Julie-TX

I am reaching for any advice I can get!

I'm new to the list, my name is Julie Humphrey, we
live in Dallas Texas.

Our youngest son is the last one still at home. He
was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May last year.
Life has been hectic to say the least ever since.

I have been homeschooling for 11 years.

Stuart's been doing a more "paperwork" oriented,
relaxed but still a lot of structure and paperwork.

I have found that when his blood sugars are unstable
(very typical for type 1 diabetes children) he has
trouble focusing and becomes very irratable I'm sure
because he doesn't feel well.

I feel like it's all been a fight all year. My gut
tells me we need a change.

I am wanting to know more about unschooling...how to
do it...what IS it???

I have read a lot, I like Sandra Dodd's philosophy
(hey, the kid already plays xbox till the cows come
home!)

I want Stuart to Enjoy His Life. He goes thru SO much
every day...so much structure with his diet, shots,
blood gluecose testing...etc...I'm thinking having
such a structured education is just adding to his
frustration.

I need help, advice, words of wisdom...anything!

Thanks So Much!

Julie Humphrey

From ADA...
..."Diabetes claims more lives in America than Aids and Breast Cancer combined"...




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Rodney and Rebecca Atherton

Remember that there is a difference between "school" and "learning."
Unschooling will avoid the schooly things while focusing on the learning.
Unschooling is "child-led" "lifestyle of learning" "interest driven"
"natural learning." It is allowing the child to learn about the things he
wants to learn about when he wants to learn about them and in the way he
wants to learn them. It's letting the child's interests determine your
course of study and the scope and sequence. Unschooling is NOT avoiding
books or structure, some children demand structure. If a child wants to use
workbooks, letting them is Unschooling. It's letting the child have
autonomy over his own education. If you are a Christian, you may think of
Unschooling as "spirit-led-learning."

Here are some more links:

A Conversation with John Holt
http://www.naturalchild.com/guest/marlene_bumgarner.html

What is Unschooling?
http://www.naturalchild.com/guest/earl_stevens.html





Rebecca
Aim/AOL: Rebeccawow
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Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to
solve. -Roger Lewin

kbcdlovejo@aol.com

-=-=-=-I want Stuart to Enjoy His Life. He goes thru SO much
every day...so much structure with his diet, shots,
blood gluecose testing...etc...I'm thinking having
such a structured education is just adding to his
frustration.

I need help, advice, words of wisdom...anything!-=-=-=-

Julie, the best I can tell you is to keep reading here. You can also stop by unschoolingdiscussion@yahoogroups.com and at www.unschooling.info and www.unschooling.com

The ShinewithUnschooling yahoogroup might also be helpful, as the moms are dealing with issues outside unschooling. Unschooling just makes it easier. They're a wealth of info!

There are some wonderful books on the market: The Unprocessed Child is the latest. Valerie Fitzenreiter is the author. Another is coming out this summer (more info on that one as it becomes available! <g>) which will knock your socks off!

Read all John Holt's books. The Book of Learning and Forgetting by Frank Smith. Anything by Alfie Kohn, John Taylor Gatto, and Howard Gardner.

Mostly, just enjoy your son. Allow him the time and space to disengage himself from the school mind-set. Let him get used to his new life---that's stressful enough! And if you think he's not learning anything---think again! He'll learn more about his body, his health, diabetes, exercise, etc. than most adults know after years and years on this planet!

Allow him time to rest and heal. The learning will come as he starts to feel better.

~Kelly

gotitasdedios@aol.com

Julie:
I'm new here too and this isn't my first language but I have to say, keep
here. These wonderful women can help you and I have to say you like Kelly said:
enjoy your son and also keep a journal of all the things you are doing,
everything can be important to record. Jot it down all that your son expresses,
and talk, talk to him, play with him, that he feel you are his best friend.
Look at his eyes and really enjoy to talk to him. Like vacations, yeah!!,
Ligie
(excuse my English grammar, please!)



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ren Allen

"Is she just
> overwhelmed with choices? Should I sign her up for a class despite
> her protests?"

I agree with others that your options weren't great options really. I
would be looking at all the fun things you enjoy as a family...renting
movies, playing games, inviting friends over for pizza, going on
hikes, visiting amusement parks, all the things that bring joy right
now. You're looking at organized group and classes as your options,
those aren't really great options and she's letting you know that.

Part of the picture, is she's still getting back in touch with herself
and her passions. That takes some time and some "not knowing" what you
really want. Fill her life with REAL opportunities. Not preplanned
without her knowledge, but options. What are the other family members
doing? Are you all waiting on her to come up with something or accept
something? How are the rest of you following your passions?

You can plan stuff YOU enjoy and invite her along with the option to
stay home with a good movie or a friend if she doesn't want to join you.
It sounds like there is a lot of focus on how to GET her to do
something. She might be feeling a bit of pressure and at the same time
feel "stuck" and unsure of what she wants. Does she love video games
or photography or nature? What makes her get excited? Is it friends or
clothes or makeup? Ask yourself how to feed the things she already
loves and dive in! She has things that get her excited, I can just
about guarantee it. But maybe those things are being undervalued for
activities that the adults deem more important? Only you know the
answers, but it's good stuff to think about.

None of the options you listed would appeal to my teens, yet they are
active, happy, interesting people that enjoy their lives. They just
aren't much for clubs and classes right now (other than the informal
Dungeons and Dragons group we just started meeting with....which is
simply some friends that get together and share a common interest).

Ren
learninginfreedom.com

Johanna

Dear list...

would any of you talk to me on the phone for free?

Please send me a private message


Thank you
Johanna

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kbcdlovejo@aol.com

Of course.

When?

~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Johanna <dialog@...>

Dear list...

would any of you talk to me on the phone for free?

Please send me a private message


Thank you
Johanna

--
Unerzogen!
E-Mail: dialog@...
Webseite: www.unerzogen.de
Wiki: wiki.unerzogen.de/
Rockzipfel: rockzipfel.unerzogen.de/
rockzipfel@...
Mailingliste: de.groups.yahoo.com/group/unerzogen/







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jen mobley

talk to you on the phone about what?


>From: Johanna <dialog@...>
>Reply-To: unschoolingbasics@yahoogroups.com
>To: unschoolingbasics@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [unschoolingbasics] help!
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:55:47 +0200
>
>Dear list...
>
>would any of you talk to me on the phone for free?
>
>Please send me a private message
>
>
>Thank you
>Johanna
>
>--
>Unerzogen!
>E-Mail: dialog@...
>Webseite: www.unerzogen.de
>Wiki: wiki.unerzogen.de/
>Rockzipfel: rockzipfel.unerzogen.de/
> rockzipfel@...
>Mailingliste: de.groups.yahoo.com/group/unerzogen/
>
>
>
>

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