T JAM....

Hello I am new to unschooling. Have been home
schooling for 5 years and have slowly develope into an
unschooler. I am interested in any input on daily
life. Rachel


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Deb

--- In [email protected], "T JAM...." <tikj007@...>
wrote:
>
> Hello I am new to unschooling. Have been home
> schooling for 5 years and have slowly develope into an
> unschooler. I am interested in any input on daily
> life. Rachel
>
>
In what regard? Life is life. We all live different lives in different
places with different people. Our lives look pretty different though
there are common threads underneath it all. Kind of like looking at a
cape, a ranch, and a Colonial side by side - they look different but
the foundations are usually pretty similar. Do you have specific
questions? Areas of concern? Confusion? It would help to know the age
(s) of your child(children) as well.

--Deb

T&R JAM....

Hello again,

I guess my biggest thing is getting over this fear that I have to be
doning something or pushing them in some direction or the other. I
know I don't need to, the other day all on her own my 9 year old
started to build a paper castle 3D with all the little people made
out of clay. No need for my suggestions and mine would never have
been so creative. What kind of thigs do you have around the house.
Any games or books for my self or the kids. i have 7yr old, 9 almost
10yr old and 17yr old (the 17yr old just came from public school she
has chosen her own thing to do already) All girls. Do you try to
stay home to encourage creativity because if they get to busy they
tend to feel out of sorts or at least my 9yr old does. My 7yr old
thrives on it so she leaves home a lot more.
Thanks--- In [email protected], "Deb"
<debra.rossing@...> wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "T JAM...." <tikj007@>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hello I am new to unschooling. Have been home
> > schooling for 5 years and have slowly develope into an
> > unschooler. I am interested in any input on daily
> > life. Rachel
> >
> >
> In what regard? Life is life. We all live different lives in
different
> places with different people. Our lives look pretty different
though
> there are common threads underneath it all. Kind of like looking at
a
> cape, a ranch, and a Colonial side by side - they look different
but
> the foundations are usually pretty similar. Do you have specific
> questions? Areas of concern? Confusion? It would help to know the
age
> (s) of your child(children) as well.
>
> --Deb
>

Meredith

--- In [email protected], "T&R JAM...."
<tikj007@...> wrote:
> if they get to busy they
> tend to feel out of sorts or at least my 9yr old does. My 7yr old
> thrives on it so she leaves home a lot more.

Its challenging to have kids with really different needs and
interests! One of my strategies if we're going somewhere for Ray and
Mo needs to come along is to bring lots of things for her to do.
Sometimes I've gone to the park looking like I'm going on cross-
country drive with all the stuff in the car. I've also come to
expect a day of decompression for Mo after a big outing - it
sometimes takes her a whole day to settle back into her projects.

>Do you try to
> stay home to encourage creativity...

I'd say "facilitate" or "respect" rather than "encourage" ;) that's
part of the mental shift you're working on. You know the creativity
is there, its not that you need to encourage it so much as create
the space for it to happen.

>What kind of thigs do you have around the house.
> Any games or books for my self or the kids.

Mo goes through phases of wanting different material, but paper and
tape are the staple goods here. I have a whole bunch of "project"
type books that I've picked up at yardsales, library sales and
occasionally even retail. Anything with a whole bunch of projects -
arts, nature, science, math, sewing, cookbooks... they all float
around the house and sometimes one of us will pick one up and
browse. Maybe not even for an actual project, just an idea, a way to
use a material or tool, or an excuse to snuggle up with a book. Some
of the older books are facinating just for the clothes and hair
styles - and the old computers, what a hoot!

Speaking of computers, Mo does a certain amount of bonding over
computer and video games. We take turns playing games on the PS2,
and she and her gal-pal like to play Nick Jr games on the computer
when we go over there (ours is sssllllooooow). For older or less
competitive kids, Sims type games can be a lot of fun and foster
some connections.

---Meredith (Mo 5.5, Ray 13)

T&R JAM....

Okay, here is the deal. I am home about 3-4 days a week with out
leaving. The older one would stay home 24/7 and the younger would be
gone all the time. My older one always brings a note book or a book
to read when she knows we are going somewhere she does not like to
go. My younger one is always complaing of boredom at home... this is
frustrating. I wish she would find something that really interested
her... but so far no hobbies. She does like to play her cello and
dance, tried soccer, and gymnastics. I do have loads of books,
encyclopedias, arts crafts, paint, yarn, you name it I have it (I
love to craft myself). We live on a lake but she really just bounces
around. Has a short attention span and loads of energy. She loves
to help so I let her. Shes very smart as they all are, just night
and day different from my 9yo. We are trying differnt things to see
where some interest lies...she did check out a bunch of pengin books
from the library....I just think at times she is just a free spirit
and likes to bounce around.. sorry for the run on. I am thinking out
loud.
--- In [email protected], "Meredith" <meredith@...>
wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "T&R JAM...."
> <tikj007@> wrote:
> > if they get to busy they
> > tend to feel out of sorts or at least my 9yr old does. My 7yr
old
> > thrives on it so she leaves home a lot more.
>
> Its challenging to have kids with really different needs and
> interests! One of my strategies if we're going somewhere for Ray
and
> Mo needs to come along is to bring lots of things for her to do.
> Sometimes I've gone to the park looking like I'm going on cross-
> country drive with all the stuff in the car. I've also come to
> expect a day of decompression for Mo after a big outing - it
> sometimes takes her a whole day to settle back into her projects.
>
> >Do you try to
> > stay home to encourage creativity...
>
> I'd say "facilitate" or "respect" rather than "encourage" ;) that's
> part of the mental shift you're working on. You know the creativity
> is there, its not that you need to encourage it so much as create
> the space for it to happen.
>
> >What kind of thigs do you have around the house.
> > Any games or books for my self or the kids.
>
> Mo goes through phases of wanting different material, but paper and
> tape are the staple goods here. I have a whole bunch of "project"
> type books that I've picked up at yardsales, library sales and
> occasionally even retail. Anything with a whole bunch of projects -
> arts, nature, science, math, sewing, cookbooks... they all float
> around the house and sometimes one of us will pick one up and
> browse. Maybe not even for an actual project, just an idea, a way
to
> use a material or tool, or an excuse to snuggle up with a book.
Some
> of the older books are facinating just for the clothes and hair
> styles - and the old computers, what a hoot!
>
> Speaking of computers, Mo does a certain amount of bonding over
> computer and video games. We take turns playing games on the PS2,
> and she and her gal-pal like to play Nick Jr games on the computer
> when we go over there (ours is sssllllooooow). For older or less
> competitive kids, Sims type games can be a lot of fun and foster
> some connections.
>
> ---Meredith (Mo 5.5, Ray 13)
>