[email protected]

I couldn't find the original bit to quote, but there was a question about
priorities that was swept away.

The reason it's important for a mom to decide which of any two things is
more important is that it makes decision making easy and sensible.

Some people put formal education VERY high on their list, and so for them
it's crucial that their children go to good schools, regularly, with great
supplies and a desk at home at which to do homework, etc. Because they KNOW that
thing is worth their time and money. It might be worth more to them than a
good relationship with their kids, because they figure if the kids get a
scholarship and a great job that makes big bucks that they'll appreciate that and
forgive whatever means it took to justify that ends, eventually.

That's a way to live and it's prevalent in this culture, and it's
understandable.

Some people put religion first on their list. They will do what they think
God wants done, no matter if it means moving to another continent and never
seeing their parents again, or selling their house and land and giving that
money to the church and becoming a nun, or spanking their kids and ignoring
their tears, because they think souls and eternity are WAY more important than
anything elst whatsoever. And so their decisionmaking is easy.

IF a person has decided that living with their children respectfully and
openly and freely, helping them learn to make choices at an early age, helping
them have opportunities to learn without pressure and textbooks and required
writing and disability lables, then that will be more important to them than
what the neighbors think or the idea of having a college scholarship by the age
of 17, or having the best behaved kids at church.

People who don't know what their priorities are will have a harder time
making simple everyday decisions, and will have a hard time justifying them and
sticking with them once they're made. People who aren't committed to
unschooling might see it as iffy and questionable and not too important.

This list, though, is for those who ARE committed to unschooling.

There are other lists to be found with google searches or yahoogroups "find
a list" search, and some other unschooling lists linked here:
_http://sandradodd.com/lists/other_ (http://sandradodd.com/lists/other)
but those who have radical unschooling and respectful parenting as high
priorities are on this list to discuss those ideas, not to explain them over and
over to people who resist understanding them.

It's not easy for the moderators to decide what to let through and what to
send back.
It's not easy for moderators to guess who would really start to understand
unschooling it if they stayed another few days or who should be encouraged to
find another place to go.

Just wanted to work that into the idea of priorities. Some listowners'
priorities might be to try to make all list members equally welcome and
comfortable, but I doubt they succeed much. On a list with way over a thousand
members, it's best for us to stick to our topic and our policies when we're in
doubt.

Policies are here, in case anyone wants to review them:
_http://sandradodd.com/lists/info_ (http://sandradodd.com/lists/info)

Sandra


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

sweetbo3boys

We are unschoolers and proud of it. I am so happy that we have made
our priorities to live in freedom. I share this with everyone who
asks why my kids are not in school, or if we "homeschool". If
someone seems interested I will explain it to them, but I don't feel
I am too outspoken about it. I am content with how we live and I
don't feel the need for anyone's approval. I have had people tell
me, even some unschoolers, that I should not announce that we
unschool because I could draw a lot of unwanted negative attention
to our family. I wonder what other unschoolers on this list think
about this.....just curious.
Angela Bohan--- In [email protected],
SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> I couldn't find the original bit to quote, but there was a
question about
> priorities that was swept away.
>
> The reason it's important for a mom to decide which of any two
things is
> more important is that it makes decision making easy and sensible.
>
> Some people put formal education VERY high on their list, and so
for them
> it's crucial that their children go to good schools, regularly,
with great
> supplies and a desk at home at which to do homework, etc. Because
they KNOW that
> thing is worth their time and money. It might be worth more to
them than a
> good relationship with their kids, because they figure if the
kids get a
> scholarship and a great job that makes big bucks that they'll
appreciate that and
> forgive whatever means it took to justify that ends, eventually.
>
> That's a way to live and it's prevalent in this culture, and it's
> understandable.
>
> Some people put religion first on their list. They will do what
they think
> God wants done, no matter if it means moving to another continent
and never
> seeing their parents again, or selling their house and land and
giving that
> money to the church and becoming a nun, or spanking their kids and
ignoring
> their tears, because they think souls and eternity are WAY more
important than
> anything elst whatsoever. And so their decisionmaking is easy.
>
> IF a person has decided that living with their children
respectfully and
> openly and freely, helping them learn to make choices at an early
age, helping
> them have opportunities to learn without pressure and textbooks
and required
> writing and disability lables, then that will be more important to
them than
> what the neighbors think or the idea of having a college
scholarship by the age
> of 17, or having the best behaved kids at church.
>
> People who don't know what their priorities are will have a harder
time
> making simple everyday decisions, and will have a hard time
justifying them and
> sticking with them once they're made. People who aren't committed
to
> unschooling might see it as iffy and questionable and not too
important.
>
> This list, though, is for those who ARE committed to unschooling.
>
> There are other lists to be found with google searches or
yahoogroups "find
> a list" search, and some other unschooling lists linked here:
> _http://sandradodd.com/lists/other_
(http://sandradodd.com/lists/other)
> but those who have radical unschooling and respectful parenting as
high
> priorities are on this list to discuss those ideas, not to explain
them over and
> over to people who resist understanding them.
>
> It's not easy for the moderators to decide what to let through and
what to
> send back.
> It's not easy for moderators to guess who would really start to
understand
> unschooling it if they stayed another few days or who should be
encouraged to
> find another place to go.
>
> Just wanted to work that into the idea of priorities. Some
listowners'
> priorities might be to try to make all list members equally
welcome and
> comfortable, but I doubt they succeed much. On a list with way
over a thousand
> members, it's best for us to stick to our topic and our policies
when we're in
> doubt.
>
> Policies are here, in case anyone wants to review them:
> _http://sandradodd.com/lists/info_
(http://sandradodd.com/lists/info)
>
> Sandra
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]