Thanks for clarifying unschooling and the help!
Pamela
I am rigid because I come from a family where my dad DRILLED us to
death on math..Needless to say NONE of his 3 kids or grandkids enjoy
math..I lack 3 math classes to getting my degree. I hate math myself
but do not want my son to hate math. He is very good at it actually. I
do call out multiplications to my 8 yr old and he knows many if not
most of them..But you are right. I am taking him to classes etc
because I am programed to do so! But he loves Science so he will be
just be going to the science group next month. He likes to do the
experiments and to go with the other kids more than anything I think.
He enjoys his "tutoring" as they really just play games with him and
let him play games on the computer, and the college kids relate well
to him. He also goes to Awanas at a local church and enjoys that very
much. We are not using books and formally teaching but I live in a
really rural setting and think some interaction is a good thing for him.
I am in south GA where I have to turn in attendance sheets every
month. He has to do 180 days of school for their rules..I just fill in
20-22 days a month and send it in. We do travel and go to science
centers and museums each month. He has a yearly pass to the Orlando
Science Center and goes every few weeks there too. He is well rounded
in that aspect, I was just thinking I AM NOT DOING MUCH TO EDUCATE him
but in reality I am.
What 8 yr old do you know that can go to work with a carpenter and
tear a shingled roof off? He came home telling me how many squares of
roof material they needed etc..He is a hands on worker type kid and is
just fine to me..I just get flack from my friend who "homeschools" her
3 boys who are not nearly as happy looking as my son.
I do appreciate all the advice and the things to read. If I was not so
ADD myself I think I would not worry, but I can hardly keep up with
the dishes most days and just get overwhelmed with fear that my son is
not learning enough. Apparently he is just fine and I need to work on
myself! LOL
He is currently outside building a fire with wood he cut himself with
an axe and machete'..I let him do most what he wants around here as it
is just he and I on 35 acres. He has been taught to use a machete'
since he was 3 yrs old, his dad is from Dominican Republic and taught
him to WORK at a young age. He is most helpful with our horses too.
He is also writing to a friend of mine in prison a few letters a
month. I let that be his writing practice and he enjoys being friends
with him even though he is in prison. He is told what got him there
and to try to do what is always right. His handwriting has improved
100% in the past 6 months alone. He enjoys telling my friend what he
does around here to help me out. So he is writing and reading somewhat
what he wants..I also ordered him Ranger Rick and Field and Stream
magazines that he will read on his own and there are lots of books
around my house for him if he wants to read but I do not push him to
do anything really. I am new to this lifestyle but it suits us fine
and if more people in my family were this way their kids would be
happier too I am sure.
Thanks for all the info and encouragement. I will not worry as he can
read just fine and does know most of the state capitals etc at 8...Now
to make sure I leave him alone to learn on his own will be the
test..lol Thanks, Pam
death on math..Needless to say NONE of his 3 kids or grandkids enjoy
math..I lack 3 math classes to getting my degree. I hate math myself
but do not want my son to hate math. He is very good at it actually. I
do call out multiplications to my 8 yr old and he knows many if not
most of them..But you are right. I am taking him to classes etc
because I am programed to do so! But he loves Science so he will be
just be going to the science group next month. He likes to do the
experiments and to go with the other kids more than anything I think.
He enjoys his "tutoring" as they really just play games with him and
let him play games on the computer, and the college kids relate well
to him. He also goes to Awanas at a local church and enjoys that very
much. We are not using books and formally teaching but I live in a
really rural setting and think some interaction is a good thing for him.
I am in south GA where I have to turn in attendance sheets every
month. He has to do 180 days of school for their rules..I just fill in
20-22 days a month and send it in. We do travel and go to science
centers and museums each month. He has a yearly pass to the Orlando
Science Center and goes every few weeks there too. He is well rounded
in that aspect, I was just thinking I AM NOT DOING MUCH TO EDUCATE him
but in reality I am.
What 8 yr old do you know that can go to work with a carpenter and
tear a shingled roof off? He came home telling me how many squares of
roof material they needed etc..He is a hands on worker type kid and is
just fine to me..I just get flack from my friend who "homeschools" her
3 boys who are not nearly as happy looking as my son.
I do appreciate all the advice and the things to read. If I was not so
ADD myself I think I would not worry, but I can hardly keep up with
the dishes most days and just get overwhelmed with fear that my son is
not learning enough. Apparently he is just fine and I need to work on
myself! LOL
He is currently outside building a fire with wood he cut himself with
an axe and machete'..I let him do most what he wants around here as it
is just he and I on 35 acres. He has been taught to use a machete'
since he was 3 yrs old, his dad is from Dominican Republic and taught
him to WORK at a young age. He is most helpful with our horses too.
He is also writing to a friend of mine in prison a few letters a
month. I let that be his writing practice and he enjoys being friends
with him even though he is in prison. He is told what got him there
and to try to do what is always right. His handwriting has improved
100% in the past 6 months alone. He enjoys telling my friend what he
does around here to help me out. So he is writing and reading somewhat
what he wants..I also ordered him Ranger Rick and Field and Stream
magazines that he will read on his own and there are lots of books
around my house for him if he wants to read but I do not push him to
do anything really. I am new to this lifestyle but it suits us fine
and if more people in my family were this way their kids would be
happier too I am sure.
Thanks for all the info and encouragement. I will not worry as he can
read just fine and does know most of the state capitals etc at 8...Now
to make sure I leave him alone to learn on his own will be the
test..lol Thanks, Pam
Ulrike Haupt
Hi Pam
Many years ago I was in a situation where my two eldest children had a short time of what we now consider to be unschooling. My heart opened up when I heard my little four year old boy sing and hum to himself as he was busy with something in the garden. I think he was playing with toy cars or so. I just knew that he was 'right with himself and the world' at that very moment. I failed him in not fighting for more of such moments of quiet bliss and he still blames me for not having been the mother he wanted me to be for him. But I hold this jewel of memory in my heart. You have the chance to create so many more jewels with your son who 'sings his joy' in his carpentry and other endeavours.
Blessed be
Ulrike
from Namibia - somewhere in Africa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Many years ago I was in a situation where my two eldest children had a short time of what we now consider to be unschooling. My heart opened up when I heard my little four year old boy sing and hum to himself as he was busy with something in the garden. I think he was playing with toy cars or so. I just knew that he was 'right with himself and the world' at that very moment. I failed him in not fighting for more of such moments of quiet bliss and he still blames me for not having been the mother he wanted me to be for him. But I hold this jewel of memory in my heart. You have the chance to create so many more jewels with your son who 'sings his joy' in his carpentry and other endeavours.
Blessed be
Ulrike
from Namibia - somewhere in Africa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Vickisue Gray
>>He has a yearly pass to the Orlando Science Center and goes every few weeks there too.<<
If you check out the Orlando Science Center's membership, that pass lets you into Museums all over the country and if I remember right, some even world wide. I'm impressed that you live in south GA and drive all the way to Orlando for a museum!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Deanne Liner
Well it helps that my oldest son and family live in ORLANDO! LOL It is 260 or so miles and we just got a small Nissan car so we can afford to go 2-3 weekends a month now. In my truck we went 1X a month..my son loves the science center there in Orlando. I will have to look at the pass to see if there are some museums to go see. I used to go all the time to the Mariners Museum in Newport News VA as we lived in a hotel while our house was being built for about 6 months. I went to that museum every weekend when I was in the 3rd grade, I remember that time like yesterday. I love museums so I want my son to learn to love them too so we go whenever we can afford it. :) Pam
--- On Fri, 1/23/09, Vickisue Gray <vickisue_gray@...> wrote:
From: Vickisue Gray <vickisue_gray@...>
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Thanks for clarifying unschooling and the help!
To: [email protected]
Date: Friday, January 23, 2009, 2:17 PM
>>He has a yearly pass to the Orlando Science Center and goes every few weeks there too.<<
If you check out the Orlando Science Center's membership, that pass lets you into Museums all over the country and if I remember right, some even world wide. I'm impressed that you live in south GA and drive all the way to Orlando for a museum!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Meredith
--- In [email protected], Deanne Liner
<ohwhatacruise@...> wrote:
learn to love them too so we go whenever we can afford it.
************************
I think I remember you saying your son likes museums anyway- science
museums maybe? so this may not apply so much to you directly, its
more of a general observation.
Its easy to get stuck thinking "I love this and want my kids to love
it." Its natural to want to share our joys with our families. Its not
a good rationale for taking kids places they aren't thrilled with,
though, or don't have the skills to appreciate. I don't take my kids
to museums, for the most part. Now and then as part of an extended
family outing its fun, but its not the sort of thing we can do
regularly.
Mo loves all the stuff in museums, but doesn't have the ability, yet,
to just walk and look. We're better off renting a movie that she can
watch while playing Barbiezilla Destroys Legopolis. Museums that are
set up like old towns - Mystic Seaport or Sturbridge Village, for
example - work okay for Mo bc she can Run from building to building
and climb things. Zoos can be good for that, too, but again, much as
Mo loves animals, stopping and looking for more than a few seconds
isn't on her agenda. That's one of the reasons I like to do things
like that as a big, extended family outing - we adults can take turns
running after her!
Ray finds museums dull for the most part. He's happy to hang out with
a group at a museum or zoo, but its the group he's interested in, not
the looking. Now if someone would start curating skate parks, so he
could skate and look and talk and look and skate some more - he'd be
all about that!
---Meredith (Mo 7, Ray 15)
<ohwhatacruise@...> wrote:
>I went to that museum every weekend when I was in the 3rd grade, Iremember that time like yesterday. I love museums so I want my son to
learn to love them too so we go whenever we can afford it.
************************
I think I remember you saying your son likes museums anyway- science
museums maybe? so this may not apply so much to you directly, its
more of a general observation.
Its easy to get stuck thinking "I love this and want my kids to love
it." Its natural to want to share our joys with our families. Its not
a good rationale for taking kids places they aren't thrilled with,
though, or don't have the skills to appreciate. I don't take my kids
to museums, for the most part. Now and then as part of an extended
family outing its fun, but its not the sort of thing we can do
regularly.
Mo loves all the stuff in museums, but doesn't have the ability, yet,
to just walk and look. We're better off renting a movie that she can
watch while playing Barbiezilla Destroys Legopolis. Museums that are
set up like old towns - Mystic Seaport or Sturbridge Village, for
example - work okay for Mo bc she can Run from building to building
and climb things. Zoos can be good for that, too, but again, much as
Mo loves animals, stopping and looking for more than a few seconds
isn't on her agenda. That's one of the reasons I like to do things
like that as a big, extended family outing - we adults can take turns
running after her!
Ray finds museums dull for the most part. He's happy to hang out with
a group at a museum or zoo, but its the group he's interested in, not
the looking. Now if someone would start curating skate parks, so he
could skate and look and talk and look and skate some more - he'd be
all about that!
---Meredith (Mo 7, Ray 15)