clinstrom5

Hi all- I am glad to have found this loop. I am a relatively new
home schooling mama to 3--7 yo dd, 5 yo ds and 3 yo dd. We started
last fall. I am REALLY new to the idea of unschooling. I used to
think this was all crazy but I should have known better. Everytime I
make some sweeping generalization about something then God laughs at
me and sends me in that direction. I am loving the lifestyle we have
of being with each other so much and allowing the ebb and flow of our
rhythmns to happen. I haven't been all that pleased with how burned
out I've felt from using curriculums not to mention how my daughter
has responded to almost everything. My biggest fear however with
going purely unschooled is that she is not a leader or much of a self
starter. I will be honest, I don't know if it is because she's never
had much of an opportunity to be or if it's just her nature. But I
am afraid that she will not do much with herself. Is that crazy?
Has anyone else ever felt that way? I'm sure you must get this a
lot. I apologize for adding to it. I've been running into so much
information on unschooling lately that I feel like it is no
coincidence. I just know one thing--we left school because the whole
idea of it was wrong for us. I really want then all to be happy,
learning children who are enjoying their little lives and adding
something to the world. I can't wait to learn from you all.

Kristi in IA

Joanne

Hello and welcome!

~ Joanne ~
Mom to Jacqueline (7), Shawna (10) & Cimion (13)
Adopted into our hearts October 30, 2003
http://anunschoolinglife.blogspot.com/
http://foreverparents.com




--- In [email protected], "clinstrom5"
<clinstrom5@...> wrote:
>
> Hi all- I am glad to have found this loop. I am a relatively new
> home schooling mama to 3--7 yo dd, 5 yo ds and 3 yo dd. We
started
> last fall. I am REALLY new to the idea of unschooling. I used to
> think this was all crazy but I should have known better.
Everytime I
> make some sweeping generalization about something then God laughs
at
> me and sends me in that direction. I am loving the lifestyle we
have
> of being with each other so much and allowing the ebb and flow of
our
> rhythmns to happen. I haven't been all that pleased with how
burned
> out I've felt from using curriculums not to mention how my
daughter
> has responded to almost everything. My biggest fear however with
> going purely unschooled is that she is not a leader or much of a
self
> starter. I will be honest, I don't know if it is because she's
never
> had much of an opportunity to be or if it's just her nature. But
I
> am afraid that she will not do much with herself. Is that crazy?
> Has anyone else ever felt that way? I'm sure you must get this a
> lot. I apologize for adding to it. I've been running into so
much
> information on unschooling lately that I feel like it is no
> coincidence. I just know one thing--we left school because the
whole
> idea of it was wrong for us. I really want then all to be happy,
> learning children who are enjoying their little lives and adding
> something to the world. I can't wait to learn from you all.
>
> Kristi in IA
>

[email protected]

Welcome Kristi.

>>My biggest fear however with going purely unschooled is that she is not a leader or much of a self starter. >>

What is it you're looking for her to lead or start? If it's about her learning, your job will be to strew her path with interesting things so she will have a bounty of life's choices to dabble about in.

--
~Mary
http://zenmommasgarden.blogspot.com/

"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the
green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly
alive."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "clinstrom5" <clinstrom5@...>





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

trektheory

--- In [email protected], "clinstrom5"
<clinstrom5@...> wrote:
>
> Hi all- I am glad to have found this loop. I am a relatively new
> home schooling mama to 3--7 yo dd, 5 yo ds and 3 yo dd. We
started
> last fall. I am REALLY new to the idea of unschooling. I used to
> think this was all crazy but I should have known better.
Everytime I
> make some sweeping generalization about something then God laughs
at
> me and sends me in that direction.

Yeah -- when we moved into our house in FL, I said I was never
moving again. After my dh got laid off -- anywhere, please! Two
moves later.... I HOPE not to have to move in a long time! ;-)


> My biggest fear however with
> going purely unschooled is that she is not a leader or much of a
self
> starter. I will be honest, I don't know if it is because she's
never
> had much of an opportunity to be or if it's just her nature. But
I
> am afraid that she will not do much with herself. Is that crazy?
> Has anyone else ever felt that way?

Even though I'm not really an unschooler (I'm relaxed eclectic), do
remember -- she is 7, and will change a LOT over the years. My son
is 14, and boy, howdy, has he changed over the years. That's one of
the cool things about kids -- you never know what next year will be
like based on this year, because, it's kind of like dog years, they
change so much.

I'm sure it isn't crazy, any more than me worrying about the myriad
things I worry about. (Some of the things I worried about over the
last 4 years have finally worked themselves out. Phew!)

Linda

lesliel23

Hi Kristi and welcome!

I have a daughter who is 12 and although we've been homeschooling
(mostly "school-at-home" approach) for 2 years, it has only been
recently we've started with unschooling. I felt alot of the same stuff
about about my daughter...not a leader, would watch tv for hours on
end, only child so no one to play with... just lots of stuff. But in
the almost month we've been just living and not worrying
about "school" I've seen her blossom and flourish! I realized that if
I would just leave her the heck alone and be a resource for her and
quit trying to "teach" her, she opens my eyes to her own intelligence!
I read in a book somewhere... either John Holt or Grace Llewellyn...if
anyone recognizes this let me know so I give proper credit... that
there is no true teaching, only learning. I love that! It also says
that a teacher is only there to facilitate learning. You can "teach"
all you want but if no real learning (not just to pass the test and
forget but REAL learning)is happening it's no good. Anyway, just some
thoughts! Hope you enjoy this group... I sure do!

Leslie in Moody, AL