Need to vent!
Jeanmarie Shingleton
I've had one of those weeks!! This is our first year with our son out of
public school. We started out trying to do "school-at-home" but because of
his personality and my frustration we sort of slipped into unschooling. And
it's working!!! Of course it is, you say, but .... this is where I need a
little help.
Last weekend my dh went to visit his parents and his sister was there too.
Fortunately I stayed home! She started off by asking how the homeschooling
was going and led up to what's he studying, what books is he reading, how
often does he work... etc, etc, etc,... Gary, in his wisdom, just turned to
his father and started talking about something else. I found out about this
after having a similar conversation with my SIL on Tuesday night.
Except this time I didn't have someone to turn to so I could virtually
ignore her! I was told about homeschooling on the internet (no, she doesn't
homeschool. Her kids are 24 and 21) I was asked about books, subjects
etc... and I tried to explain our version of unschooling, but... I don't
think it went over...
What's your best response in a situation like this?? I know it will come up
again in a couple of months when school is starting again. I tried to tell
her we're doing the same thing all summer we've done all year, but I know
her... I'll get bombarded again.
Phewwww!!! Thanks - I needed to get that out of my system!
Jeanmarie,
Slowly unschooling a 14 yo in Utah
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
public school. We started out trying to do "school-at-home" but because of
his personality and my frustration we sort of slipped into unschooling. And
it's working!!! Of course it is, you say, but .... this is where I need a
little help.
Last weekend my dh went to visit his parents and his sister was there too.
Fortunately I stayed home! She started off by asking how the homeschooling
was going and led up to what's he studying, what books is he reading, how
often does he work... etc, etc, etc,... Gary, in his wisdom, just turned to
his father and started talking about something else. I found out about this
after having a similar conversation with my SIL on Tuesday night.
Except this time I didn't have someone to turn to so I could virtually
ignore her! I was told about homeschooling on the internet (no, she doesn't
homeschool. Her kids are 24 and 21) I was asked about books, subjects
etc... and I tried to explain our version of unschooling, but... I don't
think it went over...
What's your best response in a situation like this?? I know it will come up
again in a couple of months when school is starting again. I tried to tell
her we're doing the same thing all summer we've done all year, but I know
her... I'll get bombarded again.
Phewwww!!! Thanks - I needed to get that out of my system!
Jeanmarie,
Slowly unschooling a 14 yo in Utah
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
Tracy Oldfield
What's your best response in a situation like this?? I
know it will come up
again in a couple of months when school is starting
again. I tried to tell
her we're doing the same thing all summer we've done
all year, but I know
her... I'll get bombarded again.
Phewwww!!! Thanks - I needed to get that out of my
system!
Jeanmarie,
Slowly unschooling a 14 yo in Utah
UGH, rellies!! I had a gobful from my Mum last Friday,
about how the kids were missing out cos they don't have
any commonality with 'all the other kids' This week I
had a visit from a local official who told me they'd
had an anonymous phone call saying that there was a
little girl here who wasn't in school... Turned out it
wasn't my mum, but even so...
It's one of those cases where you have to decide how
much info the person can deal with, you know? What
they really want to know, what exactly they're
asking... it might seem patronising (and I am the
world's worst at giving much, much more info than I
need to!! LOL) but I suppose it's a bit like the
breastfeeding counselling info I've recently been
reading back over, if you empathise and try to pick the
bits out of her questions, you might find she's
actually wanting to know something she hasn't really
said in the first place... So rather than jump in with
a load of info, you could turn her question around and
say it back to her, with empathy, as if clarifying what
she's saying... I'm making a bad job of cutting a long
story short, if you want to know what I mean I can chat
if you like :-) Brain on melt-down due to beer atm...
need more food...
Anyway, I know what i wish I'd said after the event!!
LOL
Tracy
know it will come up
again in a couple of months when school is starting
again. I tried to tell
her we're doing the same thing all summer we've done
all year, but I know
her... I'll get bombarded again.
Phewwww!!! Thanks - I needed to get that out of my
system!
Jeanmarie,
Slowly unschooling a 14 yo in Utah
UGH, rellies!! I had a gobful from my Mum last Friday,
about how the kids were missing out cos they don't have
any commonality with 'all the other kids' This week I
had a visit from a local official who told me they'd
had an anonymous phone call saying that there was a
little girl here who wasn't in school... Turned out it
wasn't my mum, but even so...
It's one of those cases where you have to decide how
much info the person can deal with, you know? What
they really want to know, what exactly they're
asking... it might seem patronising (and I am the
world's worst at giving much, much more info than I
need to!! LOL) but I suppose it's a bit like the
breastfeeding counselling info I've recently been
reading back over, if you empathise and try to pick the
bits out of her questions, you might find she's
actually wanting to know something she hasn't really
said in the first place... So rather than jump in with
a load of info, you could turn her question around and
say it back to her, with empathy, as if clarifying what
she's saying... I'm making a bad job of cutting a long
story short, if you want to know what I mean I can chat
if you like :-) Brain on melt-down due to beer atm...
need more food...
Anyway, I know what i wish I'd said after the event!!
LOL
Tracy
Elizabeth Hill
>What's your best response in a situation like this?? I know it will comeup
>again in a couple of months when school is starting again. I tried totell
>her we're doing the same thing all summer we've done all year, but I knowIf her interest is sincere, maybe you could offer to loan her a book, or
>her... I'll get bombarded again.
suggest some good websites she could look at.
But if she's asking because she thinks trying to run your life would be
more interesting than trying to run her own, that's different.
If she ever gets to the point where she says "Euw! I wouldn't do it that
way!" then you can tell her "YOU don't have to. These are my kids."
Betsy
P.S. (I have avoided gatherings with the in-laws a few times when I was in
the early stages of unschooling. Now that my son is older, likes to read,
and is an all-around sweet person, most criticism bounces off me.)
Lynda
For the few relatives that questioned what we were doing and how we were
doing it, I bought a bunch of used homeschooling and unschooling books. I
then told them that it is really something they have to experience first
hand or spend more time with than a short conversation. I then dropped the
books on them and told them that if they were really interested these were
some good reads.
I threw in a mix of Holt, Griffith, Cafi Cohen (they could relate to her
book because she was local) and a few others.
And, speaking of books, Linda Dobson's new one, "The First Year of
Homeschooling Your Child" just came in the mail today and it has a lot of
first person experiences that answer lots of questions that folks that don't
know anything about home/unschooling ask.
Lynda
doing it, I bought a bunch of used homeschooling and unschooling books. I
then told them that it is really something they have to experience first
hand or spend more time with than a short conversation. I then dropped the
books on them and told them that if they were really interested these were
some good reads.
I threw in a mix of Holt, Griffith, Cafi Cohen (they could relate to her
book because she was local) and a few others.
And, speaking of books, Linda Dobson's new one, "The First Year of
Homeschooling Your Child" just came in the mail today and it has a lot of
first person experiences that answer lots of questions that folks that don't
know anything about home/unschooling ask.
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeanmarie Shingleton" <Jmarie_s02qlt@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2001 4:18 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Need to vent!
> I've had one of those weeks!! This is our first year with our son out of
> public school. We started out trying to do "school-at-home" but because
of
> his personality and my frustration we sort of slipped into unschooling.
And
> it's working!!! Of course it is, you say, but .... this is where I need a
> little help.
>
> Last weekend my dh went to visit his parents and his sister was there too.
> Fortunately I stayed home! She started off by asking how the
homeschooling
> was going and led up to what's he studying, what books is he reading, how
> often does he work... etc, etc, etc,... Gary, in his wisdom, just turned
to
> his father and started talking about something else. I found out about
this
> after having a similar conversation with my SIL on Tuesday night.
>
> Except this time I didn't have someone to turn to so I could virtually
> ignore her! I was told about homeschooling on the internet (no, she
doesn't
> homeschool. Her kids are 24 and 21) I was asked about books, subjects
> etc... and I tried to explain our version of unschooling, but... I don't
> think it went over...
>
> What's your best response in a situation like this?? I know it will come
up
> again in a couple of months when school is starting again. I tried to
tell
> her we're doing the same thing all summer we've done all year, but I know
> her... I'll get bombarded again.
>
> Phewwww!!! Thanks - I needed to get that out of my system!
>
> Jeanmarie,
> Slowly unschooling a 14 yo in Utah
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
>
>
> 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 http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>