RE: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 1377
Sheri Piersol
Hello everyone!
I have been enjoying the converstaions lately. I recieve flack on our
homeschooling all the time. I am the closes thing to a radical in my family.
hehehehe... I am always hearing and reading of people trying to explain
their choice to unschool. As for me, I haven't bothered telling anyone. We
started out doing school at home and have gradually come into unschooling.
We have been "at it" for three years now, and I haven't told anyone. They
all assume I do school at home, I let them assume. If I am ever asked I will
give a truthful answer, but until then....
Is this bad? Is there a reason I should explain my choices to others? Is
this a sign that I am really a chicken? :) Well, the last statement is true,
at least in regards to my mom. (an over bearing woman, who only sees black
and white, I love her and know she means well, but I shake at the thought of
her anger). When I talk to other people I will state my beliefs and
opinions, from there I allow them to say what they please, for I know in my
heart what is right for my family. And I secretly feel sorry for people who
can't see the joy in my life or find the happiness in their children.
~Sheri
mom to Mike 13, David 8 1/2, Andrew 7, Joshua 5, and Tirzah' she is 3.
I have been enjoying the converstaions lately. I recieve flack on our
homeschooling all the time. I am the closes thing to a radical in my family.
hehehehe... I am always hearing and reading of people trying to explain
their choice to unschool. As for me, I haven't bothered telling anyone. We
started out doing school at home and have gradually come into unschooling.
We have been "at it" for three years now, and I haven't told anyone. They
all assume I do school at home, I let them assume. If I am ever asked I will
give a truthful answer, but until then....
Is this bad? Is there a reason I should explain my choices to others? Is
this a sign that I am really a chicken? :) Well, the last statement is true,
at least in regards to my mom. (an over bearing woman, who only sees black
and white, I love her and know she means well, but I shake at the thought of
her anger). When I talk to other people I will state my beliefs and
opinions, from there I allow them to say what they please, for I know in my
heart what is right for my family. And I secretly feel sorry for people who
can't see the joy in my life or find the happiness in their children.
~Sheri
mom to Mike 13, David 8 1/2, Andrew 7, Joshua 5, and Tirzah' she is 3.
[email protected]
In a message dated 08/23/2001 10:48:08 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
sheri@... writes:
It makes you someone who is confident enough in her own choices not to have
to justify them to others.
It makes you someone who is not looking for unnecessary confrontations.
My MIL, who had kind words to say today about the kids when she stopped by
(without calling ahead -- grrrr -- but the kids were wonderful) wouldn't get
unschooling and we don't discuss that. She sees lots of books and "stuff"
around and happy kids. That seems to be enough.
Throw 'em a bone and move on, I say.
Nance
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
sheri@... writes:
> Is this bad? Is there a reason I should explain my choices to others? IsNope.
>
It makes you someone who is confident enough in her own choices not to have
to justify them to others.
It makes you someone who is not looking for unnecessary confrontations.
My MIL, who had kind words to say today about the kids when she stopped by
(without calling ahead -- grrrr -- but the kids were wonderful) wouldn't get
unschooling and we don't discuss that. She sees lots of books and "stuff"
around and happy kids. That seems to be enough.
Throw 'em a bone and move on, I say.
Nance
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
M and L Hand
I'm in the same mode of thinking, Sheri. I don't offer much about the way we don't "do school" unless pressed. Usually, I just say we learn from life, and use things all around us, and I don't buy a certain packaged curriculum. Call me paranoid, but I just don't see why it is anybody's business, unless they are trying to find a better fit for their own family. I don't want to volunteer anything that could come back and bite me later.
People might guess....I am always telling other homeschoolers that they should relax a bit and not be so rigid in keeping schedules, and look for opportunities to insert a bit of knowledge. The best advice I try to give is to really REALLY answer the kids' questions instead of giving them the "not now, dear" line.
Yesterday, we found some gecko eggs, which the youngest kids wanted to keep and hatch. They asked me what kind of food they'd need to provide, and decided to go look it up when I said I didn't know. First, they had to figure out how to spell the word "gecko". It was great. I did read the paragraph to them, to speed things along a bit, but made them find the article to begin with.
Laurie
Mom to Kelly-17, Kerry-15, Katie-12, Korey-10, and Kacie-8
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
People might guess....I am always telling other homeschoolers that they should relax a bit and not be so rigid in keeping schedules, and look for opportunities to insert a bit of knowledge. The best advice I try to give is to really REALLY answer the kids' questions instead of giving them the "not now, dear" line.
Yesterday, we found some gecko eggs, which the youngest kids wanted to keep and hatch. They asked me what kind of food they'd need to provide, and decided to go look it up when I said I didn't know. First, they had to figure out how to spell the word "gecko". It was great. I did read the paragraph to them, to speed things along a bit, but made them find the article to begin with.
Laurie
Mom to Kelly-17, Kerry-15, Katie-12, Korey-10, and Kacie-8
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/23/01 5:06:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
marbleface@... writes:
<< My MIL, who had kind words to say today about the kids when she stopped by
(without calling ahead -- grrrr -- but the kids were wonderful) wouldn't get
unschooling and we don't discuss that. She sees lots of books and "stuff"
around and happy kids. That seems to be enough.
books,
never really asking about the homeschooling, never quizzing the kids. Finally
my dad and I were talking and he was asking me how we go about it and I had'
to tell him. I never used the word unschooling but he totally got what I was
talking about. Unreal. Had another great conversation about the HSC conference
in CA with mymom the other day, again talking about unschooling without
using the word. She totally was into what I was saying. Very cool. You just
never know. I am glad that I didn't try to educate them about what we were
doing, all they saw were how wonderful their darling grandchildren were, all
the while hearing more and more good stories about hs'ers in the paper etc.
My mom saves all teh good articles for me (she knows I don't like to read the
bad ones like Time).
Kathy
marbleface@... writes:
<< My MIL, who had kind words to say today about the kids when she stopped by
(without calling ahead -- grrrr -- but the kids were wonderful) wouldn't get
unschooling and we don't discuss that. She sees lots of books and "stuff"
around and happy kids. That seems to be enough.
>>For many years that is what my family saw too, happy kids, lots of stuff,
books,
never really asking about the homeschooling, never quizzing the kids. Finally
my dad and I were talking and he was asking me how we go about it and I had'
to tell him. I never used the word unschooling but he totally got what I was
talking about. Unreal. Had another great conversation about the HSC conference
in CA with mymom the other day, again talking about unschooling without
using the word. She totally was into what I was saying. Very cool. You just
never know. I am glad that I didn't try to educate them about what we were
doing, all they saw were how wonderful their darling grandchildren were, all
the while hearing more and more good stories about hs'ers in the paper etc.
My mom saves all teh good articles for me (she knows I don't like to read the
bad ones like Time).
Kathy