New Here
Ruth
Hi
I have been unschooling 7 children for 4 years. I didn't realise it had a
name until I read the Unschooling Handbook! I had a brief period of
trying a more structured approach ( a momentary panic attack when eldest ds
hit 15 last year) which made the whole household miserable and we quickly
have reverted to our haphazard, getting on with life learning style. I
live in the UK and last week had a inspector from the Education Authority
round for a visit. It was the first visit I have ever had and some of it did
not go well as I had no idea or interest in what "level" the children were
at - in particular my two youngest twin boys who are just 6. Unschooling is
legal here and we have no restrictions but this person who came was not
impressed with the "evidence of education "( she wanted to see a whole
curriculum laid out on the table) and the none curriculum things the
children had done. The truthful response was my twins do not write much yet
and only one reads a bit and I have no intention of pushing them into it
before they are ready. This did not go down well. The person who came could
see something was working ( but not the kids lol)but was mystified as to
what and I found it very hard to explain how my children learn by going
about their lives and doing things that interest them and playing. She just
screeched what about exams at me. Has anyone any good ways of putting what
unschooling is in a way a person from a very closed mindset like the LEA can
understand? How to document untangible things? How do you remember the
conversations and discussions and the day to day learning that just goes -
often unnoticed.I am looking forward to hearing what people think. Thank
you.
Ruth
____________________________________________________________________________
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I have been unschooling 7 children for 4 years. I didn't realise it had a
name until I read the Unschooling Handbook! I had a brief period of
trying a more structured approach ( a momentary panic attack when eldest ds
hit 15 last year) which made the whole household miserable and we quickly
have reverted to our haphazard, getting on with life learning style. I
live in the UK and last week had a inspector from the Education Authority
round for a visit. It was the first visit I have ever had and some of it did
not go well as I had no idea or interest in what "level" the children were
at - in particular my two youngest twin boys who are just 6. Unschooling is
legal here and we have no restrictions but this person who came was not
impressed with the "evidence of education "( she wanted to see a whole
curriculum laid out on the table) and the none curriculum things the
children had done. The truthful response was my twins do not write much yet
and only one reads a bit and I have no intention of pushing them into it
before they are ready. This did not go down well. The person who came could
see something was working ( but not the kids lol)but was mystified as to
what and I found it very hard to explain how my children learn by going
about their lives and doing things that interest them and playing. She just
screeched what about exams at me. Has anyone any good ways of putting what
unschooling is in a way a person from a very closed mindset like the LEA can
understand? How to document untangible things? How do you remember the
conversations and discussions and the day to day learning that just goes -
often unnoticed.I am looking forward to hearing what people think. Thank
you.
Ruth
____________________________________________________________________________
This email and all attachments have been electronically scanned by Kingston
Communications' email Anti-Virus service and no known viruses were detected.
____________________________________________________________________________
Rodney and Rebecca Atherton
>Has anyone any good ways of putting what unschooling is in a way a personI am waiting for other responses too. I like to ask people, "How did you
>from a very closed mindset like the LEA can understand?
learn to use your computer? Did someone teach you how to turn it on or how
to run a program? Did you take a computer course, and if so, is THAT where
you learned everything you know about computers now? Did you memorize all
the parts of a computer before you attempted to use it? (my son's computer
lit teacher told me that they kids would not touch the computer until 'they
learned the parts') I learned what I know about the computer because I
wanted to! I used the trial and error method for almost everything! Sure,
I gained some new Tech support friends, but I learned so much from my
mistakes! I crashed my computer and usually learned so much by the time I
got it running again. Playing around with the color schemes, wallpaper, and
fonts really helped me learn my way around my hard drive. When my modem
died and I didn't have much cash, I learned to install a modem! When my CD
stopped working I found out that sometimes the wires can come loose and
since I knew how to take the tower apart, it was easy for me to fiddle
around in there... In other words, I learned what I know about computers
because I WANTED to know about them or I had to learn something so I could
keep playing with my computer, no one forced me to 'memorize the parts' or
to learn about them, I learned as a played.
>How to document untangible things?I'm waiting for better responses for this one too! Sometimes, I write about
the neat things my kids do or tell me about in a journal or in an e mail to
an e mail list! Also, you can learn to see the educational value in
everyday ordinary things. It's all a matter of how you look at it. Like,
my daughter chatted on the computer most of the day today, but she was
TYPING and asking me how to spell certain words for her. Her little brain
was working hard with trying to spell and then working hard trying to find
each letter. 'On paper' she worked on her computer lit, keyboarding,
spelling, language arts, reading, and socializing skills (not that that's a
skill)... what else?
>How do you remember the conversations and discussions and the day to dayI don't, but there are days where they explode with all this information
>learning that just goes - often unnoticed.
that was seemingly unknown. Sometimes it just works it's way to the
surface, but it usually goes unnoticed for months.
I sure hope to get some more answers from you other moms!
Rebecca in Texas
Aim/AOL: Rebeccawow
MSN: wow_academy@...
Yahoo! Messenger: wow_academy
ICQ# 2046718
http://www.geocities.com/rebeccawow.geo
Rodney and Rebecca Atherton
>Has anyone any good ways of putting what unschooling is in a way a personI forgot. I want to know more about developmental psychologists' research
>from a very closed mindset like the LEA can understand?
on the brain and learning. Maybe some familiar names like Piaget and
Elkind. Wouldn't they support delayed academics or a more Unschooling
approach? What are the names of like minded people that edu-crats would
recognize? How about some Einstein quotes, or Einstein and Edison's
stories? You know, like how they were kicked out of school and thought of
as 'stupid' so they got to spend much time at home doing what they wanted to
do? Those are good stories to give as examples. What else would help
closed minded people?
In college, my education professors seemed to lean more towards "child led
learning" and they seemed to be more for a "developmental appropriate"
education. I even remember telling one of my professors that I wanted to do
research on Unschooling, but that I couldn't find anything. I vaguely
remember one of my professors mentioning John Holt! They didn't agree with
much that was going on in the public schools. But, that type of attitude
doesn't win more $$$$ from the public. Those wonderful methods that we
learned about in college aren't always the best at popping out good multiple
choice test scores. So, they aren't going to win over the public. ::rolls
eyes::
Rebecca in Texas
Aim/AOL: Rebeccawow
MSN: wow_academy@...
Yahoo! Messenger: wow_academy
ICQ# 2046718
http://www.geocities.com/rebeccawow.geo
decjec
Hi Everyone,
I am new to this group and new to unschooling. We have been
homeschooling for about 3 years now. I have 3 DDs ages 10,7, and 2.
While I can't say we are unshooling yet, it is something I want to
move towards.I will probably just be listening to you all for now and
then maybe pop in with a question or two. I am reading The Unprocessed
Child right now but also wonder if any of you have teens or older and
how it is going. Also how it is with more than one child? Mine play
alot together which is great. I am just curious as to how having more
than one affects the dynamics of unschooling( as far as following
Individual interests) They play so much together that I don't see them
doing as much independently. Thanks!
Danette
I am new to this group and new to unschooling. We have been
homeschooling for about 3 years now. I have 3 DDs ages 10,7, and 2.
While I can't say we are unshooling yet, it is something I want to
move towards.I will probably just be listening to you all for now and
then maybe pop in with a question or two. I am reading The Unprocessed
Child right now but also wonder if any of you have teens or older and
how it is going. Also how it is with more than one child? Mine play
alot together which is great. I am just curious as to how having more
than one affects the dynamics of unschooling( as far as following
Individual interests) They play so much together that I don't see them
doing as much independently. Thanks!
Danette
tofu2698
Hi everyone,
My name is Sarah. I've been planning on homeschooling my son since
before he was born (he's 5 1/2 now) and in the last year or so, have
been really turned on to the idea of Unschooling. I have a new baby
(well she's 7 month old now, but I'm still adjusting to her being
here) and people (think my parents!) keep asking me what we are
"doing" as far as homeschooling is concerned, and I'm feeling at a
loss to know what to say. My son Gryphon is intellengent and has a
wide variety of interests, I know he's learning everyday, we do lots
of outside activities, nothing formal, but we're out of the house alot
and scooting around town to things, he's got lots of interaction as
we have interest. I'm just joining to learn a bit more about this
unschooling style and to get more info on how to keep records and how
to better confirm to people and to myself that I'm actually "doing"
something with him and that he is actually "learning" Wondering if
people who are unschooling try to "teach" anything at all, or is it
just totally child directed, or a combo. (I'm sure there are no hard
and fast rules, just currious what a typical day might look like) We
have an Oak Meadow curriulum that was given to us and I might try to
do some of the activities out of there this fall, Gryphon is
expressing an interest in reading and so I figured maybe I would try
some phonics stuff.. I dunno.. feeling a little lost...
Look forward to learning more from you all!
Sarah
Associate Sales Team Leader
UBB's Natural Family Boutique
*natural items for your natural family*
www.shopubb.com?sarah
My name is Sarah. I've been planning on homeschooling my son since
before he was born (he's 5 1/2 now) and in the last year or so, have
been really turned on to the idea of Unschooling. I have a new baby
(well she's 7 month old now, but I'm still adjusting to her being
here) and people (think my parents!) keep asking me what we are
"doing" as far as homeschooling is concerned, and I'm feeling at a
loss to know what to say. My son Gryphon is intellengent and has a
wide variety of interests, I know he's learning everyday, we do lots
of outside activities, nothing formal, but we're out of the house alot
and scooting around town to things, he's got lots of interaction as
we have interest. I'm just joining to learn a bit more about this
unschooling style and to get more info on how to keep records and how
to better confirm to people and to myself that I'm actually "doing"
something with him and that he is actually "learning" Wondering if
people who are unschooling try to "teach" anything at all, or is it
just totally child directed, or a combo. (I'm sure there are no hard
and fast rules, just currious what a typical day might look like) We
have an Oak Meadow curriulum that was given to us and I might try to
do some of the activities out of there this fall, Gryphon is
expressing an interest in reading and so I figured maybe I would try
some phonics stuff.. I dunno.. feeling a little lost...
Look forward to learning more from you all!
Sarah
Associate Sales Team Leader
UBB's Natural Family Boutique
*natural items for your natural family*
www.shopubb.com?sarah
soggyboysmom
Hi Sarah. Sounds like you answered your own question "I know he's
learning everyday" - that's pretty much the bottom line, isn't it?
Recordkeeping - what do the LAWS of your state require (including
what the minimum compulsory age is - not always 5)? That's what you
need to consider. For instance, here in CT, there is no
recordkeeping or testing or reporting requirement of any kind, so we
don't do any recordkeeping. We do email grandma and chat with family
about stuff DS (just turned 7) is doing. Note we talk about what he
is *doing* not what we're "teaching" or he's "learning" - it's as
much about video games and hot wheels cars as it is about books and
chess games.
There are long archive threads about "teaching" - if by teaching you
mean providing information and assistance in developing a skill he
has decided to pursue, then yes we do some teaching. However, if by
teaching you mean we decide that "at his age he should know" this or
that and then we focus on it and make sure it gets into him, no we
don't teach.
now-, any particular reason to wait until fall? Do you want to hear
about DS learning to read? If not, skip this next paragraph of
anecdotal evidence. He was almost 5 and told us we "needed" to get
Hooked on Phonics so he could learn to read. I suggested that since
HOP took $$ and time to arrive, maybe we could start with something
we already had handy. He was okay with that (immediacy above all
things!lol). Note, at this point he already knew letters, letter
sounds, a handful of sight words (exit, on, off, dog, stop, etc). I
pulled out 100 ez lessons (I picked it up at a discount and thought
it would be handy to have around). 5 minutes later it was a
disaster! Too many words on the page (despite them being mostly
my 'script') were intimidating and the parts for him were too simple
and silly for him. Put that away (and then *gave* it away). At
bedtime I grabbed the first set of Bob books (yup I bought them too -
just in case...) We looked at them together, he asked me to read
them all. So I did. Next night, he read the first book and said "I'm
a reader!" (direct quote from the commercial for HOP lol) and I did
the rest. Next night, he did two of them and we moved on to other
stuff. That was a bit over 2 years ago and he can pretty much read
anything he chooses at this point (food labels to check nutrition
and contents are big for him, video game instructions and guides,
bits of magazines at will, like National Geographic). He *learned*
to read, *we* did NOT teach him to read. Best I can figure, he
absorbs words then breaks them down into pieces and applies the
patterns to new words as he comes across them. Mostly we provided a
word rich environment. Kind of like providing a nutrient "soup" to
grow cells - give them the stuff they need when they need it and
they absorb it and grow. The "when" and "what" for kids are
individual and unique. There's really no set timetable for any of
it. Another way to look at it might be as a buffet - we may get
extra napkins and support the plate and help scoop but DS decides
what and how much and in what order he wants things. Sometimes he
eats 3 servings of mac & cheese; other times he has lots of jello;
sometimes he has a different arrangement on each go-round. And, in
between things, he is digesting and that is a *critical* part of
things yet it is totally invisible from the outside - just as
absorbing things like reading and such are invisible to us on the
outside.
Mostly, have FUN!
--Deb
learning everyday" - that's pretty much the bottom line, isn't it?
Recordkeeping - what do the LAWS of your state require (including
what the minimum compulsory age is - not always 5)? That's what you
need to consider. For instance, here in CT, there is no
recordkeeping or testing or reporting requirement of any kind, so we
don't do any recordkeeping. We do email grandma and chat with family
about stuff DS (just turned 7) is doing. Note we talk about what he
is *doing* not what we're "teaching" or he's "learning" - it's as
much about video games and hot wheels cars as it is about books and
chess games.
There are long archive threads about "teaching" - if by teaching you
mean providing information and assistance in developing a skill he
has decided to pursue, then yes we do some teaching. However, if by
teaching you mean we decide that "at his age he should know" this or
that and then we focus on it and make sure it gets into him, no we
don't teach.
>We have an Oak Meadow curriulum that was given to us and I mightIf he's expressing interest -now- why not simply do some reading -
> try >to> do some of the activities out of there this fall, Gryphon
> is> expressing an interest in reading and so I figured maybe I
> would >try> some phonics stuff
now-, any particular reason to wait until fall? Do you want to hear
about DS learning to read? If not, skip this next paragraph of
anecdotal evidence. He was almost 5 and told us we "needed" to get
Hooked on Phonics so he could learn to read. I suggested that since
HOP took $$ and time to arrive, maybe we could start with something
we already had handy. He was okay with that (immediacy above all
things!lol). Note, at this point he already knew letters, letter
sounds, a handful of sight words (exit, on, off, dog, stop, etc). I
pulled out 100 ez lessons (I picked it up at a discount and thought
it would be handy to have around). 5 minutes later it was a
disaster! Too many words on the page (despite them being mostly
my 'script') were intimidating and the parts for him were too simple
and silly for him. Put that away (and then *gave* it away). At
bedtime I grabbed the first set of Bob books (yup I bought them too -
just in case...) We looked at them together, he asked me to read
them all. So I did. Next night, he read the first book and said "I'm
a reader!" (direct quote from the commercial for HOP lol) and I did
the rest. Next night, he did two of them and we moved on to other
stuff. That was a bit over 2 years ago and he can pretty much read
anything he chooses at this point (food labels to check nutrition
and contents are big for him, video game instructions and guides,
bits of magazines at will, like National Geographic). He *learned*
to read, *we* did NOT teach him to read. Best I can figure, he
absorbs words then breaks them down into pieces and applies the
patterns to new words as he comes across them. Mostly we provided a
word rich environment. Kind of like providing a nutrient "soup" to
grow cells - give them the stuff they need when they need it and
they absorb it and grow. The "when" and "what" for kids are
individual and unique. There's really no set timetable for any of
it. Another way to look at it might be as a buffet - we may get
extra napkins and support the plate and help scoop but DS decides
what and how much and in what order he wants things. Sometimes he
eats 3 servings of mac & cheese; other times he has lots of jello;
sometimes he has a different arrangement on each go-round. And, in
between things, he is digesting and that is a *critical* part of
things yet it is totally invisible from the outside - just as
absorbing things like reading and such are invisible to us on the
outside.
Mostly, have FUN!
--Deb
Angela S.
Every day looks different here. But the one thing that is a constant
throughout all days is that when the kids want to know something or do
something or I sense them needing me, I try my best to answer their
questions and help them do what they want to do or just be with them. It's
really all about *being* with them.
Some days are spent playing computer games all day. Other days are spent at
the horse barn. Some days we spend half the day playing board games and
other days we spend in the pool or curled up with a good book. The thing
is, as long as you are involved with your kids, really listening to them,
they will learn.
I don't spend the bulk of most days cleaning my house to impress the
relatives, I spend it *being* with my kids. Not just in body, but in mind.
Being present in the moment. I give them my whole attention when I am
being with them. I am not saying that they don't spend huge parts of some
days playing with their friends or at the computer, but I do make sure that
every day we make a connection and I give them my full attention. If that
doesn't happen until after dinner and the dishes are piled up and I am
tired, I still try to put those worries aside and just *be* with my kids.
That *being* with them can look like snuggling in front of the TV, or
looking something up on-line, or helping them craft or paint, reading to
them, playing in the pool with them, spending time at the barn with
them...helping with the horses. When you spend that amount of time really
present with your kids, you can't help but notice that they are learning all
the time.
I would suggest you skip the OM curriculum and spend time playing with your
son. If he wants to know how to read, help him while he has the interest,
don't wait until fall. But also, don't push more than he wants. It can be
a delicate balance but he'll let you know when you've gone to far if you
listen to him. If he would have fun labeling things in the house or
matching pictures and words or playing letter sound games then by all means,
play those things with him. If he only meant that he wanted to be able to
read and write his name then stop when he has had his fill.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
throughout all days is that when the kids want to know something or do
something or I sense them needing me, I try my best to answer their
questions and help them do what they want to do or just be with them. It's
really all about *being* with them.
Some days are spent playing computer games all day. Other days are spent at
the horse barn. Some days we spend half the day playing board games and
other days we spend in the pool or curled up with a good book. The thing
is, as long as you are involved with your kids, really listening to them,
they will learn.
I don't spend the bulk of most days cleaning my house to impress the
relatives, I spend it *being* with my kids. Not just in body, but in mind.
Being present in the moment. I give them my whole attention when I am
being with them. I am not saying that they don't spend huge parts of some
days playing with their friends or at the computer, but I do make sure that
every day we make a connection and I give them my full attention. If that
doesn't happen until after dinner and the dishes are piled up and I am
tired, I still try to put those worries aside and just *be* with my kids.
That *being* with them can look like snuggling in front of the TV, or
looking something up on-line, or helping them craft or paint, reading to
them, playing in the pool with them, spending time at the barn with
them...helping with the horses. When you spend that amount of time really
present with your kids, you can't help but notice that they are learning all
the time.
I would suggest you skip the OM curriculum and spend time playing with your
son. If he wants to know how to read, help him while he has the interest,
don't wait until fall. But also, don't push more than he wants. It can be
a delicate balance but he'll let you know when you've gone to far if you
listen to him. If he would have fun labeling things in the house or
matching pictures and words or playing letter sound games then by all means,
play those things with him. If he only meant that he wanted to be able to
read and write his name then stop when he has had his fill.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
Ren Allen
" So are you
doing anything currently with your 2 ½ yo?"
I hope you don't feel picked on Misty, but I'd like to examine this
question a bit.
Why would an unschooler be "doing anything" other than living life
with their children? When someone asks if you're "doing anything"
that usually means schoolish stuff, or "educational" activities.
Unschooling isn't about some magical age where we start "doing" with
our children. We do the things they need and enjoy from birth.
Unschooling isn't about buying specialized educational toys (though
sometimes they do swirl into our lives) or specialized "social"
groups. We trust that our children are learning all the time by
examining the things that fascinate them.
A Leap Pad is not better than dirt.
Museum trips are not more important than squishing playdough.
Allowing our children the freedom to enjoy anything and everything
that fascinates them is paramount. Being with them and just smelling
the flowers, digging up bugs or watching power rangers is more
powerful for a child that is interested in those things, than any
reading/writing/arithmetic type of activity.
Trust your child to simply BE a child.
Trust that learning is happening all the time.
You don't need to start feeding in educational shows or games or
activities to make her learn. Just be in her world and pick up the
things that interest her as you explore together.
That is unschooling.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
doing anything currently with your 2 ½ yo?"
I hope you don't feel picked on Misty, but I'd like to examine this
question a bit.
Why would an unschooler be "doing anything" other than living life
with their children? When someone asks if you're "doing anything"
that usually means schoolish stuff, or "educational" activities.
Unschooling isn't about some magical age where we start "doing" with
our children. We do the things they need and enjoy from birth.
Unschooling isn't about buying specialized educational toys (though
sometimes they do swirl into our lives) or specialized "social"
groups. We trust that our children are learning all the time by
examining the things that fascinate them.
A Leap Pad is not better than dirt.
Museum trips are not more important than squishing playdough.
Allowing our children the freedom to enjoy anything and everything
that fascinates them is paramount. Being with them and just smelling
the flowers, digging up bugs or watching power rangers is more
powerful for a child that is interested in those things, than any
reading/writing/arithmetic type of activity.
Trust your child to simply BE a child.
Trust that learning is happening all the time.
You don't need to start feeding in educational shows or games or
activities to make her learn. Just be in her world and pick up the
things that interest her as you explore together.
That is unschooling.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
Misty Felner
-"Why would an unschooler be "doing anything" other than living life
with their children? When someone asks if you're "doing anything"
that usually means schoolish stuff, or "educational" activities."
I didn't mean what are you doing to introduce him to letters, numbers or
whatever. I'm just curious what activities other unschoolers are doing with
their kids at this age. Maybe their child enjoys something that I never
thought of doing with my dd. Some days can seem a bit monotonous. My
daughter doesn't really watch any t.v., and sometimes the day seems to drag,
so I was just looking for some possible new ideas. Also, I'm very new to
unschooling, and I am still trying to get a grasp on the difference btwn
child led home schooling and unschooling. But I do feel that especially at
this age it's important to expose them to all kinds of "activities" to find
where their interests lie. just as you might take an older child to a museum
exhibit if it seemed like something that might interest them. At this age
they don't always know what they will and won't like, so you have to do
things to help you both figure it out.
Misty
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ren Allen
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 9:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] New Here
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
with their children? When someone asks if you're "doing anything"
that usually means schoolish stuff, or "educational" activities."
I didn't mean what are you doing to introduce him to letters, numbers or
whatever. I'm just curious what activities other unschoolers are doing with
their kids at this age. Maybe their child enjoys something that I never
thought of doing with my dd. Some days can seem a bit monotonous. My
daughter doesn't really watch any t.v., and sometimes the day seems to drag,
so I was just looking for some possible new ideas. Also, I'm very new to
unschooling, and I am still trying to get a grasp on the difference btwn
child led home schooling and unschooling. But I do feel that especially at
this age it's important to expose them to all kinds of "activities" to find
where their interests lie. just as you might take an older child to a museum
exhibit if it seemed like something that might interest them. At this age
they don't always know what they will and won't like, so you have to do
things to help you both figure it out.
Misty
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ren Allen
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 9:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] New Here
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
S Drag-teine
I agree for example my son was a lump at fifteen months - he didn't seem to
want to do anything but watch and well I can't say that I was that exciting.
My daughter who is now fifteen months doesn't stop moving. She likes to draw
or taste the crayons. She might like dough but I need to get out my peanut
butter recipe so I am not concerned about her eating the dough. I realize
playdough is non-toxic but you never know about those dyes.
My DD learns a lot from her brother but when it was just me and my DS we did
the stuff I wanted to do until he was old enough to decide for himself. This
time of year is great for nature walks, library trips, park trips, window
shopping, etc. Let me know what you are into and the area you live in and
I'll give you a bunch of ideas. Not for education but it sounds like you are
bored and need ideas of new things to do.
Shannon
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Misty Felner
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 4:48 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] unschooling my 2.5 yo
-"Why would an unschooler be "doing anything" other than living life
with their children? When someone asks if you're "doing anything"
that usually means schoolish stuff, or "educational" activities."
I didn't mean what are you doing to introduce him to letters, numbers or
whatever. I'm just curious what activities other unschoolers are doing with
their kids at this age. Maybe their child enjoys something that I never
thought of doing with my dd. Some days can seem a bit monotonous. My
daughter doesn't really watch any t.v., and sometimes the day seems to drag,
so I was just looking for some possible new ideas. Also, I'm very new to
unschooling, and I am still trying to get a grasp on the difference btwn
child led home schooling and unschooling. But I do feel that especially at
this age it's important to expose them to all kinds of "activities" to find
where their interests lie. just as you might take an older child to a museum
exhibit if it seemed like something that might interest them. At this age
they don't always know what they will and won't like, so you have to do
things to help you both figure it out.
Misty
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ren Allen
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 9:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] New Here
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
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_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
want to do anything but watch and well I can't say that I was that exciting.
My daughter who is now fifteen months doesn't stop moving. She likes to draw
or taste the crayons. She might like dough but I need to get out my peanut
butter recipe so I am not concerned about her eating the dough. I realize
playdough is non-toxic but you never know about those dyes.
My DD learns a lot from her brother but when it was just me and my DS we did
the stuff I wanted to do until he was old enough to decide for himself. This
time of year is great for nature walks, library trips, park trips, window
shopping, etc. Let me know what you are into and the area you live in and
I'll give you a bunch of ideas. Not for education but it sounds like you are
bored and need ideas of new things to do.
Shannon
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Misty Felner
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 4:48 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] unschooling my 2.5 yo
-"Why would an unschooler be "doing anything" other than living life
with their children? When someone asks if you're "doing anything"
that usually means schoolish stuff, or "educational" activities."
I didn't mean what are you doing to introduce him to letters, numbers or
whatever. I'm just curious what activities other unschoolers are doing with
their kids at this age. Maybe their child enjoys something that I never
thought of doing with my dd. Some days can seem a bit monotonous. My
daughter doesn't really watch any t.v., and sometimes the day seems to drag,
so I was just looking for some possible new ideas. Also, I'm very new to
unschooling, and I am still trying to get a grasp on the difference btwn
child led home schooling and unschooling. But I do feel that especially at
this age it's important to expose them to all kinds of "activities" to find
where their interests lie. just as you might take an older child to a museum
exhibit if it seemed like something that might interest them. At this age
they don't always know what they will and won't like, so you have to do
things to help you both figure it out.
Misty
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ren Allen
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 9:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] New Here
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
Misty Felner
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of S Drag-teine
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9:16 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [unschoolingbasics] unschooling my 2.5 yo
Re: She might like dough but I need to get out my peanut
butter recipe so I am not concerned about her eating the dough. I realize
play dough is non-toxic but you never know about those dyes.
My dd loves play dough, but I make my own with a very simple recipe. I
don't even use food coloring. If you need the recipe let me know and I'll
post it. I also have a couple for finger paints if you're interested, but
you'd definitely need some sort of coloring for that. They do make some all
natural food colorings.
Misty
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of S Drag-teine
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9:16 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [unschoolingbasics] unschooling my 2.5 yo
Re: She might like dough but I need to get out my peanut
butter recipe so I am not concerned about her eating the dough. I realize
play dough is non-toxic but you never know about those dyes.
My dd loves play dough, but I make my own with a very simple recipe. I
don't even use food coloring. If you need the recipe let me know and I'll
post it. I also have a couple for finger paints if you're interested, but
you'd definitely need some sort of coloring for that. They do make some all
natural food colorings.
Misty
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
_____
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
* Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Amy Bowers
My 2 year old is acting out "My Truck is Stuck" with homemade playdoh
right now! We make our own - in whatever colors and add lots of cloves
or allspice to make it smell good.
Amy
right now! We make our own - in whatever colors and add lots of cloves
or allspice to make it smell good.
Amy
On 3/28/06, Misty Felner <misty@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of S Drag-teine
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9:16 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RE: [unschoolingbasics] unschooling my 2.5 yo
>
>
>
> Re: She might like dough but I need to get out my peanut
> butter recipe so I am not concerned about her eating the dough. I realize
> play dough is non-toxic but you never know about those dyes.
>
>
>
> My dd loves play dough, but I make my own with a very simple recipe. I
> don't even use food coloring. If you need the recipe let me know and I'll
> post it. I also have a couple for finger paints if you're interested, but
> you'd definitely need some sort of coloring for that. They do make some all
> natural food colorings.
>
>
>
> Misty
> _____
>
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
>
>
> * Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
>
> * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
> <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
>
> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
>
>
>
> _____
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
>
>
> * Visit your group "unschoolingbasics
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics> " on the web.
>
> * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
> <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
>
> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Service.
>
>
>
> _____
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
cm100873
Hi, I just joined the list, hoping to gather information. I have a 2
year old son and we are learning about unschooling as this is the way
we plan to educate him. I am very new to the idea of unschooling in
and of itself, but have always believed the ideas behind it. I look
forward to learning more about the ins and outs of unschooling from
all of you.
Charlene
Mother to Nicholas age 2
owner - www.thebabblingbaby.com and www.lifes-favors.com
year old son and we are learning about unschooling as this is the way
we plan to educate him. I am very new to the idea of unschooling in
and of itself, but have always believed the ideas behind it. I look
forward to learning more about the ins and outs of unschooling from
all of you.
Charlene
Mother to Nicholas age 2
owner - www.thebabblingbaby.com and www.lifes-favors.com
Michelle/Melbrigða
On 8/5/06, cm100873 <mrshertzberg@...> wrote:
are new and it seems wanting to raise your son in an unschooling lifestyle I
would encourage you to read some of the articles at
http://www.sandradodd.com/unschooling After a while you will start looking
at your words and phrasing in much different ways.
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>Unschooling is more than education. :) It's a way of living. Since you
> Hi, I just joined the list, hoping to gather information. I have a 2
> year old son and we are learning about unschooling as this is the way
> we plan to educate him.
are new and it seems wanting to raise your son in an unschooling lifestyle I
would encourage you to read some of the articles at
http://www.sandradodd.com/unschooling After a while you will start looking
at your words and phrasing in much different ways.
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Charis Curtis
My name is Charis and I am married to a wonderful man for almost 11
years and we have a 10 year old son.
Unfortunately, he was in public schools from Pre-K to half of first
grade. He left first grade for winter break and never returned.
Honestly, we have tried school-at-home and it just frustrates me and
him. He isn't reading as well as he'd like so we're working on that
because the phonics he learned in public school have not stuck with
him.
Anyway, he spent Spring Break with my husband's mother and I did a
lot of research on "unschooling" and decided when he returned home we
would start with a fresh attitude about education.
Well, while there, my DMiL told him that he would basically be better
off in public school because then he would have friends.
He has friends. He doesn't see them every day but he sees them often
and we have explained that to her. She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
My husband will be confronting her about this soon. But, he has a
bad attitude now and I'm very frustrated so I guess I'm just looking
to talk with people who have made it through these situations and
just looking to talk with like-minded people.
My husband believes in the school-at-home thing but he will not
question me when I try something new with him if he sees positive
results.
Sorry this post is so long. Can't wait to get to know you all.
Charis
years and we have a 10 year old son.
Unfortunately, he was in public schools from Pre-K to half of first
grade. He left first grade for winter break and never returned.
Honestly, we have tried school-at-home and it just frustrates me and
him. He isn't reading as well as he'd like so we're working on that
because the phonics he learned in public school have not stuck with
him.
Anyway, he spent Spring Break with my husband's mother and I did a
lot of research on "unschooling" and decided when he returned home we
would start with a fresh attitude about education.
Well, while there, my DMiL told him that he would basically be better
off in public school because then he would have friends.
He has friends. He doesn't see them every day but he sees them often
and we have explained that to her. She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
My husband will be confronting her about this soon. But, he has a
bad attitude now and I'm very frustrated so I guess I'm just looking
to talk with people who have made it through these situations and
just looking to talk with like-minded people.
My husband believes in the school-at-home thing but he will not
question me when I try something new with him if he sees positive
results.
Sorry this post is so long. Can't wait to get to know you all.
Charis
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@...
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
From: craftycharis@...
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
Cameron Parham
*When she is alone with him she encourages him to say he wants to go back to public school*to I have had to deny access until grandparents behave. They probably will cooperate to get access to the grandkids! Cameron
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:55:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: MiL WAS: New Here
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@ gmail.com
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:55:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: MiL WAS: New Here
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@ gmail.com
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Cameron Parham
*When she is alone with him she encourages him to say he wants to go back to public school*to I have had to deny access until grandparents behave. They probably will cooperate to get access to the grandkids! Cameron
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:55:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: MiL WAS: New Here
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@ gmail.com
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:55:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: MiL WAS: New Here
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@ gmail.com
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Cameron Parham
*When she is alone with him she encourages him to say he wants to go back to public school*to I have had to deny access until grandparents behave. They probably will cooperate to get access to the grandkids! Cameron
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:55:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: MiL WAS: New Here
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@ gmail.com
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:55:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: MiL WAS: New Here
-----Original Message-----
From: craftycharis@ gmail.com
She never says anything negative
about homeschooling in front of me and my husband but when DS is
alone with her she encourages him to tell us he wants to go back to
public school.
-=-=-=-
*I*, not my husband, would let her know, in NO uncertain terms, that,
if she can't hold her tongue, she would not be allowed to spend time
with him any more.
She had her chance with my husband. THIS child is not her
responsibility.
She does NOT get the opportunity to hijack my parenting. Ever.
I did this with my mother, my husband's mother and his father's second
wife. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I also kept the boys from them
for several months to show them I was dead serious.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free
from AOL at AOL.com.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
wuweimama
--- In [email protected], "Charis Curtis"
<craftycharis@...> wrote:
that grandma's claimed "benefits of school" are irrelevant. Actively
pursue and enrich your lives with more fun! Engage and explore the
world, and your husband will *see* the learning happening. Meet the
underlying needs and create solutions which are agreeable to everyone!
Pat
<craftycharis@...> wrote:
> CharisCharis, I would facilitate meeting your son's need for friendships so
>
that grandma's claimed "benefits of school" are irrelevant. Actively
pursue and enrich your lives with more fun! Engage and explore the
world, and your husband will *see* the learning happening. Meet the
underlying needs and create solutions which are agreeable to everyone!
Pat
kara
Hello, I am new here. Just wanted to say hi. I love what I have been
reading. I am a 22 yo single mother. My dd is 2. I always knew I wanted
to homeschool and now I am sure unschooling is for us. Even tho dd is
only 2 I have already had things said to me by my mom, dance teacher,
aunts, etc. about her not following direction and being wild. I had to
pull her out of dance class recently because the teacher talked to her
in a way that was completely degrading because she wasn't doing what
all the other students were doing. She's 2 for goodness sake! Just
needed to vent.Thanks. But we are having a problem where dd cries that
there is a ghost everywhere. She gets really upset. I'm not sure
whether to tell her there is not one, play along and tell her it might
be a nice ghost, or what. Any suggestions?
reading. I am a 22 yo single mother. My dd is 2. I always knew I wanted
to homeschool and now I am sure unschooling is for us. Even tho dd is
only 2 I have already had things said to me by my mom, dance teacher,
aunts, etc. about her not following direction and being wild. I had to
pull her out of dance class recently because the teacher talked to her
in a way that was completely degrading because she wasn't doing what
all the other students were doing. She's 2 for goodness sake! Just
needed to vent.Thanks. But we are having a problem where dd cries that
there is a ghost everywhere. She gets really upset. I'm not sure
whether to tell her there is not one, play along and tell her it might
be a nice ghost, or what. Any suggestions?
Deb
--- In [email protected], "kara"
<sunshinedaydream2@...> wrote:
real and you'd be questioning her sense of reality (that didn't come
out right really but I'm not sure how to rephrase it). What I might do
is talk to her, get information about her ghosts - where are they,
what are they doing, etc. NOT "playing along" but really and truly
having a conversation about it - after all, she MAY be seeing ghosts,
you have no way of knowing. When someone is "playing along" their
whole manner (voice, posture, facial expression, etc) changes and
she's likely to pick up on it. Think of it more as someone from a
different culture who is trying to explain something to you about
something you've never experienced. You've never seen it so you have
noidea what it is and your 'guest' has limited conversational skills
in your language. You'd ask lots of questions and really listen hard
to the answers to try to understand it, wouldn't you.
If you discuss it and she needs tools to deal with them, help her get
those tools. If they tend to cluster in certain areas, avoid them if
that's possible (like if they pop up in crowded stores or whatever).
If it's someplace like her bedroom, the bathroom, etc where you really
can't avoid the location, make her a "ghost spray" that she can use at
will. Something like mint or wintergreen or lavendar in water in a
spray bottle (something that smells nice but leaves no marks or
stains) that she can use to hold them at bay might help - basically,
ARM her as well as be WITH her when she is going into those areas
(make another bottle for yourself maybe). Basically, look for common
threads - when and where is it most likely that she'll be bothered by
them? That may give you some insight into where they are coming from
and you can use that information to help her with them.
2 yr olds are just starting to grasp that the world is WAY bigger than
they are. Up until them, a tight circle of mom and child and other
immediate family is pretty much "the world" even if you're out and
about all the time. At 2, they're starting to be able to venture forth
into the wide world and it can be scary. That's why some kids go into
the "separation anxiety" phase around that age - they're discovering
that there's "stuff" Out There. It's interesting that your DD is
specific that it's ghosts, not generic monsters or darkness or
anything, but ghosts.
--Deb
<sunshinedaydream2@...> wrote:
> But we are having a problem where dd cries thatDefinitely don't negate her belief that there's a ghost - to her it's
> there is a ghost everywhere. She gets really upset. I'm not sure
> whether to tell her there is not one, play along and tell her it
>might
> be a nice ghost, or what. Any suggestions?
>
real and you'd be questioning her sense of reality (that didn't come
out right really but I'm not sure how to rephrase it). What I might do
is talk to her, get information about her ghosts - where are they,
what are they doing, etc. NOT "playing along" but really and truly
having a conversation about it - after all, she MAY be seeing ghosts,
you have no way of knowing. When someone is "playing along" their
whole manner (voice, posture, facial expression, etc) changes and
she's likely to pick up on it. Think of it more as someone from a
different culture who is trying to explain something to you about
something you've never experienced. You've never seen it so you have
noidea what it is and your 'guest' has limited conversational skills
in your language. You'd ask lots of questions and really listen hard
to the answers to try to understand it, wouldn't you.
If you discuss it and she needs tools to deal with them, help her get
those tools. If they tend to cluster in certain areas, avoid them if
that's possible (like if they pop up in crowded stores or whatever).
If it's someplace like her bedroom, the bathroom, etc where you really
can't avoid the location, make her a "ghost spray" that she can use at
will. Something like mint or wintergreen or lavendar in water in a
spray bottle (something that smells nice but leaves no marks or
stains) that she can use to hold them at bay might help - basically,
ARM her as well as be WITH her when she is going into those areas
(make another bottle for yourself maybe). Basically, look for common
threads - when and where is it most likely that she'll be bothered by
them? That may give you some insight into where they are coming from
and you can use that information to help her with them.
2 yr olds are just starting to grasp that the world is WAY bigger than
they are. Up until them, a tight circle of mom and child and other
immediate family is pretty much "the world" even if you're out and
about all the time. At 2, they're starting to be able to venture forth
into the wide world and it can be scary. That's why some kids go into
the "separation anxiety" phase around that age - they're discovering
that there's "stuff" Out There. It's interesting that your DD is
specific that it's ghosts, not generic monsters or darkness or
anything, but ghosts.
--Deb
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/7/2007 7:55:32 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
sunshinedaydream2@... writes:
But we are having a problem where dd cries that
there is a ghost everywhere. She gets really upset. I'm not sure
whether to tell her there is not one, play along and tell her it might
be a nice ghost, or what. Any suggestions?
_____________________________
Any chance you saw the Little Bill episode in which Little Bill is afraid of
monsters in his closet? His Great Grandmother, *I* thought, handled it so
well and so gently. She believed him and went to fight for her grandbaby! And
they did it together...if you get the chance, it might help you two out also!
:)
Here's one synopsis I found:
The Magic Quilt: Little Bill can't sleep one night and asks Alice the Great
to help him investigate "the Thing" in his closet that is keeping him awake.
Alice the Great checks the closet out, and after determining "the Thing" must
have left because of her, gives Little Bill a special 'magic quilt' with
colorful patches that will help him get to sleep. She tells him to think about
how the patches remind him of happy times and he won't think about the things
that scare him. Little Bill quickly drifts off to sleep, and the next
morning, when he mentions how Alice helped him, Bobby, April and Brenda tell him how
Alice used the quilt with them, too.
Anyway :) I loved it, and who knows, it might give you an idea that respects
and validates and helps - all in one snazzy motion!
Karen in so. cal :)
**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
sunshinedaydream2@... writes:
But we are having a problem where dd cries that
there is a ghost everywhere. She gets really upset. I'm not sure
whether to tell her there is not one, play along and tell her it might
be a nice ghost, or what. Any suggestions?
_____________________________
Any chance you saw the Little Bill episode in which Little Bill is afraid of
monsters in his closet? His Great Grandmother, *I* thought, handled it so
well and so gently. She believed him and went to fight for her grandbaby! And
they did it together...if you get the chance, it might help you two out also!
:)
Here's one synopsis I found:
The Magic Quilt: Little Bill can't sleep one night and asks Alice the Great
to help him investigate "the Thing" in his closet that is keeping him awake.
Alice the Great checks the closet out, and after determining "the Thing" must
have left because of her, gives Little Bill a special 'magic quilt' with
colorful patches that will help him get to sleep. She tells him to think about
how the patches remind him of happy times and he won't think about the things
that scare him. Little Bill quickly drifts off to sleep, and the next
morning, when he mentions how Alice helped him, Bobby, April and Brenda tell him how
Alice used the quilt with them, too.
Anyway :) I loved it, and who knows, it might give you an idea that respects
and validates and helps - all in one snazzy motion!
Karen in so. cal :)
**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Susan
-=- Definitely don't negate her belief that there's a ghost - to her
it's real <snip> What I might do is talk to her, get information about
her ghosts - where are they, what are they doing, etc. NOT "playing
along" but really and truly having a conversation about it - after
all, she MAY be seeing ghosts, you have no way of knowing. -=-
I agree! When dd was very young she would tell me about kids that
tried to talk to her when she was going to sleep. She was more annoyed
by it than scared. She specifically spoke about one little boy dressed
in a red shirt who just wouldn't be quiet. Although I have never had
such experiences, I was willing to take her seriously and understand
that she very well may have been experiencing these things. I talked
to her about in a factual kind of way (not as though I was just
humoring her) and together we came up with ideas that might encourage
these visitors to let her sleep peacefully.
This issue subsided after a couple months. Not long after that she
started telling me about memories she had of us playing together as
children, when I was her sister. She would share very vivid details
about the games we played, what we wore, the house we lived in, etc.
She told me she really missed us being kids together (and cried).
Again, I took her totally serious. I cannot know if these were real
memories or if they came from somewhere deep inside her imagination,
but to her they were very real and that's what mattered.
About a year later her great-grandfather, whom she had a special
relationship with, passed away unexpectedly. The phone rang late at
night, it was my mom calling to tell me. I spoke with her quietly and
hung up. A moment later we heard dd crying - we found her sitting up
in her bed, shaking and sobbing. She said that "big papa" (her name
for him) had come to "say goodbye", she woke up and he was sitting on
her bed. She related that he'd told her he was leaving and she
wouldn't see him anymore. This news was very upsetting to her. Did it
really happen? What I focused on where her feelings, because they were
real and needed to be cared for. All I can say is that for whatever
reason, the universe wanted to give her a chance to say goodbye to
him, no matter whether it was a coincidental dream or a "other
worldly" phenomenon.
She has never been shamed in any way for sharing these things with us,
and we never took her feelings lightly, even when our life experience
has made it difficult to completely understand her experiences. This
is not to say that humor and similar coping tools haven't been useful
- we just never employed them in a dismissive/mocking way. In many
ways, she has opened up new windows into the world for us. I cannot
imagine children going through similar experiences and not having
anyone take them seriously. They should have someone they feel safe
sharing these things with, someone who can validate their feelings and
be supportive.
~ Susan
it's real <snip> What I might do is talk to her, get information about
her ghosts - where are they, what are they doing, etc. NOT "playing
along" but really and truly having a conversation about it - after
all, she MAY be seeing ghosts, you have no way of knowing. -=-
I agree! When dd was very young she would tell me about kids that
tried to talk to her when she was going to sleep. She was more annoyed
by it than scared. She specifically spoke about one little boy dressed
in a red shirt who just wouldn't be quiet. Although I have never had
such experiences, I was willing to take her seriously and understand
that she very well may have been experiencing these things. I talked
to her about in a factual kind of way (not as though I was just
humoring her) and together we came up with ideas that might encourage
these visitors to let her sleep peacefully.
This issue subsided after a couple months. Not long after that she
started telling me about memories she had of us playing together as
children, when I was her sister. She would share very vivid details
about the games we played, what we wore, the house we lived in, etc.
She told me she really missed us being kids together (and cried).
Again, I took her totally serious. I cannot know if these were real
memories or if they came from somewhere deep inside her imagination,
but to her they were very real and that's what mattered.
About a year later her great-grandfather, whom she had a special
relationship with, passed away unexpectedly. The phone rang late at
night, it was my mom calling to tell me. I spoke with her quietly and
hung up. A moment later we heard dd crying - we found her sitting up
in her bed, shaking and sobbing. She said that "big papa" (her name
for him) had come to "say goodbye", she woke up and he was sitting on
her bed. She related that he'd told her he was leaving and she
wouldn't see him anymore. This news was very upsetting to her. Did it
really happen? What I focused on where her feelings, because they were
real and needed to be cared for. All I can say is that for whatever
reason, the universe wanted to give her a chance to say goodbye to
him, no matter whether it was a coincidental dream or a "other
worldly" phenomenon.
She has never been shamed in any way for sharing these things with us,
and we never took her feelings lightly, even when our life experience
has made it difficult to completely understand her experiences. This
is not to say that humor and similar coping tools haven't been useful
- we just never employed them in a dismissive/mocking way. In many
ways, she has opened up new windows into the world for us. I cannot
imagine children going through similar experiences and not having
anyone take them seriously. They should have someone they feel safe
sharing these things with, someone who can validate their feelings and
be supportive.
~ Susan
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/7/2007 2:31:45 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
SusanYvonne@... writes:
This
is not to say that humor and similar coping tools haven't been useful
- we just never employed them in a dismissive/mocking way.
___________________
That's just SO key, isn't it?
Excellent choice of wording. Thanks!
Karen
**************************************See AOL's top rated recipes
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
SusanYvonne@... writes:
This
is not to say that humor and similar coping tools haven't been useful
- we just never employed them in a dismissive/mocking way.
___________________
That's just SO key, isn't it?
Excellent choice of wording. Thanks!
Karen
**************************************See AOL's top rated recipes
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Elaine Pontious
Hi, everyone,
Just wanted to introduce myself. My 6-year old daughter is currently
in a public school Kindergarten class, and she's doing okay, but it was
probably a mistake to send her there. We're almost 100% certain we'll
be homeschooling after she finishes this spring. I've been on this
difficult hunt trying to determine what the best homeschooling route
would be for her (she has apraxia of speech and ADHD) and truly never
thought unschooling would even interest us, but here I am. I am
totally new to John Holt but want to learn everything I can.
I'd love to have your opinion on whether this method of homeschooling
would be beneficial to a child with ADHD.
Thanks! I'm really looking forward to learning from all of you.
Elaine
I should mention that I have two older boys who went through the public
school system. This is our first foray into the whole homeschooling
arena.
Just wanted to introduce myself. My 6-year old daughter is currently
in a public school Kindergarten class, and she's doing okay, but it was
probably a mistake to send her there. We're almost 100% certain we'll
be homeschooling after she finishes this spring. I've been on this
difficult hunt trying to determine what the best homeschooling route
would be for her (she has apraxia of speech and ADHD) and truly never
thought unschooling would even interest us, but here I am. I am
totally new to John Holt but want to learn everything I can.
I'd love to have your opinion on whether this method of homeschooling
would be beneficial to a child with ADHD.
Thanks! I'm really looking forward to learning from all of you.
Elaine
I should mention that I have two older boys who went through the public
school system. This is our first foray into the whole homeschooling
arena.
Barbara Perez
Hi Elaine,
My caveat is I've never homeschooled a child with ADD, but as a (very
frustrated and quickly burning out) public school teacher AND an adult with
ADD (without the 'H') I think I can give you some insights. First of all, I
think unschooling is the natural way for everyone to learn, *especially* ADD
kids. As an adult, I can remember more things I learned outside of school,
at my own pace and in my own way (i.e. books I read for pleasure, things I
learned through play, through family activities, extracurriculars, etc) than
things I learned in school. The wonderful thing about unschooling is that
you can just enjoy life, and let the learning happen. Having said that, as a
mom/teacher I know *I* would be uptight about making sure that my child is
learning everything she'll need to know. That's where my more 'schooly'
tendencies would come in, and I'm almost afraid to admit that on this
board...but my suggestion is you can control the input and influence you
have on your daughter by making decisions that may not affect *directly*
what she learns, but indirectly, by defining what she's exposed to. By way
of an example, as a child I was a bookworm and would read just about
anything that crossed my hands. I was lucky that my parents picked up on
this and made some good decisions about the kind of literature they exposed
me to. (Abridged versions of the classics at an early age made me familiar
with the stories so that later nothing intimidated me, for example). Another
thing is that they offered me music lessons (different instruments at
different times in my life) but always gave me the option to try something
for a while and then quit after a reasonable period of time if there was
some problem. This was very enrichment and it didn't "teach me I could quit"
like some may fear, it taught me to appreciate music and actually helped me
decide to stick with it once I found "my" instrument was a wind instrument
(the flute) vs. a string instrument (I quit the cello after only a month or
so). Yeah, I now wish I could play the cello too, but most of all I'm
grateful for the opportunities. OK, I've gone on too long now, but I guess
the point I wanted to make was it'll be up to you to provide the
opportunities for your daughter as an unschooler. As long as you keep those
opportunities coming in a wide range of areas (sports and physical activity,
visual and performing arts, academics, etc) I think this could be very very
good for your daughter. Best of luck!
On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 3:56 PM, Elaine Pontious <eapontious@...>
wrote:
My caveat is I've never homeschooled a child with ADD, but as a (very
frustrated and quickly burning out) public school teacher AND an adult with
ADD (without the 'H') I think I can give you some insights. First of all, I
think unschooling is the natural way for everyone to learn, *especially* ADD
kids. As an adult, I can remember more things I learned outside of school,
at my own pace and in my own way (i.e. books I read for pleasure, things I
learned through play, through family activities, extracurriculars, etc) than
things I learned in school. The wonderful thing about unschooling is that
you can just enjoy life, and let the learning happen. Having said that, as a
mom/teacher I know *I* would be uptight about making sure that my child is
learning everything she'll need to know. That's where my more 'schooly'
tendencies would come in, and I'm almost afraid to admit that on this
board...but my suggestion is you can control the input and influence you
have on your daughter by making decisions that may not affect *directly*
what she learns, but indirectly, by defining what she's exposed to. By way
of an example, as a child I was a bookworm and would read just about
anything that crossed my hands. I was lucky that my parents picked up on
this and made some good decisions about the kind of literature they exposed
me to. (Abridged versions of the classics at an early age made me familiar
with the stories so that later nothing intimidated me, for example). Another
thing is that they offered me music lessons (different instruments at
different times in my life) but always gave me the option to try something
for a while and then quit after a reasonable period of time if there was
some problem. This was very enrichment and it didn't "teach me I could quit"
like some may fear, it taught me to appreciate music and actually helped me
decide to stick with it once I found "my" instrument was a wind instrument
(the flute) vs. a string instrument (I quit the cello after only a month or
so). Yeah, I now wish I could play the cello too, but most of all I'm
grateful for the opportunities. OK, I've gone on too long now, but I guess
the point I wanted to make was it'll be up to you to provide the
opportunities for your daughter as an unschooler. As long as you keep those
opportunities coming in a wide range of areas (sports and physical activity,
visual and performing arts, academics, etc) I think this could be very very
good for your daughter. Best of luck!
On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 3:56 PM, Elaine Pontious <eapontious@...>
wrote:
> Hi, everyone,[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> Just wanted to introduce myself. My 6-year old daughter is currently
> in a public school Kindergarten class, and she's doing okay, but it was
> probably a mistake to send her there. We're almost 100% certain we'll
> be homeschooling after she finishes this spring. I've been on this
> difficult hunt trying to determine what the best homeschooling route
> would be for her (she has apraxia of speech and ADHD) and truly never
> thought unschooling would even interest us, but here I am. I am
> totally new to John Holt but want to learn everything I can.
>
> I'd love to have your opinion on whether this method of homeschooling
> would be beneficial to a child with ADHD.
>
> Thanks! I'm really looking forward to learning from all of you.
>
> Elaine
> I should mention that I have two older boys who went through the public
> school system. This is our first foray into the whole homeschooling
> arena.
>
>
>
carnationsgalore
Hi Elaine,
My 11 yr. old son has Asperger's Syndrome. While it isn't the same
diagnosis as ADHD, it's still considered a special needs situation.
What I've learned in our 6 years of homeschooling is that special
needs isn't always as "special" at home as it seems to be in school.
It seems like schools expect all children to fit into one mold by
having the same behaviors. When a child is unable to fit into that
mold, they are considered to need special attention, hence the special
needs label. At home, we don't have those same rules and expectations.
My son didn't make it through Kindergarten. It was definitely not a
good environment for him. We didn't get a diagnosis for his Aspergers
until he was 9 years old, but it sure did provide answers for many of
my concerns. At home, my son can be himself. I don't compare him to
his sisters. It's okay if they have different interests or
abilities. He's not required to fit himself into an artificial
environment. Being able to follow his own schedule is definitely the
best learning situation for him.
Beth M.
My 11 yr. old son has Asperger's Syndrome. While it isn't the same
diagnosis as ADHD, it's still considered a special needs situation.
What I've learned in our 6 years of homeschooling is that special
needs isn't always as "special" at home as it seems to be in school.
It seems like schools expect all children to fit into one mold by
having the same behaviors. When a child is unable to fit into that
mold, they are considered to need special attention, hence the special
needs label. At home, we don't have those same rules and expectations.
My son didn't make it through Kindergarten. It was definitely not a
good environment for him. We didn't get a diagnosis for his Aspergers
until he was 9 years old, but it sure did provide answers for many of
my concerns. At home, my son can be himself. I don't compare him to
his sisters. It's okay if they have different interests or
abilities. He's not required to fit himself into an artificial
environment. Being able to follow his own schedule is definitely the
best learning situation for him.
Beth M.
BlueOcean
I apologize if my intro reaches some of you a second time. I joined a couple
of unschooling groups at the same time and didn't want to have to reword the
entire thing. Laziness or efficiency? I'll take the latter. :)
Hi, everyone. I'm Lisa (I will go by my nickname of Blue, since I'm thinking
there will be quite a few Lisas on a list this active), a 46-year-old
Florida mama who has home-schooled her kids for the past 20 years. I only
have a 17-year-old, and an almost-15-year-old left who are "school
age" (don't panic--I'm learning the ropes here! LOL). I've been reading
Holt, Gatto, and others for years, but could never seem to totally "let go"
and entrust my kids with their own educations (gosh, when I type it out like
that, it sounds terrible!). Okay, let me say that in a way that doesn't make
me feel like an awful mom...hrm...got it. I've always felt like it was my
responsibility as a mom to "teach" my kids. In fact, I teach everyone's
kids. Oh, dear...is there hope for me?
On the positive side (thank goodness there is one--and also that there is
such a thing as parentheses, or I'd be sunk), I LOVE to learn. Like,
seriously. I am constantly going off on some rabbit trail because of a
question my kids ask me. Why, just this morning, one of them asked me how
"soap operas" got their name. I wagered a guess, then looked it up so we
would both know (I was half right! Score!).
I'd better stop there for now. Glad to "meet" you all.
of unschooling groups at the same time and didn't want to have to reword the
entire thing. Laziness or efficiency? I'll take the latter. :)
Hi, everyone. I'm Lisa (I will go by my nickname of Blue, since I'm thinking
there will be quite a few Lisas on a list this active), a 46-year-old
Florida mama who has home-schooled her kids for the past 20 years. I only
have a 17-year-old, and an almost-15-year-old left who are "school
age" (don't panic--I'm learning the ropes here! LOL). I've been reading
Holt, Gatto, and others for years, but could never seem to totally "let go"
and entrust my kids with their own educations (gosh, when I type it out like
that, it sounds terrible!). Okay, let me say that in a way that doesn't make
me feel like an awful mom...hrm...got it. I've always felt like it was my
responsibility as a mom to "teach" my kids. In fact, I teach everyone's
kids. Oh, dear...is there hope for me?
On the positive side (thank goodness there is one--and also that there is
such a thing as parentheses, or I'd be sunk), I LOVE to learn. Like,
seriously. I am constantly going off on some rabbit trail because of a
question my kids ask me. Why, just this morning, one of them asked me how
"soap operas" got their name. I wagered a guess, then looked it up so we
would both know (I was half right! Score!).
I'd better stop there for now. Glad to "meet" you all.