graphophiliac

Hi everyone!

We began homeschooling two years ago because public school was unable
to accommodate my oldest son's special needs. (He was in second grade
at the time.) I felt I could not only do a better job with educating
him, but I could do it in a way that encouraged positive self esteem
and pride. The public school system had really broken him down, but
it was wonderful to watch him slowly overcome that experience and
become a happy kid again.

I've never followed a standard curriculum, but I pieced together
different units, workbooks, texts, videos, field trips, etc. and
covered all the core concepts for second and third grade.

My husband recently suggested that we follow our kids' interests and
help them focus their enthusiasm, instead of forcing standard
workbooks on them. What he didn't know, was that my curiosity about
unschooling was increasing as well.

And after reading several definitions, I still don't really
understand what unschooling is (kinda why I'm here). But I do know
that I'm going to try to shed my fear of getting every single core
concept in, and instead let things flow a little more naturally.

I would be very interested to know what a typical unschooling day is
like, and I'm sure I'll find it in here if I look hard enough. But
there are 25,000 posts to search, so if I can't find what I need, I
will do some posting of my own :-)

Thanks everyone and nice to be here!

Jennifer (Ethan-9, Emily-4 (5 in August), Eliot-2)

Julie

> I would be very interested to know what a typical unschooling day is
> like, and I'm sure I'll find it in here if I look hard enough. But
> there are 25,000 posts to search, so if I can't find what I need, I
> will do some posting of my own :-)



Hello- Typical day for us mom, Son13 2 girls 4 and 2.

Girls are usually up about 9am (bed about 10pm). They watch tv-
wonderpets, dora, diego, sponge bob while I check e-mail and drink
coffee. Then one of the girls will want to play computer games (reader
rabbit) and the other will play something- playdough, water balloons,
stickers, paint, coloring, blocks, babies, horses, movies, musical
instruments etc....

Son gets up about 11am and lounges around, plays with sisters, eats
and gets on computer (world of warcraft) which he will play off and on
all day. He comes out to eat, drink, socialize, tell us the latest
exciting thing that is happening in game, food, food, amnd more food.
We goes to church and youth groups, visits family who live close by.
He works taking care of children and is saving money for a better
computer.

We snuggle on my bed when they seem tired, go outside for hours, park
with others, visit family members, go to fun places- art shows-farms-
stuff. We eat when we are hungry and do what interests us.

Some days the 4yr old finds things to look at in the microscope and
sometimes we save spiders and catch pill bugs. We play with the
gerbils and go to the library. We straighten up the house before daddy
comes home just to have it a mess before bed.

Mostly we just do what we want to- right now the girls are having a
bubble bath (its 4pm)

We watch interesting movies and tv shows and some not so interesting.
Son loves science fiction channel and comedy, Daughter 4 likes the
travel channel and DOG the bounty hunter and CSI as well as dora the
explorer and "kid" shows. Other daughter 2 is not too interested in tv
and is very active all day- she recently decided to potty train
herself when she got a potty book from the library and announced she
hated diapers and would wear underwear.

Husband comes home and plays bass guitar and internet games. The girls
demand attention (roughhousing) before too long and we start getting
ready for bed about 9ish and usually they are both asleep before 11pm.
Teenager plays or watches tv until 11 or 12 and then falls asleep with
ipod or books on tape.

That for us is basically typical- It is so fun to not live by the
alarm clock unless we choose to.

Jennifer Barber

Julie,

Thanks so much for your response. Our days are similar in many ways!

Would you consider your approach unschooling or radical unschooling? I'm trying to understand the fine line between the two.

Thanks!!
Jennifer

Julie <wisdom1133@...> wrote:
> I would be very interested to know what a typical unschooling day is
> like, and I'm sure I'll find it in here if I look hard enough. But
> there are 25,000 posts to search, so if I can't find what I need, I
> will do some posting of my own :-)

Hello- Typical day for us mom, Son13 2 girls 4 and 2.

Girls are usually up about 9am (bed about 10pm). They watch tv-
wonderpets, dora, diego, sponge bob while I check e-mail and drink
coffee. Then one of the girls will want to play computer games (reader
rabbit) and the other will play something- playdough, water balloons,
stickers, paint, coloring, blocks, babies, horses, movies, musical
instruments etc....

Son gets up about 11am and lounges around, plays with sisters, eats
and gets on computer (world of warcraft) which he will play off and on
all day. He comes out to eat, drink, socialize, tell us the latest
exciting thing that is happening in game, food, food, amnd more food.
We goes to church and youth groups, visits family who live close by.
He works taking care of children and is saving money for a better
computer.

We snuggle on my bed when they seem tired, go outside for hours, park
with others, visit family members, go to fun places- art shows-farms-
stuff. We eat when we are hungry and do what interests us.

Some days the 4yr old finds things to look at in the microscope and
sometimes we save spiders and catch pill bugs. We play with the
gerbils and go to the library. We straighten up the house before daddy
comes home just to have it a mess before bed.

Mostly we just do what we want to- right now the girls are having a
bubble bath (its 4pm)

We watch interesting movies and tv shows and some not so interesting.
Son loves science fiction channel and comedy, Daughter 4 likes the
travel channel and DOG the bounty hunter and CSI as well as dora the
explorer and "kid" shows. Other daughter 2 is not too interested in tv
and is very active all day- she recently decided to potty train
herself when she got a potty book from the library and announced she
hated diapers and would wear underwear.

Husband comes home and plays bass guitar and internet games. The girls
demand attention (roughhousing) before too long and we start getting
ready for bed about 9ish and usually they are both asleep before 11pm.
Teenager plays or watches tv until 11 or 12 and then falls asleep with
ipod or books on tape.

That for us is basically typical- It is so fun to not live by the
alarm clock unless we choose to.






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

Susan

-=- I would be very interested to know what a typical unschooling day
is like -=-

Hi Julie,

You might want to browse this page - Sandra has collected a bunch of
"typical" days in the life of various unschoolers here:
http://sandradodd.com/typical

-- Susan

Julie

I at this point am still at unschooling but see radical unschooling
as almost an ideal that I hope to keep moving toward. I am new to
this whole unschooling thing after trying to do school at home only
better for a few years. With my 13 yr old it is harder to keep me
and him out of the "what am I learning today" mindset and realizing
that life is learning. With the two girls I completely see
unschooling flourish because they have no "school" training. They
learn at 6am or 10pm in all they do they learn and experience and so
with them I see it happening. It is hard but easy to move from
conventional to unconventional parenting but the sooner you start
the easier it becomes. I find myself saying "why not" a lot. My
youngest daughter has been so strong willed that I had to change in
order to save her precious spirit. The girls now say "team work"
and "working it out" often and while they are worst enemies and best
friends it is all okay.



--- In [email protected], Jennifer Barber
<graphophiliac@...> wrote:
>
> Julie,
>
> Thanks so much for your response. Our days are similar in many
ways!
>
> Would you consider your approach unschooling or radical
unschooling? I'm trying to understand the fine line between the two.
>
> Thanks!!
> Jennifer
>
> Julie <wisdom1133@...> wrote:
> > I would be very interested to know what a typical
unschooling day is
> > like, and I'm sure I'll find it in here if I look hard enough.
But
> > there are 25,000 posts to search, so if I can't find what I
need, I
> > will do some posting of my own :-)
>
> Hello- Typical day for us mom, Son13 2 girls 4 and 2.
>
> Girls are usually up about 9am (bed about 10pm). They watch tv-
> wonderpets, dora, diego, sponge bob while I check e-mail and drink
> coffee. Then one of the girls will want to play computer games
(reader
> rabbit) and the other will play something- playdough, water
balloons,
> stickers, paint, coloring, blocks, babies, horses, movies, musical
> instruments etc....
>
> Son gets up about 11am and lounges around, plays with sisters,
eats
> and gets on computer (world of warcraft) which he will play off
and on
> all day. He comes out to eat, drink, socialize, tell us the latest
> exciting thing that is happening in game, food, food, amnd more
food.
> We goes to church and youth groups, visits family who live close
by.
> He works taking care of children and is saving money for a better
> computer.
>
> We snuggle on my bed when they seem tired, go outside for hours,
park
> with others, visit family members, go to fun places- art shows-
farms-
> stuff. We eat when we are hungry and do what interests us.
>
> Some days the 4yr old finds things to look at in the microscope
and
> sometimes we save spiders and catch pill bugs. We play with the
> gerbils and go to the library. We straighten up the house before
daddy
> comes home just to have it a mess before bed.
>
> Mostly we just do what we want to- right now the girls are having
a
> bubble bath (its 4pm)
>
> We watch interesting movies and tv shows and some not so
interesting.
> Son loves science fiction channel and comedy, Daughter 4 likes the
> travel channel and DOG the bounty hunter and CSI as well as dora
the
> explorer and "kid" shows. Other daughter 2 is not too interested
in tv
> and is very active all day- she recently decided to potty train
> herself when she got a potty book from the library and announced
she
> hated diapers and would wear underwear.
>
> Husband comes home and plays bass guitar and internet games. The
girls
> demand attention (roughhousing) before too long and we start
getting
> ready for bed about 9ish and usually they are both asleep before
11pm.
> Teenager plays or watches tv until 11 or 12 and then falls asleep
with
> ipod or books on tape.
>
> That for us is basically typical- It is so fun to not live by the
> alarm clock unless we choose to.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on
Yahoo! TV.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>