Ren Allen

"Now I was told that this is
only "radical unschooling" and that the rest of unschoolers don't
necessarily do this.

What do they do then?"

Whatever they want!
This list exists to share information about how unschooling blossoms
BEST. In many of our opinions, unschooling (learning) unfolds best
when children are given respect, autonomy (developmentally
appropriate), lots of parental time and the ability to make their own
life choices (as they are capable).

We're not here to give anyone the recipe for unschooling. Each family
has to figure out what works for THEM. We can share how a more
consensual lifestyle has led to better relationships and better
learning moments, but how much of this is adopted will be up to
individual families.

It doesn't make sense in my world, to say "I trust you to learn about
math and reading in your own time, but I don't trust you to learn
about household tasks in your own time"...it's hypocritical to me. We
apply the philosophy of unschooling to our LIVES. Anything else feels
strange. But everyone will have a different comfort level and some
folks are just not going to believe it can (and does) work.

As far as disagreements, we have a lot of negotiation and discussion
when needs conflict. Everyone does not get exactly what they want all
the time at every moment, but when the family is striving to balance
all needs as important, they will get what they need/want in time.
Sometimes a need is not going to get met because the need is
destructive or harmful...so I DO step in as the parent and stop that
activity. Jalen sometimes has a need to throw rocks towards windows. I
can stop that, but still honor his need to throw something. It's all
about working together with a common code of respect.

Ren
learninginfreedom.com

mtc

Hah, here's unschooling for me right now...when I read this, a vision sprang
into my mind of a large tarp at one end of our long basement with a panel
of glass on it, and at the other end a small person in a mini Hazmat suit
(goggles, gloves, mask, long thick coat, etc) hefting a rock. Then I thought
about making that into a short film. Then I thought about sugar glass, and
whether we could make it ourselves, and went and found this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_glass. That led me to a site with a lot
of special-effects homemade resources, which inspired me to go look up some
camera-related stuff.

My kid does it too, and she's only 15 months. As she explores, one idea
flows into the next. New information makes her so happy. Me, too. How sad
that so many children have the joy of new information crippled and stunted
by schools.


--Tom C.

> . Jalen sometimes has a need to throw rocks towards windows. I
> can stop that, but still honor his need to throw something. It's all
> about working together with a common code of respect.
>
> Ren
> learninginfreedom.com
>
>
>


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