
kinder-supplies@... . But this is not an advert, I'm
merely trying to spread the word. I recommended that book long before
i sold it. Another book i would recommend, although it is about a
school, is Summerhill, by ASNeill. I dont sell that one, it is widely
available and can be bought second hand as well.
I would really love to hear from other parents of adolescents who
have been self directed/autonomous from birth and who have resisted
the urge to teach them, it would be very interesting to see if they
are all as self sufficient!
Regards to you all, and i do look forward to reading and posting on
the list!
Cal, Newcastle upon Tyne
wrote. I used to feel like that too, although i didnt want to
overprotect my kids. But i did find a great organisation, Woodcraft
Folk, which is a co-operative organisation for girls and boys, and it
is like cubs without the authoritarianism etc. They do loads of
really cool stuff depending where you live of course, and have camps
which are for the whole family.Many of the people we met there were
like minded, there were a few unschooies and the kids were all really
great, non-judgemental, not into being fashion vicitms etc!
To introduce myself, which i should have done first, I am single mum
to 2 great unschooled autonomous boys, age 11 and 17. My eldest has
an autistic spectrum "disorder" which was only a problem during the
few years he did attend school. By the time i was thinking about
stuff like home-school conflict etc I had a 5 year old as well and i
decided to continue the free child stuff and not send him to school,
and my eldest came out of school. His "problems" are only problems in
a false environment where kids are judged by their ability to fit in
with school. To cut a long story short, the youngest has never had
any formal education, not been "taught" to read and write etc and is
a happy, confident and independent young kid, who knows how to talk
to people and knows how to learn what he needs to. He is into
building websites, repairing and upgrading PCs, and a lot
of "outdoor" stuff. He is very popular with his friends of all ages,
including babies! The eldest works part time in a bakery in a
supermarket, he manages okay, and is happy which are the main
concerns with autistic kids as far as i feel, not whether or not they
can seem "normal". Unschooling has worked for us,I know a lot of
people who don't trust their kids enough to let them be free, even
though they do comment on my kids and how "well" they do,
particularly the youngest. I also know people who cannot believe that
their children would be able to educate themselves. I always say to
them, let them be for a few weeks and see just how much they do, even
if it isn't "educational". In fact we don't distinguish between
educational and non-educational as all things are ducational to a
child.
We are also an attachmentparenting/continuum family and i feel that
unschooling has followed on naturally from that, although i know some
people only "do" attachment parenting for the first few years and
even then not all the time.
I would like to recommend a book called Magical Child by Joseph
Chiltern Pearce, which explains in more detail how children do learn
from their experiences and why it is so important that they should be
able to explore their environment, by touch, taste, smell etc,
without interference from well meaning adults, and why things like
having their needs met on cue can affect the development of their
minds. It also explains why teaching young chidren abstract concepts
is so damaging. I havent seen this book in the UK as it is not in
print here, but i happen to sell it through my attachment parenting
small business, along with all the John Holt books and other home
ed,unschooling and natural parenting books, plus baby slings and so
forth. You can email me for a list or catalogue at
kinder-supplies@... . But this is not an advert, I'm
merely trying to spread the word. I recommended that book long before
i sold it. Another book i would recommend, although it is about a
school, is Summerhill, by ASNeill. I dont sell that one, it is widely
available and can be bought second hand as well.
I would really love to hear from other parents of adolescents who
have been self directed/autonomous from birth and who have resisted
the urge to teach them, it would be very interesting to see if they
are all as self sufficient!
Regards to you all, and i do look forward to reading and posting on
the list!
Cal, Newcastle upon Tyne
Sharon Rudd
From: Senior Staff <senior-staff@...
<mailto:senior-staff@...>>
Subject: NAVAJO: Relapsing fever cases reported in
Sheep Springs
Relapsing fever cases reported in Sheep Springs
By Valerie Gritton/Staff writer
<http://www.daily-times.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2C129%257E6572%257E782574%2C00.
html>
SHEEP SPRINGS More than 40 cases of a tick-borne
disease have been
reported
in the Sheep Springs area 40 miles south of Shiprock.
According to reports, individuals contracted relapsing
fever while
attending
a Navajo "coming of age" ceremony that was being
hosted outside.
Individuals with the disease were taken to Indian
Health Services and
the
University of New Mexico Hospital.
Relapsing fever, which is caused by a bacteria known
as spirochetes, is
contracted through tick bites in the Rocky Mountain
region, said Dr.
Edith
Umland with the New Mexico Department of Health.
It can also be spread by the bite of a rodent or other
infected animal.
Symptoms of the disease may also include nausea,
vomiting and upper
abdominal pain.
What makes relapsing fever unique is the way the fever
spontaneously
occurs
and then goes into remission, only to reappear again
after a few days.
It develops three to 18 days after exposure to the
bacteria and is
treated
through the use of antibiotics.
In the United States, clusters of cases are reported
every year,
however,
Umland said in New Mexico only a few cases are known.
"If there's one person exposed it's almost never a 100
percent attack
rate
in a group," Umland said. "But there can be several
people exposed at
one
time and several people sick."
RELAPSING FEVER (TICK BORNE).
What is relapsing fever? ... Who gets relapsing fever?
Anyone can get
relapsing fever who is bitten by an infected tick. ...
http://hlunix.hl.state.ut.us/els/epidemiology/epifacts/relapse.html
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs
http://www.hotjobs.com
<mailto:senior-staff@...>>
Subject: NAVAJO: Relapsing fever cases reported in
Sheep Springs
Relapsing fever cases reported in Sheep Springs
By Valerie Gritton/Staff writer
<http://www.daily-times.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2C129%257E6572%257E782574%2C00.
html>
SHEEP SPRINGS More than 40 cases of a tick-borne
disease have been
reported
in the Sheep Springs area 40 miles south of Shiprock.
According to reports, individuals contracted relapsing
fever while
attending
a Navajo "coming of age" ceremony that was being
hosted outside.
Individuals with the disease were taken to Indian
Health Services and
the
University of New Mexico Hospital.
Relapsing fever, which is caused by a bacteria known
as spirochetes, is
contracted through tick bites in the Rocky Mountain
region, said Dr.
Edith
Umland with the New Mexico Department of Health.
It can also be spread by the bite of a rodent or other
infected animal.
Symptoms of the disease may also include nausea,
vomiting and upper
abdominal pain.
What makes relapsing fever unique is the way the fever
spontaneously
occurs
and then goes into remission, only to reappear again
after a few days.
It develops three to 18 days after exposure to the
bacteria and is
treated
through the use of antibiotics.
In the United States, clusters of cases are reported
every year,
however,
Umland said in New Mexico only a few cases are known.
"If there's one person exposed it's almost never a 100
percent attack
rate
in a group," Umland said. "But there can be several
people exposed at
one
time and several people sick."
RELAPSING FEVER (TICK BORNE).
What is relapsing fever? ... Who gets relapsing fever?
Anyone can get
relapsing fever who is bitten by an infected tick. ...
http://hlunix.hl.state.ut.us/els/epidemiology/epifacts/relapse.html
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs
http://www.hotjobs.com