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Hello. I wrote last week on Tuesday night (actually Wed,
because it was well past midnight) under the subject "New to
unschooling...HELP." I discussed my oldest son (9yrs) and his
adjustment to unschooling. He was angry that I was not "teaching"
him and seemed to be vegging in front of the TV festering in his
frustrations. Well, for the most part I let him...offered to play
games with him, took the family on a bus trip (my car is broken down)
to go bowling, visited the library, etc... Friday we spent the day
mostly at home and he barely turned the TV on at all. He set up the
living room as a store and played with his sister for hours. Making
change with play money and all. Do I feel good right now? Heck
yeah!! Do I expect this to occur everyday....well, one must be
realistic.
Someone wrote that if everytime your child were to sit in
front of the TV you were to constantly interrupt with invitations for
him to cook with you, go for a walk, or do a craft, it is probable
that the child would see right through your motivations. My oldest
son would. My other two are the type that would jump up to join me.
All children are different.
I don't really agree with some of your feelings that a
unschooling moms role is to constantly involve her children in
countless excursions and fun activities. Children need to be left
alone as well. They need to use their own abilities to entertain
themselves. Distractions and entertainment come in many forms. While
a mother who keeps her kids busy with activity is using a more
sensory approach then TV or video games it is ultimately steering
children in the mothers chosen direction. I am definitely not saying
that you should sit around the house all day but I also don't think
that running all over the place trying to keep kids "busy" is the
answer. There are a LOT of homeschooling/unschooling moms who do
this and I just don't agree...
Tara

Janet

>> I am definitely not saying
that you should sit around the house all day but I also don't think
that running all over the place trying to keep kids "busy" is the
answer. There are a LOT of homeschooling/unschooling moms who do
this and I just don't agree...<<

I agree. Kids need time just to "be" and think of stuff to do. We
do lots of things together, but they definitely spend lots of time
together doing stuff, be it TV, computer, cars, legos, playmobil,
playing pet store or pizza place, sandbox, etc etc.

Janet, mom to Caroline, almost 7!! and Thomas, 3