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Just an observation from our move from Florida to New Mexico in August.
Lots of changes...unfamiliar house, new family and friends to get to know, more
cable channels, complete change of our routines and surroundings.

Many things have been similar to our early deschooling days. Logan has gone
back to long days and nights of TV watching, playing video games, not eating
unless I put the food out or my asking if he was hungry. He's happily gone
with us on some outings but often has just wanted to stay home. Mostly he's
watched things like Braniac and Mythbusters but also gone back and played
many of his old PS2 and Gamecube games. Many days he has just stayed in his
pajamas and watched TV all day long.

This week I've seen a complete change. First, hours of just staring into
space thinking and then nonstop talking about all the plans he has for building
things. All of a sudden he has all these plans to build rockets and cars
and robots. We were at Home Depot for over an hour last night and he stood in
the PVC aisle the entire time thinking. He was so excited about all the
possibilities. When I went to bed last night he had gathered supplies and is
completely immersed in building a rocket car that he plans to shoot off when Broc
gets home from work.

I think the TV watching helped him to handle the move away from his friends
and cousins in Florida and he's now re-energized and feeling creative again.
Wondering if some of you have experienced anything similar with a move?

Gail


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Rebecca DeLong

We've been going through alot of the same things too.
We moved back tio San Diego from Michigan in March, and even though it was a coming home of sorts, things didn't work out as smoothly as we had hoped. We got stranded in Kansas after our car blew up, once we got to San Diego we ended up homeless for a few months. Teh kids were great, they took everything in stride and really helped to hold us all together.
We are now in our own place and doing well, but Jaiden kinda pulled a 180 on us, he asked to join a charter school this year and has been busy making scheduals for himself. I'm guessing after everything he's been through he feels the need for some structure.

~Rebecca

gailbrocop@... wrote:


Wondering if some of you have experienced anything similar with a move?

Gail





You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the ONLY way, it does not exist

~Friedrich Nietzsche


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Betsy Hill

** I think the TV watching helped him to handle the move away from his
friends
and cousins in Florida and he's now re-energized and feeling creative
again.
Wondering if some of you have experienced anything similar with a move?**

Yes, in our lives moving plus more TV channels plus more social anxiety
equaled son wanting to stay home a lot more.

I have an only child, and we moved to a place with very little going on
in terms of homeschooling groups. A difference in either of these
factors probably would have changed the behavior a lot.

Betsy

diana jenner

gailbrocop@... wrote:

>Just an observation from our move from Florida to New Mexico in August.
>Lots of changes...unfamiliar house, new family and friends to get to know, more
>cable channels, complete change of our routines and surroundings.
> <snip>
>I think the TV watching helped him to handle the move away from his friends
>and cousins in Florida and he's now re-energized and feeling creative again.
>
>Wondering if some of you have experienced anything similar with a move?
>
>
We did a move, family blend, vacation, and brand-new fall
schedule/responsibilities!
The co-family situation is just what it is: I live with a very
school-centric family, who's children are with me in my atmosphere with
my lifestyle anytime they choose(after school, before mom gets home +
evenings, mostly), it's pretty cool. Some of the weird clique-y things
are not so cool (Are you playing with *her*? she's only 7!), but I've
been really impressed with how Hannah, 9, is handling herself in the
presence of a pretty strong, opinionated 10 year old (I've known her
most of my life! she replied and returned to play). She doesn't try to
compete with the stories of school and recess, she listens to her friend
and they mostly do *girl* things, not *school* things. Sometimes I
worry, but not in the end-of-the-world kind of way, but more like the "I
don't wanna deal with this" kinda way; Hannah does complain when feeling
overwhelmed and isn't afraid to call time out and demand space to
herself or just us. Hayden, 7, had struggled with the twin brother,
mostly over the boy's obsession with playing Hayden's PS2. I've had
some talks with both boys, encouraging empathy and patience with one
another, but allowing Hayden to maintain control over something so
precious while his life was filled with Chaos. It took about 6 weeks,
just last week Hayden approached him and offered Lego Star Wars.
Hayden's made very clear boundaries and I've no doubt they'll be
honored. Things are being unpacked and finding homes, it doesn't feel
so much like *someone else's house* anymore and that makes a huge
difference. Though they spent many weeks having no opinion on what goes
where and why, suddenly, they're suggesting furniture arrangements. The
kids spent lots of time sleeping, grazing, watching lots of TV -- just
as you described, they're excited (the conference definitely helped!)
and energized. Tonight we're off to Hannah's concert with the Sioux
Falls Girls Chorale (doesn't that sound fancy!), she's very excited!
They both begin 'Y' basketball on Saturday. Our life isn't as much
"hanging out 'round the house" as it was this summer, and it's a tough
adjustment, but we're adapting and it's peaceful and fun :)

~diana :)


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Gwen McCrea

Tonight I logged on to read this list after a long move-related
absence, and I get to read just the posts that I really needed!

We moved from Minnesota to Virginia in late August, but we haven't yet
been able to make it feel at all like a home. We're staying with
relatives for at least a couple more months, so we have been trying to
fit our stuff into two (quite small) bedrooms. Then to complicate
matters, when we had been here for three weeks, my mother-in-law had a
stroke, and we all went to Bolivia for almost a month.

Gabriel (9) has been incredibly understanding, but its been really
hard for him. We moved out of a housing situation in which he had two
parks, a field, and about 12 friends literally out the back door.
Arlington is quite a culture shock, and he misses his friends, and we
don't get out nearly enough to expend some of that energy. We'd gone
to a couple park days of a local unschooling group, but then we missed
four or five, and when we went the other week, Gabriel was feeling
very shy (unusual for him), and just sat next to me, even though the
other kids eventually came over and asked him to play.

I had been worrying (silently) about Gabriel's staying up so late. His
most recent schedule includes playing video games (Fantastic 4) or
watching tv (mostly cartoons) until like 3 or 4 in the morning, and
sleeping until 2 in the afternoon. I will try to worry a little less,
and see if it doesn't change once we actually start to settle in. For
my sake, I hope these late nights don't last, because I'll be working
a late shift starting next week, and if he gets up at 2pm, I'll only
get to hang out with him for 2 hours, tops. I suppose I could be with
him when I get home, but I also have a 1-year-old, who's not gonna let
me sleep late to make up for it.

so glad to have this list,

Gwen