Doubts
Dalene Mactier
What do the average Unschooler Parent look like. I know there is no average.
I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough, selfless enough to do it.
I would really like to hear what other people do. What does an average day in your life look like.
Thanks
Dalene
http://geocities.com/mactiers
I didn't want to work. It was as simple as that. I distrusted work, disliked it. I thought it was a very bad thing that the human race had unfortunately invented for itself. [ from "Endless Night"]
Agatha Christie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough, selfless enough to do it.
I would really like to hear what other people do. What does an average day in your life look like.
Thanks
Dalene
http://geocities.com/mactiers
I didn't want to work. It was as simple as that. I distrusted work, disliked it. I thought it was a very bad thing that the human race had unfortunately invented for itself. [ from "Endless Night"]
Agatha Christie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 6/4/01 5:26:05 AM, Mactier@... writes:
<< I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts
about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough,
selfless enough to do it.
time. Joy in imperfect days. Appreciation of your child as a human.
Acceptance of occasional happy frenzies. Willingness to gather up supplies
for weird projects on short notice. Looking at the background. Creativity
of thought. Flexibility of expectations.
At www.unschooling.com in the discussions there's a typical days folder.
Sandra
<< I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts
about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough,
selfless enough to do it.
>>It takes patience with disorganization. Dedicaton to slack. Trusting in
time. Joy in imperfect days. Appreciation of your child as a human.
Acceptance of occasional happy frenzies. Willingness to gather up supplies
for weird projects on short notice. Looking at the background. Creativity
of thought. Flexibility of expectations.
At www.unschooling.com in the discussions there's a typical days folder.
Sandra
[email protected]
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., "Dalene Mactier" <Mactier@b...> wrote:
dedicated to the idea of unschooling and my kids choosing what to do
with their time and their learning/doing though :-). I actually think
it would be counter-productive to be selfless, one thing that I think
is important is that kids also see their parents pursuing their own
passions, learning about things they are interested in, taking the
steps to get started in something, learn about it, stick with it when
things get tough. I think they learn through these experiences as
well as through their own. I did my first triathlon
in 3 years this weekend. My son got to see me researching
equipment (I got new pedals and shoes for my racing bike), he got to
see me training and talking to other people about how best to train,
working hard towards my goal, he got to see me practice my
transitions over and over until I felt I had got them right, and this
weekend he got to see me organize all of my gear, create a checklist
so I didn't forget anything, and pack it all up. Then yesterday he
got to see me do the race, how hard it was for me, how exhausted I
was, but how glad I was to have achieved my goal. As I crossed the
finish line, they gave me a "Finisher's Medal" on a gold band. My son
came running up to me yelling "YOu did it mom! You're a winner!
You're a winner!". And then he asked me if I had won the race and
beat everyone else and when I answered that I hadn't, that led to a
whole discussion about why to do things if we're not going to win,
what it means to challenge oneself, etc.
What all of this boils down to is that in *not* being selfless - in
following my own passions - I am showing him what it takes to pursue
a complex goal and see it from start to finish. Of course, one can't
be selfish to the point that the children are ignored and unsupported
in their own passions, and not getting the time they need with their
parents, but I think there's a healthy balance in there somewhere.
things with other homeschooling friends or groups, some days we stay
home and do crafts or play in the kiddy pool or play or garden or
whatever, some days we go to thrift stores or garage sales, some days
we go find a creek or pond or mud puddle or a hike or a museum or an
activity, or just go watch the planes take off at the airport. At
some point in every day, I take time to pursue my own passions,
whether that be my photography or my writing, or training for my next
race or flying my airplane. Some of these things I do with the kids
along, sometimes my husband hangs out with them while I do something
on my own. Occasionally, we will organize a field trip or someone we
know will organize them, and we'll visit a fire station or something
else interesting. I'm lucky to have found a small group of really
cool homeschooling friends to hang out with. We're planning family
camping trips for the summer, and we've taken picnics to the river
and to a lake already. I feel blessed to have not only the support
but the friendship of other like-minded people. It sure makes life
fun!
Blue Skies!
-Robin-
Mom to Mackenzie (8/28/96) Who is building a circus for the fairies
and Asa (10/5/99) who is trying to destroy the fairy circus
http://www.geocities.com/the_clevengers Flying Clevenger Family
> I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I manyBy nature, I'm not a patient, organized, or selfless person. I am
>doubts about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough,
>dedicated enough, selfless enough to do it.
dedicated to the idea of unschooling and my kids choosing what to do
with their time and their learning/doing though :-). I actually think
it would be counter-productive to be selfless, one thing that I think
is important is that kids also see their parents pursuing their own
passions, learning about things they are interested in, taking the
steps to get started in something, learn about it, stick with it when
things get tough. I think they learn through these experiences as
well as through their own. I did my first triathlon
in 3 years this weekend. My son got to see me researching
equipment (I got new pedals and shoes for my racing bike), he got to
see me training and talking to other people about how best to train,
working hard towards my goal, he got to see me practice my
transitions over and over until I felt I had got them right, and this
weekend he got to see me organize all of my gear, create a checklist
so I didn't forget anything, and pack it all up. Then yesterday he
got to see me do the race, how hard it was for me, how exhausted I
was, but how glad I was to have achieved my goal. As I crossed the
finish line, they gave me a "Finisher's Medal" on a gold band. My son
came running up to me yelling "YOu did it mom! You're a winner!
You're a winner!". And then he asked me if I had won the race and
beat everyone else and when I answered that I hadn't, that led to a
whole discussion about why to do things if we're not going to win,
what it means to challenge oneself, etc.
What all of this boils down to is that in *not* being selfless - in
following my own passions - I am showing him what it takes to pursue
a complex goal and see it from start to finish. Of course, one can't
be selfish to the point that the children are ignored and unsupported
in their own passions, and not getting the time they need with their
parents, but I think there's a healthy balance in there somewhere.
> I would really like to hear what other people do. What does anI don't think there's an average day here. Some days we go out and do
>average day in your life look like.
things with other homeschooling friends or groups, some days we stay
home and do crafts or play in the kiddy pool or play or garden or
whatever, some days we go to thrift stores or garage sales, some days
we go find a creek or pond or mud puddle or a hike or a museum or an
activity, or just go watch the planes take off at the airport. At
some point in every day, I take time to pursue my own passions,
whether that be my photography or my writing, or training for my next
race or flying my airplane. Some of these things I do with the kids
along, sometimes my husband hangs out with them while I do something
on my own. Occasionally, we will organize a field trip or someone we
know will organize them, and we'll visit a fire station or something
else interesting. I'm lucky to have found a small group of really
cool homeschooling friends to hang out with. We're planning family
camping trips for the summer, and we've taken picnics to the river
and to a lake already. I feel blessed to have not only the support
but the friendship of other like-minded people. It sure makes life
fun!
Blue Skies!
-Robin-
Mom to Mackenzie (8/28/96) Who is building a circus for the fairies
and Asa (10/5/99) who is trying to destroy the fairy circus
http://www.geocities.com/the_clevengers Flying Clevenger Family
Patti
It really depends on the day :). Today was a lesson in consumer math
(paying a bill) which turned into a discussion of law (why we have to have
auto insurance) which turned into physics/mechanics (how fast do you have
to go to do alot of damage to a car?) which turned into aeronautics (no,
even with high-test gas mom's truck can't go to the moon) which turned into
astronomy...etc. Some days we don't do squat, others we come up with so
much! I doubt that you could ever find a "typical" unschooler and I'm sure
every one of us has the same wonder's/concerns that you do. I worry all
the time, I have no organization whatsoever and if I ever had to be graded
I would probably have a big F stamped on my forehead :). But I know also
that my son is learning. Not the same way as schooled kids do, with
assignments, books, etc. but from every day things. That, and the fact
that he is learning because he wants to instead of he has to makes a big
difference. The problem I have is what to put in my portfolio for year-end
reviews!
Patti
At 07:21 AM 6/4/01, you wrote:
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @... address at http://mail.yahoo.com
(paying a bill) which turned into a discussion of law (why we have to have
auto insurance) which turned into physics/mechanics (how fast do you have
to go to do alot of damage to a car?) which turned into aeronautics (no,
even with high-test gas mom's truck can't go to the moon) which turned into
astronomy...etc. Some days we don't do squat, others we come up with so
much! I doubt that you could ever find a "typical" unschooler and I'm sure
every one of us has the same wonder's/concerns that you do. I worry all
the time, I have no organization whatsoever and if I ever had to be graded
I would probably have a big F stamped on my forehead :). But I know also
that my son is learning. Not the same way as schooled kids do, with
assignments, books, etc. but from every day things. That, and the fact
that he is learning because he wants to instead of he has to makes a big
difference. The problem I have is what to put in my portfolio for year-end
reviews!
Patti
At 07:21 AM 6/4/01, you wrote:
>What do the average Unschooler Parent look like. I know there is no average._________________________________________________________
>
>I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts
>about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough,
>selfless enough to do it.
>
>I would really like to hear what other people do. What does an average day
>in your life look like.
>
>Thanks
>
>Dalene
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @... address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Pam Hartley
----------
look like so many things, including unschooled kids happily rampaging
through a geometry book they dug out of the recycling bin, perhaps to their
unschoolish parent's horror. <g>
We don't have much of an average day... we wake up (3 of 4 of us are
nightowls, my 3 year old is a -- and I beg you will not judge her harshly,
the poor little thing can't help it -- MORNING PERSON. Eeek!), we eat, we
disperse to our pursuits, both separate and together.
Sometimes we go to lessons (my oldest, 6, is currently doing Speech/History
Co-Op, Girl Scouts, Ice Skating, is about to start Art lessons and Girl
Scout Camp, and just finished up her fourth year of dance. My youngest, 3,
has Library story time and just finished up her first year of dance.)
Thursdays are Park Day. The community pool will open in about 3 weeks, and I
expect we'll be there nearly every day for at least an hour or so.
We have a home business so both my husband and I, and three days a week my
husband's sister who works for us, are all home with the girls. Some days
they spend the day in the yard being Indians (Native Americans), since our
co-op just finished a month on the subject--
:::warning, ramble::: Brit, when asked by me if she'd like to do a speech on
the woodland indians like Pocahontas, said, "Can't I just show them the
video?" <g> She changed her mind and decided to do the speech -- Brit, when
changing her mind, does so at midnight or later, so at 12:30 a.m. we were
pouring over books on Pocahontas and her tribe, drawing pictures of bears,
etc. The week on Plains Indians I found a COOL website on how they used
horses to pull travois, including how to build one suitable for pulling by a
toy horse. I was jazzed. Brit, when shown, yawned and said, "I'm going to
give a speech on our new rats." Such is the unschooling parent's life. <g>
At least I learned a lot about travois. :::now returning you to your
regularly scheduled post:::
--some days they are all day in the wading pool, some days they spend half
the day watching Cartoon Network and the other half making their own
chocolate milk in the kitchen, some days they show up at my desk with a
stack of books the size of Kentucky and demand I read to them until I am
hoarse, some days Brit teaches Mikey her ABCs, some days we play board games
(Yahtzee Junior and the Lego Game are the current favorites), some days Brit
teaches the cats new tricks (we are collecting cat training books for her,
you'd probably be shocked to find out how many cat training books exist)...
...well, you begin to perceive the problem with answering about average
days.
We live. We do what we want to do, within the limits of the law and each
others sanity. That's our average day.
Pam
>From: [email protected]Unschooling can't really be encapsulated in a "looks like", because it can
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 1289
>Date: Mon, Jun 4, 2001, 7:57 PM
>
> I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts
> about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough,
> selfless enough to do it.
>
> I would really like to hear what other people do. What does an average day
> in your life look like.
look like so many things, including unschooled kids happily rampaging
through a geometry book they dug out of the recycling bin, perhaps to their
unschoolish parent's horror. <g>
We don't have much of an average day... we wake up (3 of 4 of us are
nightowls, my 3 year old is a -- and I beg you will not judge her harshly,
the poor little thing can't help it -- MORNING PERSON. Eeek!), we eat, we
disperse to our pursuits, both separate and together.
Sometimes we go to lessons (my oldest, 6, is currently doing Speech/History
Co-Op, Girl Scouts, Ice Skating, is about to start Art lessons and Girl
Scout Camp, and just finished up her fourth year of dance. My youngest, 3,
has Library story time and just finished up her first year of dance.)
Thursdays are Park Day. The community pool will open in about 3 weeks, and I
expect we'll be there nearly every day for at least an hour or so.
We have a home business so both my husband and I, and three days a week my
husband's sister who works for us, are all home with the girls. Some days
they spend the day in the yard being Indians (Native Americans), since our
co-op just finished a month on the subject--
:::warning, ramble::: Brit, when asked by me if she'd like to do a speech on
the woodland indians like Pocahontas, said, "Can't I just show them the
video?" <g> She changed her mind and decided to do the speech -- Brit, when
changing her mind, does so at midnight or later, so at 12:30 a.m. we were
pouring over books on Pocahontas and her tribe, drawing pictures of bears,
etc. The week on Plains Indians I found a COOL website on how they used
horses to pull travois, including how to build one suitable for pulling by a
toy horse. I was jazzed. Brit, when shown, yawned and said, "I'm going to
give a speech on our new rats." Such is the unschooling parent's life. <g>
At least I learned a lot about travois. :::now returning you to your
regularly scheduled post:::
--some days they are all day in the wading pool, some days they spend half
the day watching Cartoon Network and the other half making their own
chocolate milk in the kitchen, some days they show up at my desk with a
stack of books the size of Kentucky and demand I read to them until I am
hoarse, some days Brit teaches Mikey her ABCs, some days we play board games
(Yahtzee Junior and the Lego Game are the current favorites), some days Brit
teaches the cats new tricks (we are collecting cat training books for her,
you'd probably be shocked to find out how many cat training books exist)...
...well, you begin to perceive the problem with answering about average
days.
We live. We do what we want to do, within the limits of the law and each
others sanity. That's our average day.
Pam
Dalene Mactier
Pam you said
Make a speech to whom??
Dalene
>>Brit, when asked by me if she'd like to do a speech onthe woodland indians
Make a speech to whom??
Dalene
Sharon Rudd
Dear Sandra...I printed out our reply!!.........Thanks Sharon
SandraDodd@... wrote:
In a message dated 6/4/01 5:26:05 AM, Mactier@... writes:
<< I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts
about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough,
selfless enough to do it.
time. Joy in imperfect days. Appreciation of your child as a human.
Acceptance of occasional happy frenzies. Willingness to gather up supplies
for weird projects on short notice. Looking at the background. Creativity
of thought. Flexibility of expectations.
At www.unschooling.com in the discussions there's a typical days folder.
Sandra
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
SandraDodd@... wrote:
In a message dated 6/4/01 5:26:05 AM, Mactier@... writes:
<< I know that unschooling is the right choice for my son, but I many doubts
about myself - am I patient enough, organised enough, dedicated enough,
selfless enough to do it.
>>It takes patience with disorganization. Dedicaton to slack. Trusting in
time. Joy in imperfect days. Appreciation of your child as a human.
Acceptance of occasional happy frenzies. Willingness to gather up supplies
for weird projects on short notice. Looking at the background. Creativity
of thought. Flexibility of expectations.
At www.unschooling.com in the discussions there's a typical days folder.
Sandra
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
To unsubscribe, set preferences, or read archives:
http://www.egroups.com/group/Unschooling-dotcom
Another great list sponsored by Home Education Magazine!
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Personal Address - Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]