What if she wants school?
gcriminy
Hello, all.
I need some advice. :-) My daughter, who's six, has just decided she wants to go to school. When she was four, she went to six months of a structured preschool and hated it, and it took a long time for her to destress and be happy after that experience. I'd like to allow her to attend school if that's what she wants (our local school is a small charter school that gets rave reviews from most people and seems very progressive, so that's good at least), but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Is it worth letting her try?
Thanks to everyone in advance.
--Jennifer
I need some advice. :-) My daughter, who's six, has just decided she wants to go to school. When she was four, she went to six months of a structured preschool and hated it, and it took a long time for her to destress and be happy after that experience. I'd like to allow her to attend school if that's what she wants (our local school is a small charter school that gets rave reviews from most people and seems very progressive, so that's good at least), but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Is it worth letting her try?
Thanks to everyone in advance.
--Jennifer
Elli
Hi
She wants to try it so your job is to let her try it. If and when she wants to stop, your job will be to make stopping easy and comfortable.
My daughter is 12. We've been unschooling for 2 years. This fall and last fall she tried school again. She lasted one day last year. This year she went to an open house at a local private school and decided against school.
Last year I felt so distraught by her wanting to go to school that I accidentally backed into another car in the parking lot after dropping her off in the morning. That afternoon when I picked her up she told me that the hourly bells gave her a headache and she had spent the day in the nurse's office. I had been supportive of her decision to try school. She knew that she was not locked in to the choice. She made her own choice not to go back.
By the way, I shared my distress with my hubby not with my daughter. Her choice is hers and I don't want my fears influencing her choices. The more hubby falls in love with radical unschooling, the easier it is for me to lean on him when fear pokes at me.
Best wishes,
Elli
She wants to try it so your job is to let her try it. If and when she wants to stop, your job will be to make stopping easy and comfortable.
My daughter is 12. We've been unschooling for 2 years. This fall and last fall she tried school again. She lasted one day last year. This year she went to an open house at a local private school and decided against school.
Last year I felt so distraught by her wanting to go to school that I accidentally backed into another car in the parking lot after dropping her off in the morning. That afternoon when I picked her up she told me that the hourly bells gave her a headache and she had spent the day in the nurse's office. I had been supportive of her decision to try school. She knew that she was not locked in to the choice. She made her own choice not to go back.
By the way, I shared my distress with my hubby not with my daughter. Her choice is hers and I don't want my fears influencing her choices. The more hubby falls in love with radical unschooling, the easier it is for me to lean on him when fear pokes at me.
Best wishes,
Elli
--- In [email protected], "gcriminy" <senlin_says@...> wrote:
>
> Hello, all.
>
> I need some advice. :-) My daughter, who's six, has just decided she wants to go to school. When she was four, she went to six months of a structured preschool and hated it, and it took a long time for her to destress and be happy after that experience. I'd like to allow her to attend school if that's what she wants (our local school is a small charter school that gets rave reviews from most people and seems very progressive, so that's good at least), but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Is it worth letting her try?
>
> Thanks to everyone in advance.
>
> --Jennifer
>
plaidpanties666
"gcriminy" <senlin_says@...> wrote:
What Does she want from school? Are there other ways for her to get what she wants? A dance class? Scouts? Riding city busses with a new lunchbox? Can she visit the school or be a "guest student" for a week and see what she thinks of it? Kids often get ideas about school from tv and stories - try to get a sense of what her idea of "school" is. She might be happy just to play school off and on at home - Mo played "school" several days a week at home for over a year, for instance.
---Meredith
>Is it worth letting her try?If you pay for the charter school, and she wants to stop going the day after you can't get your money back, will you insist she continue to go to school? That's something to think about. Depending on what she thinks she's going to get out of school, she may be ready to come home quickly or after a few months, but you don't know, and the moment you make school a "have to" rather than a fun experiment, you've stopped being her partner.
What Does she want from school? Are there other ways for her to get what she wants? A dance class? Scouts? Riding city busses with a new lunchbox? Can she visit the school or be a "guest student" for a week and see what she thinks of it? Kids often get ideas about school from tv and stories - try to get a sense of what her idea of "school" is. She might be happy just to play school off and on at home - Mo played "school" several days a week at home for over a year, for instance.
---Meredith
Scott & Marygrace Sorensen
"gcriminy" <senlin_says@...> wrote:
you can't get your money back, will you insist she continue to go to school?
Is there a way for her to have a trial day or two at the school? I know
many private schools do. Also some tuition based schools are month to
month.
Mg
Description: Image removed by sender.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>Is it worth letting her try?If you pay for the charter school, and she wants to stop going the day after
you can't get your money back, will you insist she continue to go to school?
Is there a way for her to have a trial day or two at the school? I know
many private schools do. Also some tuition based schools are month to
month.
Mg
Description: Image removed by sender.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
Yes, with the clear understanding that this is her choice and if she wants to stop, she can.
Nance
Nance
--- In [email protected], "gcriminy" <senlin_says@...> wrote:
>
> Hello, all.
>
> I need some advice. :-) My daughter, who's six, has just decided she wants to go to school. When she was four, she went to six months of a structured preschool and hated it, and it took a long time for her to destress and be happy after that experience. I'd like to allow her to attend school if that's what she wants (our local school is a small charter school that gets rave reviews from most people and seems very progressive, so that's good at least), but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Is it worth letting her try?
>
> Thanks to everyone in advance.
>
> --Jennifer
>
Meshell Powell
All I can do is offer my experience. My son, who is now 18, wanted the public school experience, so I enrolled him. About halfway through the year, he wanted to come home. We sat down and discussed his reasons and then brought him back home. When he was old enough for middle school, he entertained the thought again. I scheduled an appointment with the principal so we could interview her. (He was interested in policies concerning dress code, being forced to recite a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.) Later that evening, he requested a family meeting and announced that he would rather continue being in charge of his own education. I always believed that my children should have the freedom to choose their own experiences, so public education was always an option.
To: [email protected]
From: senlin_says@...
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 22:05:12 +0000
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] What if she wants school?
Hello, all.
I need some advice. :-) My daughter, who's six, has just decided she wants to go to school. When she was four, she went to six months of a structured preschool and hated it, and it took a long time for her to destress and be happy after that experience. I'd like to allow her to attend school if that's what she wants (our local school is a small charter school that gets rave reviews from most people and seems very progressive, so that's good at least), but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Is it worth letting her try?
Thanks to everyone in advance.
--Jennifer
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
To: [email protected]
From: senlin_says@...
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 22:05:12 +0000
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] What if she wants school?
Hello, all.
I need some advice. :-) My daughter, who's six, has just decided she wants to go to school. When she was four, she went to six months of a structured preschool and hated it, and it took a long time for her to destress and be happy after that experience. I'd like to allow her to attend school if that's what she wants (our local school is a small charter school that gets rave reviews from most people and seems very progressive, so that's good at least), but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Is it worth letting her try?
Thanks to everyone in advance.
--Jennifer
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
gcriminy
Hello! This is Jenny, the one who originally asked the public school question. I just wanted to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts on the issue. What ended up happening is that we set up an observation day at the local school but my daughter lost interest before the day even arrived. Instead, we spent the day picnicking in the (cold!) park, riding scooters, and making acorn art. It might be selfish of me, but I'm really really glad she decided not to go to school and leave me in the boring world of Grownups. ;-) --Jen
--- In [email protected], Meshell Powell <moonlightmaven@...> wrote:
>
>
> All I can do is offer my experience. My son, who is now 18, wanted the public school experience, so I enrolled him. About halfway through the year, he wanted to come home. We sat down and discussed his reasons and then brought him back home. When he was old enough for middle school, he entertained the thought again. I scheduled an appointment with the principal so we could interview her. (He was interested in policies concerning dress code, being forced to recite a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.) Later that evening, he requested a family meeting and announced that he would rather continue being in charge of his own education. I always believed that my children should have the freedom to choose their own experiences, so public education was always an option.
[email protected]
Good for everyone involved!
And it's not "selfish" if you are enjoying your happy family. :)
Nance
And it's not "selfish" if you are enjoying your happy family. :)
Nance
--- In [email protected], "gcriminy" <senlin_says@...> wrote:
>
> Hello! This is Jenny, the one who originally asked the public school question. I just wanted to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts on the issue. What ended up happening is that we set up an observation day at the local school but my daughter lost interest before the day even arrived. Instead, we spent the day picnicking in the (cold!) park, riding scooters, and making acorn art. It might be selfish of me, but I'm really really glad she decided not to go to school and leave me in the boring world of Grownups. ;-) --Jen
>
> --- In [email protected], Meshell Powell <moonlightmaven@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > All I can do is offer my experience. My son, who is now 18, wanted the public school experience, so I enrolled him. About halfway through the year, he wanted to come home. We sat down and discussed his reasons and then brought him back home. When he was old enough for middle school, he entertained the thought again. I scheduled an appointment with the principal so we could interview her. (He was interested in policies concerning dress code, being forced to recite a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.) Later that evening, he requested a family meeting and announced that he would rather continue being in charge of his own education. I always believed that my children should have the freedom to choose their own experiences, so public education was always an option.
>