Theresa

I read this post with interest. I should first introduce myself. My name is Theresa and I have a daughter who is 9 years old. Usually she is very
much the introvert but lately she has been showing more confidence.

The thing that interested me in the going back to school post Sandra made was the comment about friendships. For a long time I have been pining for homeschooling or unschooling friendships. I find with a lot of friendships my daughter and I have there is a lot of disagreemant regarding bedtimes, sugar, learning to read, respect etc. The list goes on.

But lately I've been feeling staying with just unschooled friends is very limiting. I feel like we are living in a segregated world that we are keeping ourselves trapped in. The only thing is I do get tired of trying to explain why we don't have the same bedtimes or philosophy regarding candy and movies. What do you do?

Sandra Dodd

-=- The only thing is I do get tired of trying to explain why we don't
have the same bedtimes or philosophy regarding candy and movies. What
do you do?-=-

Come up with some brief responses. "We like to let her decide." Or
"we think she can sleep any eight hours she wants, since she doesn't
need to get up for school."

Or you could have cards with URLs of sites that describe unschooling
and make the offer to discuss it more if they're really interested.
(Meaning after they read the links.)

You can say "Right now, we're doing it this way," and not try to
defend an intent to do it forever and ever.
I used to say "If this stops working, we'll do something else."

And I have now NOT "done something else" for 19 years. <bwg> All
three of my kids grew past school age without having gone to school,
and without using a curriculum. I'm a little giddy sometimes. It's
awesome.


Sandra

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Jenny Cyphers

***The only thing is I do get tired of trying to explain why we don't have the
same bedtimes or philosophy regarding candy and movies. What do you do?***

I just don't talk about that stuff around people who don't really understand it.
I don't flaunt what we do either. Honestly, I've met more unschoolers who get
all worked up over sugar than the regular Joe homeschooling mom does. I can't
explain that, it's just been my experience. Most of the homeschooling moms that
I've met have loved baked goods and cookies and all that stuff. Movies and TV
and bedtimes are a different story. I grew up with strict bedtimes and TV
limitations so, even though I don't do that to my kids, it's something I
understand.





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Sandra Dodd

-=-Honestly, I've met more unschoolers who get
all worked up over sugar than the regular Joe homeschooling mom does.-=-

OH! That's awesome. The image of "all worked up."
Regardless of whether they're unschoolers or not, ANY mom who can get
"all worked up" so easily and swears to high heaven that her child IS
affected by sugar, horribly so, dangerously so, is probably fishing
for justification for being "all worked up." And if she gets over her
supersitious fear of sugar, she'll move on to something else, because
she's used to being all worked up.

And whether it's nature or nurture, she might more likely have
children who become "all worked up."

It's easier to be jittery when the people around you are jittery.
It's easier to be calm when the people around you are calm. Ditto
"afraid," "happy," "giggly..."

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/contagious-emotions/
http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/64108/77147/contagious

Sandra



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