lyeping2607

I always wondered if it's easier to home-ed/ unschool when you have
more than one kid. It just seems to me families with 2 or 3 or even
4 kids, their kids seems to be doing so much more. They seems to go
off and occupy each other. It just seems to come across the older
ones are teaching the younger ones and that they're having fun doing
it. Well, I have to say it is rather boring playing Happy Family
when there's only the 2 of us, me and 6 yrs old son. Now I even have
to fight with the PS2 for his attention!"!! Son do likes chess,
which is more of his father's forte but I don't. I've recently
managed to get him interested in The Simpson's Game of Life. Our
standard weekday routine, outdoor things we do together is go to the
park, Tesco, library, We very much stayed indoors(son's choice).
When indoors, he mostly occupied himself with his PS2, Lego's, tv or
surf the net while I'm cleaning or cooking or surfing the net for
more HE info. I'll watch tv and play PS2(recent thing) together
with him or simply snuggled up to son with my book. Weekends i tend
to get hubby to take us outdoors maybe to town just for some window
shopping or perhaps just a drive to no where, ending up in some park
or pub for lunch, just to be out of the house. Yesterday we went and
bought ourselves bicycles, so we hoping to be doing some cycling now
that the weather's beautiful and warm. Somehow, I feel like we're
not doing enough during the week. But then I have no idea what more
we can do. So my question is

1. If you also only have one child, what's your homeschooling day to
day like?" Do you have a busy routine or maybe a relax one like mine?
What do you like to do? Where do you go? What do you do? Do you go
seeking for activities Or do you create them?

2. What's driving you? Any goals to aim for? Any pitfalls to avoid?

3. Do you have a 'only child' syndrome? Mine do as in he's quite
happy being alone all the time. Though he'll very happily and
confidently join in any HE group of children to play, it doesn't
seems to effect him that he have no specific friends in his life.

Do write and looking forward to everybody's stories.

With Best Regrds,
SharonC

Katharine Wise

I can't answer your questions as I have 3 boys, but I had to say that your post made me laugh -- I keep thinking how much easier unschooling would be if I only had one!!! My younger two don't want to be dragged around to the kinds of activities that my oldest might enjoy doing more of! They also need a lot of my attention. The grass is always greener...

Katharine (who also sees advantages to having multiples:-)

----- Original Message ----













I always wondered if it's easier to home-ed/ unschool when you have

more than one kid.










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John Olsen

For the first 3 months of our HS my son was an only. (brother born in
Oct last year). we did the regular "schooling thing" books and
worksheets but he was frustrated because of his fine motor skills lag
just a bit and he does not like to write as a result. He was involved
in a HS PE program at one of our local gyms, he is dual enrolled in PS
for Art, music and working on communication skills with his SPED teacher
whose expertise is working with Asperger's Syndrome kids on their
"Social Skills". After brother was born he mostly drifted to
unschooling and loves it more. He does computer "school" programs
(math, science, and language arts with spelling), videos and
leapster/leap pad programs during the hours of 9 am and 2 pm. Before
and after that he does chess, Hoyle card games, plays board games and
reads lots of science books. We are involved in the HS science program
at the local science center and this summer will participate in the
summer camps of the science center, gym and our Living history Farms.
He goes to HS gym once a month at the local YMCA. in the fall he will
get involved with the Bowling and Rollerskating programs available to us
but I was not able to do with him last fall due to pregnancy and a young
baby at home. HTH you, Ruby in (bitter cold) Iowa

John Olsen

Oh I forgot that right now Mister P loves learning about Kings, Queens,
knights and the middle ages (mostly just reading) this born out of his
new found love of chess. We are in the midst of setting up a "joisting
ring" in our backyard (when it warms up a gain) and a Mega blok castle
for him to explore this time frame more throughly. He "branched"out in
to Pirates as it struck his fancy in the books store the other day. I
have always been the one to follow his lead and try to get him the
tools he need to follow these venues so he can best learn about them.
Due to his Asperger's he has always tended to be a loner and he like it
that way for the most part. He does like to occasionally get together
with other kids and play but mostly just on his own.

plaidpanties666

I had an only until a few months ago, and my new addition is a teen,
so its kind of like having two onlies, in some ways. They don't have
a whole lot in common in terms of interests.

> 3. Do you have a 'only child' syndrome? Mine do as in he's quite
> happy being alone all the time. Though he'll very happily and
> confidently join in any HE group of children to play, it doesn't
> seems to effect him that he have no specific friends in his life.

Sounds like he's a bit of an introvert - which doens't have anything
to do with being an only child. My 5yo is like that. She's happy
doing things by herself much of the time. My 13yo is an extrovert -
always has been, even when *he* was an only.

> Well, I have to say it is rather boring playing Happy Family
> when there's only the 2 of us, me and 6 yrs old son.

Sounds like you need some interests or hobbies of your own.
Something you can enjoy doing along side him but that you can put
down if he needs a hand or some information. If you're needing more
social contact, maybe look into taking a class or joining a club one
night a week just for you.

---Meredith (Mo 5, Ray 13)

caradove

--- In [email protected], "lyeping2607"
<lyeping2607@...> wrote:
>
> I always wondered if it's easier to home-ed/ unschool when you have
> more than one kid. It just seems to me families with 2 or 3 or even
> 4 kids, their kids seems to be doing so much more.

Hello Sharon,
Just read thru all your posts as the one about PS2 caught my eye.
What you said above, made me smile, 2 or three or EVEN 4 KIDS! We have
five and its actually a challenge to do more. You said you just got
bikes. Well we have bikes, two with baby seats on the back but no way
to transport five bikes to anywhere safe and nice to ride. Or trying
to leave the house and one son hides his shoes because he would rather
stay home and play PS2! That was when he was 6yo, sounds like what you
are saying.
Some children get into one thing at a time and want it ALL the time.
Before PS it was jigsaw puzzles, 500 pc for a five yo, had to be
wizards and dragons.It may be just that your son will do the same as
mine, one interest to the exclusion of all others.He would play PS2
endlessly and could beat really hard games that others much older
children couldn't easily do.I think the common theme with his
interests is CHALLENGE! PS2 is a challenge and your son may be feeding
that desire for challenge in the midst of his favourite characters. If
you could go on an adventure with your favourite people, would you
want to stop half way to go shopping?
Isa is nine now, did not read until just a month before 8th birthday.
He announced when he was 6 that he would read when he could read Lord
Of The Rings!Lofty idea I thought as he was not reading anything not
even easy books.
He loves LOTR and has a hobbit cloak all the hobbit characters and
movies and one hair raising episode where he turned into Gollum in a
forest park and went bounding down some flat rocks to a waterfall
muttering "my precious" and there was no way to get him back till he
came out of character!
But a few months before he turned 8 he said I think I will read at my
next birthday. And he did, not LOTR but a detour of a large volume
"Arthur, High King Of Britain" then everything Arthur, then the Hobbit
and then Fellowship of the Rings. He has now also read Harry Potter 1
to 4 and all within a year of beginning to read.
He rarely plays PS2 now, only once in a while to help his younger
sister, 5.5yo with Dark Cloud 2. Its an AWESOME game, the whole family
loves it, me and hubby too. Try it with your son, the storyline has
time travel, the characters are great, and there is battle but no
blood, the monster creatures dissolve into blue bubbles and coins!
We would all sit down and watch as Isa played, like a big movie unfolding!

Don't worry and have fun!!
Cara

trektheory

I recently wrote an article about homeschooling an only -- not
necessarily unschooling, but the issues are overlapping, I would
think. I hadn't been over to this list in a while, so a lot of
responses went by -- and I haven't read 'em all. (Too little time, so
much to do!) But if the group owner says okay, I will put the article
into the files section, for any who might be interested.

Linda


--- In [email protected], "lyeping2607"
<lyeping2607@...> wrote:
>
> I always wondered if it's easier to home-ed/ unschool when you have
> more than one kid. It just seems to me families with 2 or 3 or even
> 4 kids, their kids seems to be doing so much more. They seems to go
> off and occupy each other. It just seems to come across the older
> ones are teaching the younger ones and that they're having fun doing
> it. Well, I have to say it is rather boring playing Happy Family
> when there's only the 2 of us, me and 6 yrs old son. Now I even have
> to fight with the PS2 for his attention!"!! Son do likes chess,
> which is more of his father's forte but I don't. I've recently
> managed to get him interested in The Simpson's Game of Life. Our
> standard weekday routine, outdoor things we do together is go to the
> park, Tesco, library, We very much stayed indoors(son's choice).
> When indoors, he mostly occupied himself with his PS2, Lego's, tv or
> surf the net while I'm cleaning or cooking or surfing the net for
> more HE info. I'll watch tv and play PS2(recent thing) together
> with him or simply snuggled up to son with my book. Weekends i tend
> to get hubby to take us outdoors maybe to town just for some window
> shopping or perhaps just a drive to no where, ending up in some park
> or pub for lunch, just to be out of the house. Yesterday we went and
> bought ourselves bicycles, so we hoping to be doing some cycling now
> that the weather's beautiful and warm. Somehow, I feel like we're
> not doing enough during the week. But then I have no idea what more
> we can do. So my question is
>
> 1. If you also only have one child, what's your homeschooling day to
> day like?" Do you have a busy routine or maybe a relax one like mine?
> What do you like to do? Where do you go? What do you do? Do you go
> seeking for activities Or do you create them?
>
> 2. What's driving you? Any goals to aim for? Any pitfalls to avoid?
>
> 3. Do you have a 'only child' syndrome? Mine do as in he's quite
> happy being alone all the time. Though he'll very happily and
> confidently join in any HE group of children to play, it doesn't
> seems to effect him that he have no specific friends in his life.
>
> Do write and looking forward to everybody's stories.
>
> With Best Regrds,
> SharonC
>

[email protected]

Sure! Go ahead! If you cna't (for some reason), let Ren know.

~Kelly, mom of two "onlies"

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org

-----Original Message-----
From: trektheory@...

I recently wrote an article about homeschooling an only -- not
necessarily unschooling, but the issues are overlapping, I would
think. I hadn't been over to this list in a while, so a lot of
responses went by -- and I haven't read 'em all. (Too little time, so
much to do!) But if the group owner says okay, I will put the article
into the files section, for any who might be interested.

Linda

________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.

trektheory

Done -- with a self-descriptive title!

Linda

--- In [email protected], kbcdlovejo@... wrote:
>
> Sure! Go ahead! If you cna't (for some reason), let Ren know.
>
> ~Kelly, mom of two "onlies"
>
> Kelly Lovejoy
> Conference Coordinator
> Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
> http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: trektheory@...
>
> I recently wrote an article about homeschooling an only -- not
> necessarily unschooling, but the issues are overlapping, I would
> think. I hadn't been over to this list in a while, so a lot of
> responses went by -- and I haven't read 'em all. (Too little time, so
> much to do!) But if the group owner says okay, I will put the article
> into the files section, for any who might be interested.
>
> Linda
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
> from AOL at AOL.com.
>

[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: lyeping2607@...

I always wondered if it's easier to home-ed/ unschool when you have
more than one kid.

-=-==-

Grass is always greener. <g>

City folk think it's easier when you live in the country with critters
and nature. Country folk think it's easier in the city where there are
musems and restaurants. Suburbanites think *anywhere* would be easier.

Large families seem busy, busy---but I have no idea how they pay for
much.

Some folks just want to be OUT of the house, some complain they're
never home.

Embrace what you have. Someone else would pay to have your circumstance.

-=-=-=-=-=

1. If you also only have one child, what's your homeschooling day to
day like?" Do you have a busy routine or maybe a relax one like mine?
What do you like to do? Where do you go? What do you do? Do you go
seeking for activities Or do you create them?

-=-=-

Depends. I have two "onlies"---eight years apart, so I could be very
focused on each one at the time.

Duncan likes friends around. I try to have someone over a LOT. Bo's
here now. He's been here two nights already. And he's staying another
night, I believe. They play well together: video games, TV, trampoline,
role playing (lots!), swimming (in the summer), making Bionicles, board
games (I just got him a dice game that they can't get enough of). His
other friends are more likely to play YuGiOh! with him than Bionicles.
They're both in the den with me now--just turned on the TV and are
watching Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends---and are making new
Bionicles. I'm making them some deviled eggs for some afternoon protein
(with Danielle Conger's organic eggs!).

Yesterday, while I was working, Cameron took them to lunch and a movie.
*I* had planned to, but a client called last minute, so I booked two
dogs. They had a great time with "big bother."

Some days we leave at 9:00 and don't get back until late afternoon.
Other days we never leave the house. Just depends. We've been
travelling and entertaining a LOT, so we're in slow-mo' right now. Fine
with me! I'm pooped!

I keep my eyes open for new and unusuall things going on. We don't
always do them, but we do know what's happening in town so that we
could jet out if we decided we needed to. VERY easy with only one!!!

I'm lost as to what to do if I had more than one to work with. But
those big families have developed their strategies.

-=-=-=-=-=-

2. What's driving you?

-=-=-=-

Fun.

-=-=-=-=-=

Any goals to aim for?

-=-=-=-=-

Fun.

-=-=-=-=-

Any pitfalls to avoid?

-=-=-=-

Boring people. Boring places. Being uninterested or uninteresting.

-=-=-=-

3. Do you have a 'only child' syndrome? Mine do as in he's quite
happy being alone all the time. Though he'll very happily and
confidently join in any HE group of children to play, it doesn't
seems to effect him that he have no specific friends in his life.

-=-=-=-

Are you *trying* to make him be what he isn't? If he's happy at home,
super!

Many people are happiest when alone.

I wish *I* had more alone time. Even though I can and do enjoy being
with others, I really relish an empty house


~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org

________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.

[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: DRVOTE@...

He was involved
in a HS PE program at one of our local gyms, he is dual enrolled in PS
for Art, music and working on communication skills with his SPED
teacher
whose expertise is working with Asperger's Syndrome kids on their
"Social Skills".

-=--=-=-

Anything you couldn't do yourself by being more...social?

-=-=-=-=-==-

He does computer "school" programs
(math, science, and language arts with spelling), videos and
leapster/leap pad programs during the hours of 9 am and 2 pm.

-=-=-==-

Why the hours? Do you not see the learning that happens *after* school
hours?

-=-=-=-=-=-

Before and after that he does chess, Hoyle card games, plays board
games and
reads lots of science books.

-=-=-=-

OK, but why are there "school" hours?




~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org


________________________________________________________________________
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John Olsen

As for the social-- we are doing lots of things. We spend time with
friends on playdates, we go to mom's bible study on Thursdays and he get
to just "hang with friends" in the child care area. We go to The
Playground here in Ankeny as often as we can and he do talk to other
kids there and interacts with them. Ruby

ruby

--- In [email protected], kbcdlovejo@... wrote:

> He does computer "school" programs
> (math, science, and language arts with spelling), videos and
> leapster/leap pad programs during the hours of 9 am and 2 pm.
>
> -=-=-==-
>
> Why the hours? Do you not see the learning that happens *after* school
> hours?

>
>>>>>>>>>>>that was his idea.The last hold of school on him. the time
is very loosely held to. I usually don't follow this anyway. I never
said we would keep school hours.

He is finding out that learning is happen every minute of every day.

WE *are* doing lots of learning all the time, not just him on the
computer or his games.

Just today, we had fun playing with number dice and adding,
subtracting,mutipling and dividing and keeping score one of his made
up games. Ruby

[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: DRVOTE@...

As for the social-- we are doing lots of things. We spend time with
friends on playdates, we go to mom's bible study on Thursdays and he
get
to just "hang with friends" in the child care area. We go to The
Playground here in Ankeny as often as we can and he do talk to other
kids there and interacts with them.

-=-=-=-

I'm not exactly sure what this is in reference to. Could you please
include a clip from the post you're quoting?

Maybe you'd originally written that he wasn't social? Or he needed to
be more social? Or how to....???

Sorry.


~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org


________________________________________________________________________
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