New here and I have a few questions :)
Christian
Good Morning Everyone, Well we are new to this whole unschooling thing.
I have been doing research on it for a while now but after a horrible
experience in public school my husband and I decided that homeschooling
would be the best for our ds (who will be 6 next week). I guess I
should tell you a little about us. We are a Navy family currently in
FL. I've been married for over 8 years now and we have 2 wonderful
children......Morgan Kay who is 3 and Christopher who is almost 6. Both
sides of our family are, to say the least, not happy with our decision
to homeschool and when I brought up unschooling even my dear husband was
a little skeptical. So in a compromise we are using a few worksheets
here and there but for the most part you could say we unschool. Ds
loves it and I have seen SUCH a difference in dd. So my questions are
these.......did any of you run across opposition when you told your
family you were going to unschool? how did your spouse/partner feel
about this decision? now we are attempting to change our parenting
style and so far it is working but it is really hard for me to change my
views on discipline and my reactions to "misbehavior's" from the kids.
i've been reading the book positive discipline, anyone familiar with it?
i must admit after using just a few of the techniques from the book my
house is so much more calmer!!! i would be thankful for any suggested
reading or advice from those of you who changed their parenting style.
Well it is snack time and then off to run errands...............thank
you all in advance for your answers and advice. Christian
--
"Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and altogether
impossible."
Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/yogamomma01
<http://www.myspace.com/yogamomma01>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I have been doing research on it for a while now but after a horrible
experience in public school my husband and I decided that homeschooling
would be the best for our ds (who will be 6 next week). I guess I
should tell you a little about us. We are a Navy family currently in
FL. I've been married for over 8 years now and we have 2 wonderful
children......Morgan Kay who is 3 and Christopher who is almost 6. Both
sides of our family are, to say the least, not happy with our decision
to homeschool and when I brought up unschooling even my dear husband was
a little skeptical. So in a compromise we are using a few worksheets
here and there but for the most part you could say we unschool. Ds
loves it and I have seen SUCH a difference in dd. So my questions are
these.......did any of you run across opposition when you told your
family you were going to unschool? how did your spouse/partner feel
about this decision? now we are attempting to change our parenting
style and so far it is working but it is really hard for me to change my
views on discipline and my reactions to "misbehavior's" from the kids.
i've been reading the book positive discipline, anyone familiar with it?
i must admit after using just a few of the techniques from the book my
house is so much more calmer!!! i would be thankful for any suggested
reading or advice from those of you who changed their parenting style.
Well it is snack time and then off to run errands...............thank
you all in advance for your answers and advice. Christian
--
"Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and altogether
impossible."
Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/yogamomma01
<http://www.myspace.com/yogamomma01>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joanne
--- In [email protected], "Christian"
<christianadele@...> wrote:
Welcome Christian. :-)
I never told anyone. I just started making changes in my home and in
myself. In the mainstream unschooling is controversial, so when I
was learning about it, I felt better keeping my thoughts to myself
until I felt more confident.
had had several conversations about it, while our kids were still in
school.
Read some of the archives from this list. Also, check the links
section.
:-)
~ Joanne ~
Mom to Jacqueline (8), Shawna (11) & Cimion (14)
http://anunschoolinglife.blogspot.com/
<christianadele@...> wrote:
>>>So my questions are these.......did any of you run acrossopposition when you told your family you were going to unschool?>>>>
Welcome Christian. :-)
I never told anyone. I just started making changes in my home and in
myself. In the mainstream unschooling is controversial, so when I
was learning about it, I felt better keeping my thoughts to myself
until I felt more confident.
>>>how did your spouse/partner feel about this decision? >>>>My husband Billy, trusts my judgement on important issues. Also, we
had had several conversations about it, while our kids were still in
school.
>>>i would be thankful for any suggested reading or advice fromthose of you who changed their parenting style.>>>>
Read some of the archives from this list. Also, check the links
section.
:-)
~ Joanne ~
Mom to Jacqueline (8), Shawna (11) & Cimion (14)
http://anunschoolinglife.blogspot.com/
mom2twon2
Hello. I never post here but I've been a member for a long time and
lurk now and then. I just wanted to respond to this one.
We started unschooling a year ago. I have a 7 yo, 5 yo and 2 yo
twins. We had mixed support from our families about homeschooling.
I didn't tell them anything about unschooling. As the year went by,
they found out one way or another that we are unschooling. Everyone
is baffled by it.
I started peaceful (nonmanipulative) parenting before my dh did.
For a while there we had such different approaches to parenting that
our kids were confused and everyone was pretty miserable. One book
that helped was Parent Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon. He
explained the effects of manipulating and controlling kids in a way
that made sense to my dh. Since then we have gone deeper into
mindful parenting. But that was a good beginning.
As far as relatives go, I have been tempted to "convince" them or
win them over. But I had to question my motives. Yes it would be
nice to have everybody treat my children with dignity and trust.
But that is not where they are. Nobody has asked for my advice. No
one wants it necessarily. (I learned I can clear a room real quick
just talking about treating children with more respect!) I don't
allow anyone to yell at my children or grab them in a disrespectful
way. And frankly, I get all stressed out when I try to control
everybody else. I trust my children.
Forums like this one are great places to connect. It's nice to know
there are other families like ours peppered across the country. An
unschooling convention is another great way to meet other families
and get support. We went to Rethinking Education in Dallas last
year because it was the closest to us. That was a real turning
point for me. I think unschooling needs peaceful parenting in order
to work. And peaceful parenting needs both parents to be on board
(especially if they are in the same house). But don't give up on
your dh. Perhaps if he hears it from a source that makes sense to
him, he can own it. Then he won't be doing it just to please you.
My dh and I have come a long way but we're still working on it.
choice. Good luck.
Rachel (unschooling mother of 4)
--- In [email protected], "Christian"
<christianadele@...> wrote:
lurk now and then. I just wanted to respond to this one.
We started unschooling a year ago. I have a 7 yo, 5 yo and 2 yo
twins. We had mixed support from our families about homeschooling.
I didn't tell them anything about unschooling. As the year went by,
they found out one way or another that we are unschooling. Everyone
is baffled by it.
I started peaceful (nonmanipulative) parenting before my dh did.
For a while there we had such different approaches to parenting that
our kids were confused and everyone was pretty miserable. One book
that helped was Parent Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon. He
explained the effects of manipulating and controlling kids in a way
that made sense to my dh. Since then we have gone deeper into
mindful parenting. But that was a good beginning.
As far as relatives go, I have been tempted to "convince" them or
win them over. But I had to question my motives. Yes it would be
nice to have everybody treat my children with dignity and trust.
But that is not where they are. Nobody has asked for my advice. No
one wants it necessarily. (I learned I can clear a room real quick
just talking about treating children with more respect!) I don't
allow anyone to yell at my children or grab them in a disrespectful
way. And frankly, I get all stressed out when I try to control
everybody else. I trust my children.
Forums like this one are great places to connect. It's nice to know
there are other families like ours peppered across the country. An
unschooling convention is another great way to meet other families
and get support. We went to Rethinking Education in Dallas last
year because it was the closest to us. That was a real turning
point for me. I think unschooling needs peaceful parenting in order
to work. And peaceful parenting needs both parents to be on board
(especially if they are in the same house). But don't give up on
your dh. Perhaps if he hears it from a source that makes sense to
him, he can own it. Then he won't be doing it just to please you.
My dh and I have come a long way but we're still working on it.
>DsThis is the key. Watching my kids, I know we have made the right
> loves it and I have seen SUCH a difference in dd.<
choice. Good luck.
Rachel (unschooling mother of 4)
--- In [email protected], "Christian"
<christianadele@...> wrote:
>thing.
> Good Morning Everyone, Well we are new to this whole unschooling
> I have been doing research on it for a while now but after ahorrible
> experience in public school my husband and I decided thathomeschooling
> would be the best for our ds (who will be 6 next week). I guess Iin
> should tell you a little about us. We are a Navy family currently
> FL. I've been married for over 8 years now and we have 2 wonderful6. Both
> children......Morgan Kay who is 3 and Christopher who is almost
> sides of our family are, to say the least, not happy with ourdecision
> to homeschool and when I brought up unschooling even my dearhusband was
> a little skeptical. So in a compromise we are using a fewworksheets
> here and there but for the most part you could say we unschool. Dsare
> loves it and I have seen SUCH a difference in dd. So my questions
> these.......did any of you run across opposition when you told yourfeel
> family you were going to unschool? how did your spouse/partner
> about this decision? now we are attempting to change our parentingchange my
> style and so far it is working but it is really hard for me to
> views on discipline and my reactions to "misbehavior's" from thekids.
> i've been reading the book positive discipline, anyone familiarwith it?
> i must admit after using just a few of the techniques from thebook my
> house is so much more calmer!!! i would be thankful for anysuggested
> reading or advice from those of you who changed their parentingstyle.
> Well it is snack time and then off to runerrands...............thank
> you all in advance for your answers and advice. Christianaltogether
>
> --
> "Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and
> impossible."
>
> Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/yogamomma01
> <http://www.myspace.com/yogamomma01>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Ren Allen
~~We went to Rethinking Education in Dallas last
year because it was the closest to us. ~~
I'll be speaking at that conference this fall!!:) I'm really looking
forward to visiting TX again and meeting some unschoolers down that way.
There's another really fabulous conference up here in the beautiful
Appalachian mountains called Live and Learn
(liveandlearnconference.org) if you want a change of pace this time
around.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
year because it was the closest to us. ~~
I'll be speaking at that conference this fall!!:) I'm really looking
forward to visiting TX again and meeting some unschoolers down that way.
There's another really fabulous conference up here in the beautiful
Appalachian mountains called Live and Learn
(liveandlearnconference.org) if you want a change of pace this time
around.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
Melissa
Ren, i saw that! We live three hours from Dallas, and when I read that online, I turned to my
husband and said "REN ALLEN IS GOING TO BE IN DALLAS!!!" Funny is that he knew exactly
who I was talking about and asked if we wanted to go. Kinda, but we're planning on leaving
early for the L&L so we can stay with my cousin in TN for a few days before.
Going to a conference really does make all the difference in the world. Okay, maybe living
your life and seeing it work makes ALL the difference, but conferences really help when you
start out. We went to our first one last year and dh finally climbed on board. he needs a
booster shot though, so I am so glad we'll come this year!
Melissa
husband and said "REN ALLEN IS GOING TO BE IN DALLAS!!!" Funny is that he knew exactly
who I was talking about and asked if we wanted to go. Kinda, but we're planning on leaving
early for the L&L so we can stay with my cousin in TN for a few days before.
Going to a conference really does make all the difference in the world. Okay, maybe living
your life and seeing it work makes ALL the difference, but conferences really help when you
start out. We went to our first one last year and dh finally climbed on board. he needs a
booster shot though, so I am so glad we'll come this year!
Melissa
--- In [email protected], "Ren Allen" <starsuncloud@...> wrote:
> I'll be speaking at that conference this fall!!:) I'm really looking
> forward to visiting TX again and meeting some unschoolers down that way.