adana

I'm the "US-interested" mom, of a 2 years and a half DD (dear
daughter), Delia
Not yet convinced, but rather interested in US, I would like to met
and conect with some of you, US people, living close to us. Please let
us know, if we can met, if we can do together some of the things you
do with your kids.

Wish to here from you soon, Adana, mom to Delia

P.S.I will add a presentation of mine that I sent to the group of moms
in Astoria:

"Hi,
My name is Adriana (Adana), I'm 33 and I have a daughter of 2 years
and 8 months.
I don't speak English well and I will not be able to write messages
like this without help from my friends. Thus, please don't be upset if
I am not able to answer too quickly.
I'm looking for an English teacher, so if you know anyone who is good,
please recommend him/her to me.

I don't know exactly what to tell you about us. We have been living
here for a year and a half and we will be staying for roughly another
year and a half after which we return to our native country, Romania.

My most ardent preoccupation lately has been to look for activities
for my little girl. This is because I'm trying to find new ways to
stimulate her, to entertain her and to give her the chance to discover
what is more interesting for her in this world. I've selected so far
from what places like Steinway church, Children's Museum of The Arts,
Appleseeds, MoonSoup and others have to offer. For the time being I've
decided to sign her up at MoonSoup and at Children's Museum of The Arts.

However, what I'm most interested in is to find that kind of
activities that could suit best the HomeSchooling or the UnSchooling
philosophy. I'm curious if there are other mothers in this group who
practice homeschooling or are thinking of doing this and if they can
recommend some suitable activities that complement harmoniously the
way they raise their children and that fit Delia's age as well.
I'd be very glad, in case they exist, if they allowed me to come among
them, to see what they do and how they do it. In what form this could
happen, it's not clear to me yet.
I think that for me it would be very difficult to practice either of
these two forms of free education at the moment because I was raised
myself in a classical manner, based on punishments and rewards, and I
cannot make out very clearly how things can be done differently.
I mean, I don't behave like this with Delia, or, more specifically, I
try to be careful and not to do it. But I really believe that children
are natively endowed with the learning ability and we just have to
expose them to information, just teach them to search and they will be
capable to do the rest. Hence, the activities that I'm looking for now
are rather amusing, interesting and less centered on necessarily
obtaining some end products, or certain skills. I see them more as a
presentation of some interesting things, some of which the child will
feel tempted to do and… surprise, someone will be there to help her,
to guide her. And this comes above teaching her. Besides the arguments
brought by US and HS, I feel that at this stage in her life it is
important to have around her several key persons of diverse ages â€"as
diverse as possible- whom she could meet constantly and from whom she
could learn. Because here, we are more or less isolated.

And since I opened the discussion on education, I would like to add
that I am now reading Alfie Kohn and Donald Winnicott with great pleasure.

I will end here for the moment, I no longer want to torture my friend
who helps me with the translation. I hope I have let you know me a
little and I also
hope that I will be able to get to know you gradually and that my
English will allow me to do so as much as possible.
I think you will get to know Delia by just… seeing her in action. She
is wonderful and radiant and beautiful .
Unfortunately I didn't manage to post pictures, I suppose they were
too large and I don't know exactly how to make them smaller.

Best,
Adriana"