Not panicking,
messy_boys
I have been marinating in all the ideas you all gave me in my last post titled "panic attack." I really appreciate your time and help! I have definitely been looking at learning math in a schoolish way.
I guess I am just wishing that I didn't have to worry about it at all, you know? I really believe that they will learn what they need, when they need it...and my job is to keep the buffet out for them, so to speak. To make the world accessible to them, and to be their partner.
Just trying to figure out how to mesh that with my ex-husbands sudden demands that I do things the school way.
Kristie
I guess I am just wishing that I didn't have to worry about it at all, you know? I really believe that they will learn what they need, when they need it...and my job is to keep the buffet out for them, so to speak. To make the world accessible to them, and to be their partner.
Just trying to figure out how to mesh that with my ex-husbands sudden demands that I do things the school way.
Kristie
Meredith
"messy_boys" <messy_boys@...> wrote:
Think of his demands in the same light you would dealing with the living in a place which made you validate your kids educational progress - you don't need to change what you do for the most part, you need to figure out how to appease the Powers That Be.
Here's a link with some samples of how other unschoolers have handled the issue of reporting. Depending on where you live, if you've been using the easiest reporting method, you might even want to switch to something which requires more reporting from you So That you have something "official" to show your Ex. That was one of the advantages, when we were doing homeschool paperwork for my stepson, of filing through an "umbrella school" - I could simply copy and forward all the paperwork to his bio mom.
---Meredith
>> Just trying to figure out how to mesh that with my ex-husbands sudden demands that I do things the school way.***************
Think of his demands in the same light you would dealing with the living in a place which made you validate your kids educational progress - you don't need to change what you do for the most part, you need to figure out how to appease the Powers That Be.
Here's a link with some samples of how other unschoolers have handled the issue of reporting. Depending on where you live, if you've been using the easiest reporting method, you might even want to switch to something which requires more reporting from you So That you have something "official" to show your Ex. That was one of the advantages, when we were doing homeschool paperwork for my stepson, of filing through an "umbrella school" - I could simply copy and forward all the paperwork to his bio mom.
---Meredith
Vickisue Gray
messy_boys" <messy_boys@ ...> wrote:
-Meredith responded:>>>
Think of his demands in the same light you would dealing with the living in a place which made you validate your kids educational progress - you don't need to change what you do for the most part, you need to figure
out how to appease the Powers That Be.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree with Meredith on this. I wasn't dealing with an ex-spouse when we made the move into unschooling but even for a spouse and older child who was traveling the 'school way', unschooling can sound as if "Mom is off her rocker". ~No offense intended to my fellow unschoolers by that statement. Just for me, many times when I tried to explain to my spouse and older daughter who was traveling through the school system via the gifted program then IB program, who thrived in the school setting, how unschooling works, I got those looks of 'you are out of your mind'. My daughter is still of a strong belief that without redundant, repetitive, study, her brother will never accomplish learning yet she sees it happening. NOTE: This same daughter had been raised under the same type of parental thinking as unschoolers. She was in school because she wanted to be there not because I made her go. (Funny how that fact slipped her mind for years, lol.)
Anyway, to the useful part! For me, I found that keeping a blog was the easiest way to 'document' learning. I didn't go super overboard trying to document everyday and every moment of each day, but I did try to document the things that showed curiosity in action. Dad and son looking at a spider under a microscope. I took lots of pictures of field trips to Science Centers, etc. I also kept my own journal documenting different things we discussed, looked up, books read, etc. I was SO worried the first few years that the state would come in and demand to see my records.
For my own piece of mind, I kept myself aware of where my son 'should be' had he traveled the schooling way. If you ever get looking at where the school requirements are, you might be surprised at how low their standards are. A child age 8-10 could pretty much learn most everything 'taught' in school just by playing Runescape. Learning truly does happen outside of the school system. My son has been unschooling since age 8. He is now almost 15 and plans to start college next year. He is ready.
I haven't blogged in awhile but here's on post that may be of help to you.
http://balderdashandblokus.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-college-for-unschoolers-even.html
Peace and laughter,
And good luck!
Vicki
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>> Just trying to figure out how to mesh that with my ex-husbands sudden demands that I do things the school way.************ ***
-Meredith responded:>>>
Think of his demands in the same light you would dealing with the living in a place which made you validate your kids educational progress - you don't need to change what you do for the most part, you need to figure
out how to appease the Powers That Be.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree with Meredith on this. I wasn't dealing with an ex-spouse when we made the move into unschooling but even for a spouse and older child who was traveling the 'school way', unschooling can sound as if "Mom is off her rocker". ~No offense intended to my fellow unschoolers by that statement. Just for me, many times when I tried to explain to my spouse and older daughter who was traveling through the school system via the gifted program then IB program, who thrived in the school setting, how unschooling works, I got those looks of 'you are out of your mind'. My daughter is still of a strong belief that without redundant, repetitive, study, her brother will never accomplish learning yet she sees it happening. NOTE: This same daughter had been raised under the same type of parental thinking as unschoolers. She was in school because she wanted to be there not because I made her go. (Funny how that fact slipped her mind for years, lol.)
Anyway, to the useful part! For me, I found that keeping a blog was the easiest way to 'document' learning. I didn't go super overboard trying to document everyday and every moment of each day, but I did try to document the things that showed curiosity in action. Dad and son looking at a spider under a microscope. I took lots of pictures of field trips to Science Centers, etc. I also kept my own journal documenting different things we discussed, looked up, books read, etc. I was SO worried the first few years that the state would come in and demand to see my records.
For my own piece of mind, I kept myself aware of where my son 'should be' had he traveled the schooling way. If you ever get looking at where the school requirements are, you might be surprised at how low their standards are. A child age 8-10 could pretty much learn most everything 'taught' in school just by playing Runescape. Learning truly does happen outside of the school system. My son has been unschooling since age 8. He is now almost 15 and plans to start college next year. He is ready.
I haven't blogged in awhile but here's on post that may be of help to you.
http://balderdashandblokus.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-college-for-unschoolers-even.html
Peace and laughter,
And good luck!
Vicki
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Vickisue Gray
Stumbled on this:
Dealing with Resistant Spouses
and others
Read more at: http://sandradodd.com/reluctance
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Dealing with Resistant Spouses
and others
Read more at: http://sandradodd.com/reluctance
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
zurro
Meredith I didn't see that link posted that you mentioned. Could you please post it again?
Laura zurrolaur
Laura zurrolaur
--- In [email protected], "Meredith" <plaidpanties666@...> wrote:
>
> "messy_boys" <messy_boys@> wrote:
> >> Just trying to figure out how to mesh that with my ex-husbands sudden demands that I do things the school way.
> ***************
>
> Think of his demands in the same light you would dealing with the living in a place which made you validate your kids educational progress - you don't need to change what you do for the most part, you need to figure out how to appease the Powers That Be.
>
> Here's a link with some samples of how other unschoolers have handled the issue of reporting. Depending on where you live, if you've been using the easiest reporting method, you might even want to switch to something which requires more reporting from you So That you have something "official" to show your Ex. That was one of the advantages, when we were doing homeschool paperwork for my stepson, of filing through an "umbrella school" - I could simply copy and forward all the paperwork to his bio mom.
>
> ---Meredith
>
Meredith
"zurro" <zurrolaur@...> wrote:
Oh, gosh, I went and bookmarked it instead of posting it!
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
>****************
> Meredith I didn't see that link posted that you mentioned. Could you please post it again?
Oh, gosh, I went and bookmarked it instead of posting it!
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html