[email protected]

Sorry, I didn't realize that I should have introduced myself, this is
my first experience in a chat room. I have three children, two sons
in their twenties and out of the house and a daughter age 8 (second
hubby, second family). I quit working three days before she was born
and took up bookkeeping from home thereafter. We've unschooled from
the day of birth (probably before if you count buying "stuff".) Close
family is very supportive, but I get a lot of flack from a friend who
is French. Seems his father was tutored at home ($$$) and had a
terrible, lonely childhood. I keep assuring him that Kate has many
friends and isn't trapped indoors at a desk all day. His next step is
to "test" her. Since she didn't learn how to read until last summer
(Thank you Harry Potter!), and she has no need to tell time (although
she reads digital very well) and she's not interested in mathematics,
the friend has a field day declaring that we are failing. As you all
know, she does excel in many areas that her schooled peers will never
even know about, so I am not worried, but he does shake me up whenever
he gets on his bandwagon. It was after one of his visits that I
tracked this group down, as I needed a security "fix!" Thanks, by
the way...

Valerie

Hi and welcome! I recommend a book by Valerie Fitzenreiter that has
no set title yet and isn't published yet. :-) My first thoughts are
to tell your 'friend' where to go.. but...since I am a meek and mild
mommy...

Stand your ground and KNOW in your heart that you are doing the right
thing. Tell him about Laurie, tell him I will kick his... ooops...
nope... Does he have kids? If someone tried to "test" Laurie, I'd
have to say something. This is not for him to decide. He may be
a 'friend' but he's not acting like one.

Laurie detested clocks that weren't digital and refused to learn to
tell time on them. She hated math and excels at it now. You are not
failing, but your friend is.

Valerie

Sorry, I just hate it when people are so uppity as your friend...



--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., tpeterson@w... wrote:
> Sorry, I didn't realize that I should have introduced myself, this
is
> my first experience in a chat room. I have three children, two
sons
> in their twenties and out of the house and a daughter age 8 (second
> hubby, second family). I quit working three days before she was
born
> and took up bookkeeping from home thereafter. We've unschooled
from
> the day of birth (probably before if you count buying "stuff".)
Close
> family is very supportive, but I get a lot of flack from a friend
who
> is French. Seems his father was tutored at home ($$$) and had a
> terrible, lonely childhood. I keep assuring him that Kate has many
> friends and isn't trapped indoors at a desk all day. His next step
is
> to "test" her. Since she didn't learn how to read until last
summer
> (Thank you Harry Potter!), and she has no need to tell time
(although
> she reads digital very well) and she's not interested in
mathematics,
> the friend has a field day declaring that we are failing. As you
all
> know, she does excel in many areas that her schooled peers will
never
> even know about, so I am not worried, but he does shake me up
whenever
> he gets on his bandwagon. It was after one of his visits that I
> tracked this group down, as I needed a security "fix!" Thanks,
by
> the way...

[email protected]

Valerie - Thanks for your support. I noticed that a lot of us have
"Am I doing the right thing?" lurking at the back of our minds and I
think that attitude is what makes us good parents. We're always
evaluating and reassessing, weighing outside opinions (and tossing
most!), keeping an open mind and our finger on the pulse.

Notice also that parents of the kids that go berserk never saw it
coming...

When I was a single mother, we were deperately poor, but I always
tried to pull some fun out of my hat and would ask my boys regularly:
"We're doing okay, aren't we?" Feedback is the key!

Valerie

You're welcome for the support. It's everyone here that is giving me
the support that I didn't even realize I needed.

For some reason the "Am I doing the right thing?" never lurked in my
mind. I now wonder if I was totally oblivious to the outside world.
lol I just KNEW it was the only way to raise Laurie.

Valerie

--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., tpeterson@w... wrote:
> Valerie - Thanks for your support. I noticed that a lot of us have
> "Am I doing the right thing?" lurking at the back of our minds and
I
> think that attitude is what makes us good parents. We're always
> evaluating and reassessing, weighing outside opinions (and tossing
> most!), keeping an open mind and our finger on the pulse.
>
> Notice also that parents of the kids that go berserk never saw it
> coming...
>
> When I was a single mother, we were deperately poor, but I always
> tried to pull some fun out of my hat and would ask my boys
regularly:
> "We're doing okay, aren't we?" Feedback is the key!