doxielover84

My questions are 1) Is Deschooling a lifelong process and does it
get any easier? 2) Do unschoolers have playgroups or coops ? 3 How
can I meet other unschoolers in my area? Nancy

Jon and Rue Kream

>>How
can I meet other unschoolers in my area? Nancy

**You could check out the homeschool social register:
http://www.homeschoolmedia.net/register/index.phtml. ~Rue


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/25/2004 3:26:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
doxielover84@... writes:

My questions are 1) Is Deschooling a lifelong process and does it
get any easier? <<<<<

Yes and yes.

I'm about as radical an unschooler as you can get, and I STILL have to check
myself for "schoolthink". But it DOES get easier----just like anything
else: the more you DO it, ....




>>>2) Do unschoolers have playgroups or coops ?<<<

As far as I can tell, the *biggest* one is the Live and Learn Unschooling
Conference, this year in Peabody, MA August 27-29!

But many local groups have been established all across the country. The NC
group would leave you green with envy! They plan trips and play days and park
days and movie nights and---all sorts of things! They're great! There's one in
So CA that has a weekly park day. There are groups in GA and OH and MI and
NY and CT and ....all over. If there's not one where you are, you might want
to start one.


>>> 3 How can I meet other unschoolers in my area? Nancy<<<<

There's a national register. I'd look there first. Rue? Do you have that
address handy?

Make up a yahoogroup (like this one)---free and easy. Send invites out to
homeschool groups in your area.

Make flyers that you post at parks and libraries and health food stores
(unschooling attracts the crunchy/granola types! <g>), LLL meetings----places
where you might find like-minded souls. Just mention that there is an
unschooling park day every Tuesday at noon at a certain park. You might be the only one
that shows for a while, but keep going----you'll meet someone eventually!

That's how I started here in Columbia. It eventually resulted in an
international conference! <G>

~Kelly







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

Jon and Rue Kream

>>There's a national register. I'd look there first. Rue? Do you have that
address handy?

**Homeschool Social Register:

http://www.homeschoolmedia.net/register/index.phtml


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

seccotine_ch

Hi everyone

I'm Helen, from Geneva, beginning her second year of unschooling with
Sylvain (almost 7 yo) and his 2 sisters, Cyrielle and Circé (5
and ... 2).

First, I would like to thank you once again. Reading you is really
inspiring. What you say makes so much sense and is so liberating.
When I feel a bit down, puff, I come back to UB and read a few posts
and it makes me feel soooo much better. I used to be part of a list
arond non-violent education, which doesn't exist anymore, and it is
the first time that I feel like that since then. THANKS.

My questions are :

- how do you manage to keep the balance between being there for them
and still doing what you love (I mean : the OTHERS things that you
love) and, on the other hand, between not *teaching* them things but
still sharing with them, between letting them free and proposing
things, etc. Very often, if I only propose things, they are not
really interested and would rather stay at home and play - but if we
do stay at home, after a certain while, we're not having such a great
time. It's like they really need to move and see other things and be
a little "led" ... I find the balance difficult to find - I know you
don't have any miraculous recipe, but I'm still interested in how you
are doing.

- the other thing is around "curricular" activities (not very sure of
my English, there). I don't know how to phrase my question, there are
different levels in it : first, my son wants me to make lessons with
him, and asks me for them; second, it is something I like, playing
with words, with numbers, with nice plastic material etc. - and I
like doing that with him and his sister; third, here in Geneva,
homeschooled kids are tested in French and mathematics every year and
must keep up with the school level (same progression, same order,
same rhythm). So if I want to be authorized to go on
with "unschooling", well, I have to ... not really unschool. I have
to train him for the tests, somehow, which means making these
activities - or at least a minimum of them. Any advice here ? Do you
think that curricular activities could be "harmful" for them - and
for our unschooling journey ?

Hoping you understand me :)

Regards from this side of the Atlantic ocean ...
Helen

riasplace3

--- In [email protected], "seccotine_ch"
<seccotine@...> wrote:


> Sylvain (almost 7 yo) and his 2 sisters, Cyrielle and Circé (5
> and ... 2).

I'm thrilled with these names...I just keep reading them over and
over; beautiful!

> not *teaching* them things but
> still sharing with them, between letting them free and proposing
> things, etc.

I just wanted to share about our day today, doing this...it was such
a lovely fall day, and we decided to take a walk in the woods. We
all kept pointing things out to each other, mushrooms, pretty leaves,
interesting rocks...I might suggest something; skipping a little
ways...the girls might suggest something; licking a cow's salt block
(lol)...Daddy might suggest something; he kept checking under trees
for owl pellets. The things is, we were all doing what we chose,
together, but no one felt compelled to, say, lick a cow's salt block
unless they really wanted to. We came upon some really big trees cut
down, and I wanted to count the rings to see how old they were, the
girls and Daddy went on and did something else. The point is, I
think, is that things are offered without an expectation. The
freedom to choose is a powerful thing. :)
Ria