Looking for advice
jamielynn03244
Hello,
I am new to this group and haven't had a chance for an introduction
yet, but really needed some advice.
My son is 2 and we had to take him to the E.R. last night. They
diagnosed him with pnuemonia and gave him an inhaler on top of his
medication. It really helps, he feels so much better once he uses
it. The problem is he hates it. We need to hold his arms and hands
to get him to use. I don't feel good about that. We had a really
bad night and morning, and he went to his doctor. It turns out he
also has asthma, which I have suspected. They put him on a
nebulizer treatment, which he hates even more than the inhaler.
With this he has to breate mist medicine for 6 minutes! Again we
have to hold him and he is screaming and crying. It is very
stressful for him. I feel awful.
Does anyone have an suggestions on a how an unschooling parent can
handle this so it is easier on him. I do need to stress he need the
medication. It is helping him breathe.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Jamie
I am new to this group and haven't had a chance for an introduction
yet, but really needed some advice.
My son is 2 and we had to take him to the E.R. last night. They
diagnosed him with pnuemonia and gave him an inhaler on top of his
medication. It really helps, he feels so much better once he uses
it. The problem is he hates it. We need to hold his arms and hands
to get him to use. I don't feel good about that. We had a really
bad night and morning, and he went to his doctor. It turns out he
also has asthma, which I have suspected. They put him on a
nebulizer treatment, which he hates even more than the inhaler.
With this he has to breate mist medicine for 6 minutes! Again we
have to hold him and he is screaming and crying. It is very
stressful for him. I feel awful.
Does anyone have an suggestions on a how an unschooling parent can
handle this so it is easier on him. I do need to stress he need the
medication. It is helping him breathe.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Jamie
Michelle/Melbrigða
On 8/28/06, jamielynn03244 <jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
full mask that he has to have over his mouth and nose? Could he
switch from what he has to the other? Poor baby, he is only 2 and he
probably doesn't understand what is going on nor associates the
breathing treatments/nebulizer with breathing easier.
Have you talked to his doctor about alternatives for now? What about
a humidifier with medications in it? An oral medication that might
help? What about after his pneumonia is cleared? How will they
manage his asthma? What are his triggers and can you reduce/get rid
of those? What would be the result of him not using these breathing
treatments? Would it mean life and death or would it just mean a
longer recovery period? Is there a dose of Mucinex that he could take
(that stuff truly kicked my pneumonia in the butt the last time I had
it!)? Working with him and his doctors to find a manageable treatment
is going to build trust. Holding him down and forcing medications
down him if they aren't life and death is NOT!
A few years back one of my daughters had a UTI. The doctor prescribed
some nasty tasting medicine for it. The next day I called in and
asked for something different. Not because it wasn't working but
because it made her gag so much she would nearly throw up and started
refusing to take it. Does no good if they won't take it, so you have
to find something different.
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
> Hello,Does this have a mouthpiece that goes in his mouth or does he have a
> I am new to this group and haven't had a chance for an introduction
> yet, but really needed some advice.
> My son is 2 and we had to take him to the E.R. last night. (snip) They put him on a
> nebulizer treatment, which he hates even more than the inhaler.
> With this he has to breate mist medicine for 6 minutes! Again we
> have to hold him and he is screaming and crying. It is very
> stressful for him.
full mask that he has to have over his mouth and nose? Could he
switch from what he has to the other? Poor baby, he is only 2 and he
probably doesn't understand what is going on nor associates the
breathing treatments/nebulizer with breathing easier.
Have you talked to his doctor about alternatives for now? What about
a humidifier with medications in it? An oral medication that might
help? What about after his pneumonia is cleared? How will they
manage his asthma? What are his triggers and can you reduce/get rid
of those? What would be the result of him not using these breathing
treatments? Would it mean life and death or would it just mean a
longer recovery period? Is there a dose of Mucinex that he could take
(that stuff truly kicked my pneumonia in the butt the last time I had
it!)? Working with him and his doctors to find a manageable treatment
is going to build trust. Holding him down and forcing medications
down him if they aren't life and death is NOT!
A few years back one of my daughters had a UTI. The doctor prescribed
some nasty tasting medicine for it. The next day I called in and
asked for something different. Not because it wasn't working but
because it made her gag so much she would nearly throw up and started
refusing to take it. Does no good if they won't take it, so you have
to find something different.
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
Melissa
Well, my personal experiences with asthma are about 20 years old, and
recently with a friends son, but I do know that most medications have
multiple forms and varying ways of application. I would highly
suggest that you speak with the dr, because he *is* so young they
have perhaps better ways for him to take the medication. Are there
shorter misters, more intense but take less time, is there anyway to
divide it up, is there a chewable medicine that can be long lasting
and the nebulizer be just for emergencies (which he should be doing
anyway). Along with this, there should be lots and lots of empathy
("I know this sucks, but I don't know what else we can do", or "When
we're done here, lets get french fries") As a customer of their
services, you have a lot more rights than many drs will let on, and
there are so many ways to manage asthma. You might also go for a
second opinion with a specialist rather than an ER or a ped. You will
get a lot more experience and options with that as well.
Good luck
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (5), Dan
(3), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
recently with a friends son, but I do know that most medications have
multiple forms and varying ways of application. I would highly
suggest that you speak with the dr, because he *is* so young they
have perhaps better ways for him to take the medication. Are there
shorter misters, more intense but take less time, is there anyway to
divide it up, is there a chewable medicine that can be long lasting
and the nebulizer be just for emergencies (which he should be doing
anyway). Along with this, there should be lots and lots of empathy
("I know this sucks, but I don't know what else we can do", or "When
we're done here, lets get french fries") As a customer of their
services, you have a lot more rights than many drs will let on, and
there are so many ways to manage asthma. You might also go for a
second opinion with a specialist rather than an ER or a ped. You will
get a lot more experience and options with that as well.
Good luck
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (5), Dan
(3), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
On Aug 28, 2006, at 7:55 PM, jamielynn03244 wrote:
> Does anyone have an suggestions on a how an unschooling parent can
> handle this so it is easier on him. I do need to stress he need the
> medication. It is helping him breathe.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Michelle/Melbrigða
On 8/28/06, Melissa <autismhelp@...> wrote:
difference from someone having asthma and someone having asthmatic
reactions to allergies (or colds). And how your son's body is
reacting to pneumonia may not be a good indicator of whether or not he
is truly asthmatic! Most children who are diagnosed "asthmatic"
actually have allergies which cause asthmatic responses. They don't
get short winded when they exercise or have unrelated breathing
issues. They may get wheezy when they are around things that trigger
their allergies (dogs, cats, grass, molds, yeasts, dust, smog, smoke,
flowers, Yankee Peddler Candles :) ) but the rest of the time they
are fine. It's a science of controlling the allergens rather than
reacting to a crisis (especially if the crisis can be avoided!)
I have a great doctor who set me straight on asthma. As someone who
has had asthma since I was a young child I thought that my son also
had asthma. Then we realized that his "asthma" was related to the
fresh mown grass(had an "ah-ha" moment at a baseball game).
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
>You might also go for aOh yes! I meant to mention something about this. There is a HUGE
> second opinion with a specialist rather than an ER or a ped. You will
> get a lot more experience and options with that as well.
difference from someone having asthma and someone having asthmatic
reactions to allergies (or colds). And how your son's body is
reacting to pneumonia may not be a good indicator of whether or not he
is truly asthmatic! Most children who are diagnosed "asthmatic"
actually have allergies which cause asthmatic responses. They don't
get short winded when they exercise or have unrelated breathing
issues. They may get wheezy when they are around things that trigger
their allergies (dogs, cats, grass, molds, yeasts, dust, smog, smoke,
flowers, Yankee Peddler Candles :) ) but the rest of the time they
are fine. It's a science of controlling the allergens rather than
reacting to a crisis (especially if the crisis can be avoided!)
I have a great doctor who set me straight on asthma. As someone who
has had asthma since I was a young child I thought that my son also
had asthma. Then we realized that his "asthma" was related to the
fresh mown grass(had an "ah-ha" moment at a baseball game).
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
Laureen
Heya!
On 8/28/06, jamielynn03244 <jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
> Does anyone have an suggestions on a how an unschooling parent can
> handle this so it is easier on him. I do need to stress he need the
> medication. It is helping him breathe.
I would strongly, strongly recommend you do research on alternatives.
I'm not saying he doesn't need treatment; breathing's one of those
non-compromise things. =) But I am definitely saying that allopathy is
NOT the only way of treating a body's illness, and sometimes, is not
the best way either. The treatment he's getting is curing his
symptoms, but it's not addressing the underlying cause of why he's got
either condition.
Check out your local acupuncturist, your homeopath, your herbalist.
Your ayurvedic practicioner, should you live in a place where you
might find one. The vast majority of the world's people have faced the
same sorts of illnesses and diseases we do, without allopathy, and
have done just fine.
My favorite starting resource is "Smart Medicine for a Healthier
Child" by Janet Zand, Robert Rountree, and Rachel Walton. For each
illness, they list the allopathic, herbal, dietary,
acupuncture/acupressure, and homeopathic treatments. There are
sections on pneumonia and on asthma which I just looked up.
I know that for my older son as a two-year old, the challenge of
holding the homeopathic balls under his tongue until they dissolved
was fabulously cool; especially since he'd often get more when those
were gone. =) And brewing medicinal herbal teas is great fun for a
child, as is sitting and reading a special book while the tea is
sipped, the vapors breathed.
--
~~L!
http://elementalmom.blogspot.com/
Brian & Alexandra Polikowsky
I agree. I know my brother had ashma as a kid but my mom cured him with natural remedies just like my Grandmother cured my uncle and they both became pretty athletic after that.
Alex
Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: Laureen
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 8:43 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Looking for advice
Heya!
On 8/28/06, jamielynn03244 <jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
> Does anyone have an suggestions on a how an unschooling parent can
> handle this so it is easier on him. I do need to stress he need the
> medication. It is helping him breathe.
I would strongly, strongly recommend you do research on alternatives.
I'm not saying he doesn't need treatment; breathing's one of those
non-compromise things. =) But I am definitely saying that allopathy is
NOT the only way of treating a body's illness, and sometimes, is not
the best way either. The treatment he's getting is curing his
symptoms, but it's not addressing the underlying cause of why he's got
either condition.
Check out your local acupuncturist, your homeopath, your herbalist.
Your ayurvedic practicioner, should you live in a place where you
might find one. The vast majority of the world's people have faced the
same sorts of illnesses and diseases we do, without allopathy, and
have done just fine.
My favorite starting resource is "Smart Medicine for a Healthier
Child" by Janet Zand, Robert Rountree, and Rachel Walton. For each
illness, they list the allopathic, herbal, dietary,
acupuncture/acupressure, and homeopathic treatments. There are
sections on pneumonia and on asthma which I just looked up.
I know that for my older son as a two-year old, the challenge of
holding the homeopathic balls under his tongue until they dissolved
was fabulously cool; especially since he'd often get more when those
were gone. =) And brewing medicinal herbal teas is great fun for a
child, as is sitting and reading a special book while the tea is
sipped, the vapors breathed.
--
~~L!
http://elementalmom.blogspot.com/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
liannemargaret
I just want to point out that for us,
asthmatic symptoms were a result of vaccination,
and showed up about 3 weeks after.
We stopped, then.
Symptoms gradually tapered off over a couple months.
L
--- In [email protected], "Brian & Alexandra
Polikowsky" <polykow@...> wrote:
both became pretty athletic after that.
asthmatic symptoms were a result of vaccination,
and showed up about 3 weeks after.
We stopped, then.
Symptoms gradually tapered off over a couple months.
L
--- In [email protected], "Brian & Alexandra
Polikowsky" <polykow@...> wrote:
>with natural remedies just like my Grandmother cured my uncle and they
> I agree. I know my brother had ashma as a kid but my mom cured him
both became pretty athletic after that.
>
> Alex
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Laureen
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 8:43 AM
> Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Looking for advice
>
>
> Heya!
>
> On 8/28/06, jamielynn03244 <jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
> > Does anyone have an suggestions on a how an unschooling parent can
> > handle this so it is easier on him. I do need to stress he need the
> > medication. It is helping him breathe.
>
Manisha Kher
--- jamielynn03244 <jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
helped was a lot of patience to get him ready, a lot
of sympathizing and distraction. We have the nebulizer
near our computer. So we would look at pictures of
various animals while waiting for the neb to be done.
After a few times, he realized that it helps him feel
better and stopped fighting it so much.
Now he asks for a neb when starts coughing/wheezing.
He's almost 5 now. Lately he's been typing in a
notepad window while the neb is on.
We haven't quite figured out what his triggers are.
Sometimes it seems like an allergic reaction and other
times it seems related to weather changes.
Manisha
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
> It really helps, he feels so muchWe went through the same thing with my son. What
> better once he uses
> it. The problem is he hates it. We need to hold
> his arms and hands
> to get him to use. I don't feel good about that.
helped was a lot of patience to get him ready, a lot
of sympathizing and distraction. We have the nebulizer
near our computer. So we would look at pictures of
various animals while waiting for the neb to be done.
After a few times, he realized that it helps him feel
better and stopped fighting it so much.
Now he asks for a neb when starts coughing/wheezing.
He's almost 5 now. Lately he's been typing in a
notepad window while the neb is on.
We haven't quite figured out what his triggers are.
Sometimes it seems like an allergic reaction and other
times it seems related to weather changes.
Manisha
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
jamielynn03244
I just wanted to take a moment to write and say thank you to
everyone who responded with their ideas and suggstions. I truly
appreciate the empathy and compassion you showed me and my son. You
have all given me lots of food for thought, and now that I am a bit
more clear headed ( since things have calmed down), I am going to go
through all the posts again and figure out what may work for us.
Thank you all again!
Jamie
--- In [email protected], Manisha Kher <m_kher@...>
wrote:
everyone who responded with their ideas and suggstions. I truly
appreciate the empathy and compassion you showed me and my son. You
have all given me lots of food for thought, and now that I am a bit
more clear headed ( since things have calmed down), I am going to go
through all the posts again and figure out what may work for us.
Thank you all again!
Jamie
--- In [email protected], Manisha Kher <m_kher@...>
wrote:
>
>
>
> --- jamielynn03244 <jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
>
>
> > It really helps, he feels so much
> > better once he uses
> > it. The problem is he hates it. We need to hold
> > his arms and hands
> > to get him to use. I don't feel good about that.
>
> We went through the same thing with my son. What
> helped was a lot of patience to get him ready, a lot
> of sympathizing and distraction. We have the nebulizer
> near our computer. So we would look at pictures of
> various animals while waiting for the neb to be done.
> After a few times, he realized that it helps him feel
> better and stopped fighting it so much.
> Now he asks for a neb when starts coughing/wheezing.
> He's almost 5 now. Lately he's been typing in a
> notepad window while the neb is on.
>
> We haven't quite figured out what his triggers are.
> Sometimes it seems like an allergic reaction and other
> times it seems related to weather changes.
>
> Manisha
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
meri_aliss
FWIW, All that crying *does* help deliver the medicine to deeper
parts of his lungs...in case you don't find a solution quickly and
easily :-) That might make you feel better until you find a solution
that eliminates the crying!
In fact, I bet one could spend a lot less time using a nebulizer if
one were taking those deep breaths necessary for crying...I think I
will find a respiratory therapist to ask... LOL
Mary Alice
--- In [email protected], "jamielynn03244"
<jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
parts of his lungs...in case you don't find a solution quickly and
easily :-) That might make you feel better until you find a solution
that eliminates the crying!
In fact, I bet one could spend a lot less time using a nebulizer if
one were taking those deep breaths necessary for crying...I think I
will find a respiratory therapist to ask... LOL
Mary Alice
--- In [email protected], "jamielynn03244"
<jamielynn1313@...> wrote:
>You
> I just wanted to take a moment to write and say thank you to
> everyone who responded with their ideas and suggstions. I truly
> appreciate the empathy and compassion you showed me and my son.
> have all given me lots of food for thought, and now that I am abit
> more clear headed ( since things have calmed down), I am going togo
> through all the posts again and figure out what may work for us.
> Thank you all again!
> Jamie
witchywoman345
Hi everyone. I have a question. I have ony been homeschooling for two years and those were split up by the children going back to public school for a year in between. I love the idea of unschooling and have started the deschooling "part" of it, I'm worried though. My oldest is 14 and just seems to have no ambition when it comes to learning. He will do more structured learning online when asked but when given the chance, he chooses not to do anything on his own.
My 10 yr old daughter Is the same way except fights me when it comes to learning at all. She is ADHD and I am beginning to suspect possible Dyslexia and/or Dyscalcula.
My youngerst,6 yrs., Is the only one that seems to want to learn on his own. I'm eally worried that the Board of Ed where I live will have something to say about this b/c it seems as though they aren't learning anything, especiall Math and English. We are under an umbrella school, but I can rarely get a hold of them and I haven't been keeping any kind of journal as to what they are doing b/c it's little to nothing. I'm not sure what to do at this point to encoursge them to want to learn.
My 10 yr old daughter Is the same way except fights me when it comes to learning at all. She is ADHD and I am beginning to suspect possible Dyslexia and/or Dyscalcula.
My youngerst,6 yrs., Is the only one that seems to want to learn on his own. I'm eally worried that the Board of Ed where I live will have something to say about this b/c it seems as though they aren't learning anything, especiall Math and English. We are under an umbrella school, but I can rarely get a hold of them and I haven't been keeping any kind of journal as to what they are doing b/c it's little to nothing. I'm not sure what to do at this point to encoursge them to want to learn.
plaidpanties666
--- In [email protected], "witchywoman345" <witchywoman345@...> wrote:
What you're seeing is totally normal for people who haven't been the authors of their own learning - a product of teaching. They *will* rediscover how to enjoy learning and self-motivate, but to do that they need some time and they need help of a kind that's challenging to most parents - they need you to step back from the idea that learning is something you direct or guide or even "encourage" them in. Learning is a something natural that people do - humans Love to learn! But schooling diminishes that love. This is what deschooling is about! Finding the natural love of learning all over again.
http://sandradodd.com/puddle
The beauty of unschooling is that those don't have to be roadblocks for her. Everyone learns a little differently, and if her way of learning about the world is that much more idiosyncratic, its not such a big deal as long as she's finding what works for her. A certain amount of all the three things you list above can be a result of schooling - I'm not saying they "don't exist" but schooling can also turn perfectly normal kid behavior and variances into Issues.
My 8yo has a certain amount of dyslexia, for example, but it doesn't hinder her. I'm not even sure it effects her reading, although it shows up when she writes. She's not being graded on her writing, she writes for pleasure and to communicate with people she knows, so she doesn't have to worry about how to form letters if that's not her top priority. She *knows* its an issue, but not because its been pointed out to her over and over. When she wants to have her writing read by people she doesn't know, she types, or asks me to write for her, or double check her writing for clarity.
My 8yo would likely be labled with something more than dyslexia in school. How she'd be labled would depend on which "walls" she ran into in terms of boredom or social issues or sensory matters. At home, those are things she can learn about without the pressure of performance. If she's struggling to communicate verbally, she can try different strategies without being mocked or corrected. If she's having a rough time with sensory issues, she do that too, plus she can choose to say "no" to sensory experiences that she's not ready for in the moment. She gets to decide on her comfort zone and decide when and how much to move beyond it.
I know when I was homeschooling my now-16yo he seemed to have more "issues" that have largely resolved with unschooling. He's still a quirky individual, but that's not a problem, if you see what I mean?
Dealing with the legal aspects is a separate thing - there are unschoolers who manage in some very heavily regulated areas! Its a matter of learning how to translate the very real learning that goes on all the time (even now, in your home, believe it or not!) into language that appeases the Powers that Be.
It helps to know the law well, know the specific minimum requirements for your area so you're not doing more than you need to do. The state is far far less important than your real life! Don't waste time giving them more than they ask for, spend time being with your family instead. Here are some ideas from that same big site as to how other families have translated unschooling (as it were) for the authorities:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
---Meredith (Mo 8, Ray 16)
>My oldest is 14 and just seems to have no ambition when it comes to learning. He will do more structured learning online when asked but when given the chance, he chooses not to do anything on his own.********************
>
> My 10 yr old daughter Is the same way except fights me when it comes to learning at all.
What you're seeing is totally normal for people who haven't been the authors of their own learning - a product of teaching. They *will* rediscover how to enjoy learning and self-motivate, but to do that they need some time and they need help of a kind that's challenging to most parents - they need you to step back from the idea that learning is something you direct or guide or even "encourage" them in. Learning is a something natural that people do - humans Love to learn! But schooling diminishes that love. This is what deschooling is about! Finding the natural love of learning all over again.
>>I'm not sure what to do at this point to encoursge them to want to learn.The absolute best thing you can do is give them a break. Let them decompress however works best for them, even if it seems like they do nothing at all. Offer to do things that are "just for fun" no learning agenda. Let them watch tv and play games and chill out. They Need to chill out! While they're doing that, you can be educating yourself about what it means to learn naturally - it doesn't look like schooling! It doesn't even necessarily look like "unit studies". Here's a good place to start, with more links to more good things to read at the bottom of the page:
http://sandradodd.com/puddle
>>She is ADHD and I am beginning to suspect possible Dyslexia and/or Dyscalcula.**********
The beauty of unschooling is that those don't have to be roadblocks for her. Everyone learns a little differently, and if her way of learning about the world is that much more idiosyncratic, its not such a big deal as long as she's finding what works for her. A certain amount of all the three things you list above can be a result of schooling - I'm not saying they "don't exist" but schooling can also turn perfectly normal kid behavior and variances into Issues.
My 8yo has a certain amount of dyslexia, for example, but it doesn't hinder her. I'm not even sure it effects her reading, although it shows up when she writes. She's not being graded on her writing, she writes for pleasure and to communicate with people she knows, so she doesn't have to worry about how to form letters if that's not her top priority. She *knows* its an issue, but not because its been pointed out to her over and over. When she wants to have her writing read by people she doesn't know, she types, or asks me to write for her, or double check her writing for clarity.
My 8yo would likely be labled with something more than dyslexia in school. How she'd be labled would depend on which "walls" she ran into in terms of boredom or social issues or sensory matters. At home, those are things she can learn about without the pressure of performance. If she's struggling to communicate verbally, she can try different strategies without being mocked or corrected. If she's having a rough time with sensory issues, she do that too, plus she can choose to say "no" to sensory experiences that she's not ready for in the moment. She gets to decide on her comfort zone and decide when and how much to move beyond it.
I know when I was homeschooling my now-16yo he seemed to have more "issues" that have largely resolved with unschooling. He's still a quirky individual, but that's not a problem, if you see what I mean?
>>I'm eally worried that the Board of Ed where I live will have something to say about this*************
Dealing with the legal aspects is a separate thing - there are unschoolers who manage in some very heavily regulated areas! Its a matter of learning how to translate the very real learning that goes on all the time (even now, in your home, believe it or not!) into language that appeases the Powers that Be.
It helps to know the law well, know the specific minimum requirements for your area so you're not doing more than you need to do. The state is far far less important than your real life! Don't waste time giving them more than they ask for, spend time being with your family instead. Here are some ideas from that same big site as to how other families have translated unschooling (as it were) for the authorities:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
---Meredith (Mo 8, Ray 16)