Nicole Brown

Hi all,

I just subscribed about a week ago, and have been lurking... thought it
was about time I introduced myself. My name is Nicole, I'm 29 and
pregnant with my first, due in about 3 weeks! My boyfriend (or
"baby-daddy" in talk-show lingo) Terry and I live in rural Kentucky.

While Terry is more traditional about things, I tend to research and
look for the best alternative... which is usually NOT the way "most
people" do things. At least not the people we know. For instance, I find
a vegetarian lifestyle the best way to live, for my own health and
karma. Terry likes to grill burgers and hotdogs. I have decided on
homebirth with a trained midwife as the best way to go - and although
Terry still thinks it'd be "safer" to have the baby in the hospital, he
is going along with me on this one. Homeschooling/unschooling sounds
like a terrific idea to me, although I was not quite as poisoned by
public school as most folks have been... I went to "alternative" schools
in Kansas grades K-6, where kids are given more autonomy and
resposibility and learn stuff outside the 3 R's (i.e. we had a garden
and a class in geology, made papier mache volcanoes, etc.).

I realize now that the stuff I learned because I took it upon myself -
outside of school - is the stuff I still know and use today. Stuff that
was drilled into my head in high school and college, I don't know
anymore and could give a rat's butt. ~:^ ) I did have some meaningful
social interaction in school, and a few really terrific teachers, but
was not involved in much extracurricular activity.

Terry had a traditional ps education, and says his parents never had any
interest in his schooling at all - didn't care whether he did his
homework, etc. He has a phobic aversion to reading, whereas I am a
compulsive reader! Anyway, we've been lightly discussing the
homeschooling topic, and he seems to be open to it, though not to the
extent that I'd like. One thing that helps is the dubious quality of the
public schools around here, and the fact that they'll hire anyone off
the street to be a teacher because they're desperate. Another thing is
that he thinks I'd be an excellent teacher (he thinks I ought to get one
of those jobs - no thanks!), and so well suited to educating our
daughter. I touched on the philosophy of unschooling (vs.
homeschooling), but he's one that takes his knowledge a little bite at a
time, so we'll see.

I'd like to hear more on the discipline topic, please. The Aletha Solter
excerpts make sense, but how do her ideas work in the real world?

How about a recommended reading list? Not just for educating but for
parenting in general. I need something to take to the small-town
library, see if I can challenge them a bit to find what I want to read.
~:^ )

Thanks y'all!

Nicole
barefoot AND pregnant in KY (yes I HAVE shoes, but who wants to wear
them? Besides, my feet are swollen...)