[email protected]

Hi everyone,

My name is Janice, and I have been teaching my three kids at home
since the very beginning of their learning years. I have tried many
approaches, and to be honest, I feel I need a little encouragement,
since I've gone off the structured road to a less structured path,
and I wonder sometimes if I'm on the right track. I would very much
like to hear your feelings, suggestions, and practical suggestions
for keeping three kids in 7th, 6th, and 2nd grade up to par, but
learning properly, and maintaining my sanity if at all possible. I
know I'm burned out at this point, but I don't have much of a support
system, and the kids are getting to thee point where they don't
listen as well as they used to. I have CD rom programs, I have big
all in one type books, and I allow everything to be a lesson in their
day. I would very much appreciate your help and understanding, and I
hope to do the same for you somehow. Thank you so much, Janice

[email protected]

-=- I feel I need a little encouragement,
since I've gone off the structured road to a less structured path,
and I wonder sometimes if I'm on the right track. -=-

Much better than this list for encouragement would be to go to
www.unschooling.com and read in the library/essays, and read the recent
postings in folders. There's scads of inspiration there.

Sandra

Unschooling.com

Hi Janice,
We seem to be a very quiet list this week. I wonder if everyone is
having nicer weather? We had friends over last night, stayed up late and
this morning are sort of .... not moving very much. <G> I'm going to try
and answer some of your thoughts, but don't be surprised if I ramble a lot.
<g>

I feel I need a little encouragement,
> since I've gone off the structured road to a less structured path,
> and I wonder sometimes if I'm on the right track.

Was the structured track the right one?

I would very much
> like to hear your feelings, suggestions, and practical suggestions
> for keeping three kids in 7th, 6th, and 2nd grade up to par,

This is really hard for most unschoolers to answer. First you have to
define what is *up to par*, whose par?

but
> learning properly,

What would learning improperly look like? But more importantly, what is
your working definition of working properly??

**and maintaining my sanity if at all possible. **

I don't think this is part of the equation. I think parenting as an
occupation is designed to make us all question the concept of sanity. <VBG>

I know I'm burned out at this point, but I don't have much of a support
> system, and the kids are getting to thee point where they don't
> listen as well as they used to.

Here's where we can help, but first we have to have more specifics. What has
created your burn out? What are you burned out from?? Is it standing over
them making them do *school*? Is it just being the one responsible for the
family and household, the laundry, the food, the noise, the cleanliness?
and children are supposed to grow up into adults who think for themselves,
not listening is a sign of growth, which is good.

I have CD rom programs, I have big
> all in one type books, and I allow everything to be a lesson in their
> day. I would very much appreciate your help and understanding, and I
> hope to do the same for you somehow. Thank you so much, Janice
>
Part of the problem may be looking at life as a series of lessons. It is,
but most of those lessons are silent moments of understanding how the world
works, or what makes mom and dad tick or get ticked. Not everything in life
is an academic lesson, nor should it be. And I don't feel our children need
to spend hours a day hunting for academic lessons, I would prefer they just
live. Most of the time academics take care of themselves and sometimes we
approach a topic with intention.

Tell us what life was looking like and what you did to change things... and
then maybe we can help you understand???
>

Lisa