hlg567

I need some help with how i can engage my son in trying new things.
I read something that said an unschooling mom shouldn't do nothing as
a cover for her being *lazy* and/or listless. well, that's how i feel.
I mean my son is playing a video game or watching t.v. and in the pool
during the day but i feel like i'm not doing anything. I don't know
how to talk to him or how to help him get interested in stuff besides
asking
and when i do he doesn't want to talk more then a few words about
something.
let me give an example: we read and build things,we have tons of
legos and knex and blocks and he asks me to build things but most of
the time he wants to watch t.v. or play video games...no problem for
me...i just feel like i should be discussing things with him more or
doing more.
instead of just sitting at the computer while he does his own
thing...I need help facilitating his learning!
He is 6 1/2 yo.

Debra Rossing

Have you tried being interested in what he's doing on the
computer/videogame or what he's watching on TV? What are you doing that
he can see? Not as a way to 'get him' to do other things, but are you
pursuing your own interests, exploring new things, yourself? For
instance, I had a hankering to try making soap a year or so ago. I went
out and got some pre-prepared glycerin stuff (just melt it in the
microwave and add color, scents, etc and pour into a mold - I wasn't so
interested as to go into making it from scratch with lye etc). We had a
great time - DS wandered in and out at will, made color suggestions,
picked out molds, made a few himself, but it was -my- project so he
could choose his level of participation (from none to spending an hour
or more with me). I'll probably be heading out to get more of it in the
near future because it's been a while and I want to do it again.

Deb

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healthunlimited1

--- In [email protected], "Debra Rossing" <debra.rossing@...> wrote:
>
> Have you tried being interested in what he's doing on the
> computer/videogame or what he's watching on TV? What are you doing that
> he can see? Not as a way to 'get him' to do other things, but are you
> pursuing your own interests, exploring new things, yourself? For
> instance, I had a hankering to try making soap a year or so ago. I went
> out and got some pre-prepared glycerin stuff (just melt it in the
> microwave and add color, scents, etc and pour into a mold - I wasn't so
> interested as to go into making it from scratch with lye etc). We had a
> great time - DS wandered in and out at will, made color suggestions,
> picked out molds, made a few himself, but it was -my- project so he
> could choose his level of participation (from none to spending an hour
> or more with me). I'll probably be heading out to get more of it in the
> near future because it's been a while and I want to do it again.
>
> Deb
************************

Oh my gosh! I love making soap and basically the same thing happened years back when
I learned how to make soap ... well and other things too like sugar scrubs and such. My
son loved it all. We still have some of the soaps that he made. He even sold some at a
homeschool fair. But more than that it lead him into this whole interest in what we call
"potion making". He created his own little lab that eventually turned into a store. His
potions became odd concoctions of "stuff" but he bottled it, priced it, made a pretend
scanner, made labels, signs for all over the house for his store, bags, receipts, cash
register ... the works. It was the most adorable thing. He still talks about it. You just
never know how your own interests can inspire your kids.

Having said that though we are in a different place and DS does not quite engage as easily.
Although, I went out to work in my little flower garden last week and asked him if he'd
come out and hang with me. He did and ended up doing some edge work for me. That
was not my goal ... it just happened. My goal was to just hang out and enjoy each other's
company. It was good.

I say that he does not engage as easily but I myself have not been so engaged either.
We've had some icky life junk plus a long winter of SAD for me. I'm working on myself ...
digging out my creativity - my enthusiasm for life again. I'm working through a book
called "Walking In This World" which has been fabulous. The interesting thing (keeping
with the conversation) is that during a conversation with DS a couple of weeks ago he
expressed how he wished that I would start sewing again and that dad would do his wood
working. That came about when I shared my "artist date" (see Walking In This World or
Artist Way) experience to a quilt shop I had never been in that fired my butt up! lol I
wonder ... why would DS wish that? He must have liked the creative energy - the
productivity I guess. So I plan in the near future to dust off the ole sewing machine - not
just for him but for me as well. It felt good getting so excited about what I saw in that
quilt shop.

Even though I "know" I still get concerned about where we are and the example I am for
my DS. I get concerned about not providing enough -- what would you say ---
inspiration or the possibility of inspiration for him.

Shileen

PS .... BUT ... DS began to teach me how to play WoW today! Oh boy! It's going to be a
long haul of learning.

hlg567

yes, i have sat with him while he played and we talk. I also made soap
like that. I put essential oils like lavender in them,herbs, sometimes
cucumber..it's great! I make mosaics and he uses the tile nippers to
cut pieces and we paint too.--- In [email protected],
"healthunlimited1" <shileennixon@...> wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "Debra Rossing"
<debra.rossing@> wrote:
> >
> > Have you tried being interested in what he's doing on the
> > computer/videogame or what he's watching on TV? What are you doing
that
> > he can see? Not as a way to 'get him' to do other things, but are you
> > pursuing your own interests, exploring new things, yourself? For
> > instance, I had a hankering to try making soap a year or so ago. I
went
> > out and got some pre-prepared glycerin stuff (just melt it in the
> > microwave and add color, scents, etc and pour into a mold - I
wasn't so
> > interested as to go into making it from scratch with lye etc). We
had a
> > great time - DS wandered in and out at will, made color suggestions,
> > picked out molds, made a few himself, but it was -my- project so he
> > could choose his level of participation (from none to spending an hour
> > or more with me). I'll probably be heading out to get more of it
in the
> > near future because it's been a while and I want to do it again.
> >
> > Deb
> ************************
>
> Oh my gosh! I love making soap and basically the same thing
happened years back when
> I learned how to make soap ... well and other things too like sugar
scrubs and such. My
> son loved it all. We still have some of the soaps that he made. He
even sold some at a
> homeschool fair. But more than that it lead him into this whole
interest in what we call
> "potion making". He created his own little lab that eventually
turned into a store. His
> potions became odd concoctions of "stuff" but he bottled it, priced
it, made a pretend
> scanner, made labels, signs for all over the house for his store,
bags, receipts, cash
> register ... the works. It was the most adorable thing. He still
talks about it. You just
> never know how your own interests can inspire your kids.
>
> Having said that though we are in a different place and DS does not
quite engage as easily.
> Although, I went out to work in my little flower garden last week
and asked him if he'd
> come out and hang with me. He did and ended up doing some edge work
for me. That
> was not my goal ... it just happened. My goal was to just hang out
and enjoy each other's
> company. It was good.
>
> I say that he does not engage as easily but I myself have not been
so engaged either.
> We've had some icky life junk plus a long winter of SAD for me. I'm
working on myself ...
> digging out my creativity - my enthusiasm for life again. I'm
working through a book
> called "Walking In This World" which has been fabulous. The
interesting thing (keeping
> with the conversation) is that during a conversation with DS a
couple of weeks ago he
> expressed how he wished that I would start sewing again and that dad
would do his wood
> working. That came about when I shared my "artist date" (see
Walking In This World or
> Artist Way) experience to a quilt shop I had never been in that
fired my butt up! lol I
> wonder ... why would DS wish that? He must have liked the creative
energy - the
> productivity I guess. So I plan in the near future to dust off the
ole sewing machine - not
> just for him but for me as well. It felt good getting so excited
about what I saw in that
> quilt shop.
>
> Even though I "know" I still get concerned about where we are and
the example I am for
> my DS. I get concerned about not providing enough -- what would you
say ---
> inspiration or the possibility of inspiration for him.
>
> Shileen
>
> PS .... BUT ... DS began to teach me how to play WoW today! Oh boy!
It's going to be a
> long haul of learning.
>

[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: hlg567 <halfshadow1@...>

I need some help with how i can engage my son in trying new things.
I read something that said an unschooling mom shouldn't do nothing as
a cover for her being *lazy* and/or listless. well, that's how i feel.
I mean my son is playing a video game or watching t.v. and in the pool
during the day but i feel like i'm not doing anything. I don't know
how to talk to him or how to help him get interested in stuff besides
asking
and when i do he doesn't want to talk more then a few words about
something.
let me give an example: we read and build things,we have tons of
legos and knex and blocks and he asks me to build things but most of
the time he wants to watch t.v. or play video games...no problem for
me...i just feel like i should be discussing things with him more or
doing more.
instead of just sitting at the computer while he does his own
thing...I need help facilitating his learning!
He is 6 1/2 yo.

-=-=-=-=-

Have you read Sandra's article "Leaning on a Truck"? Go to her site and
read that. It's about talking while doing.

Do you talk about what *he* is interested in or are you trying to bring
up subjects on your own? Do you understand the video games? Do you talk
about the tv shows he watches?

Do you have Netflix? Can you rent movies he would like? That's a GREAT
place to start talking---about the characters and the plot and the
scenery, etc. Not "schoolishly"---but like, with Bugs Bunny: "I would
love to visit Albuquerque one day. I hear they have a huge hot air
balloon festival where the sky is FULL of giant balloons." Or with
Batman, "When I was a kid, my bother would be Robin, and I would be
Batman, and we'd play like my grandmother's giant magnolia tree was the
batcave and jump from branch to branch. And when you were little, you
used to wear a Batman costume every day. They didn't have costumes when
I was little, but I used a towel."

Get cool pool toys and play with him in the pool. Years ago we had a
water-proof stop watch which was fun to clock how long they could hold
their breath or how long it took them to swim from end-to-end.

Learn to play the video games.

Get OUT! Go do something. Go out to eat at ethnic restaurants. Go to
the beach or mountains or stream---somewhere different.

Train the dog. Plant a garden. Paint a room.

Be interested in what he loves. Be interesting by doing what you love.
Plan something new every day. Doesn't have to be big. Make pizza dough.
Make mozerella cheese. Something!

~Kelly

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

Meredith

--- In [email protected], "hlg567" <halfshadow1@...>
wrote:
>
> yes, i have sat with him while he played and we talk. I also made
soap
> like that. I put essential oils like lavender in them,herbs,
sometimes
> cucumber..it's great! I make mosaics and he uses the tile nippers
to
> cut pieces and we paint too.

You know, this makes me think of the lists I used to make about what
my kids "learned" in a given day. Maybe you could make some lists
for yourself of the things you *do* in a given week and then, if you
still feel like its not "enough" find ways to expand some of those
things.

Pool toys are a good idea for ways to "do more". Its a good time of
year to look for them, too. And think about other things that could
*become* pool toys. Plastic toys of all kinds. Containers with lids
that you can fill with water or other toys. Anything that could
possibly be a "boat" - like plastic dishes and bowls. Clear vinyl
hose from the hardware store (er... be warned- it makes a great way
to squirt water at grumpy dads).

Did y'all ever get a trampoline? Have you tried it with different
size balls? Lots of fun.

---Meredith (Mo 6, Ray 14)