Sheri Piersol

My 13 yo ds found the internet a couple months back. We have always used it,
but he found that he can meet other teens (thru approved sites) and found
interactive games. He is now on YIM whenever he finds the time. At first, he
was always asking me to read a word or spell simple things. Yesterday he was
on for hours and I realized that he didn't ask for my help even once! So, I
meandered over to the computer and looked over his shoulder to find that his
spelling was good. To think I have been so worried and it is coming
together. It can be hard to wait for your childs timing, especially when my
9 yo ds is a quick learner. :)

Now if I could just figure out my 5 yo!! LOL

~Sheri

The only thing I like about all those Dr. Laura's and Jerry Springer's of
the world is that it is a living example of our freedoms. To quiet an
oppossing (or just plain irritating) voice would ultimately be to quiet our
own....

Sharon Rudd

. To think I have been so worried
> and it is coming
> together. > ~Sheri
>
> The only thing I like about all those Dr. Laura's
> and Jerry Springer's of
> the world is that it is a living example of our
> freedoms. To quiet an
> oppossing (or just plain irritating) voice would
> ultimately be to quiet our
> own....
>
> Thanks Sheri.....unschooling moments help SO much.
Did you write the above ^ quote? It's pretty good.
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Listen to your Yahoo! Mail messages from any phone.
http://phone.yahoo.com

Tim and Maureen

Hi, Just had a moment that I had to share. I belong to a homeschooling group that advocates learning in the traditional way but occasionally have an event that we like. French lessons were offered and my seven year old was really interested. Of course had no idea what the style of teaching would be.When I asked it was going to be done in a classroom style by a teacher. His energy is big and seldom works for a lecture type environment.I was struggling with his desire versus what i know about him and whether i wanted to put out the money. I had no problem with him learning about this himself but had trouble with my commitment time and money wise.Any way i opted out of it. As I'm wondering if this was not providing him with an experience we had another experience that reinforced unschooling.They wanted the trampoline put up. Normally i wait for two adults as this can be muscle taxing. The kids helped even when we had all the springs in wrong and had to undo it all again. he sun was shining, the wind was blowing, everyonehad a job and a suggestion and boy was there excitement when it was done all by ourselves.So who needs a closed in lecture French class when you can do math physics phys ed and communication and still play!!! Yahoo to unschooling
Tim and Maureen Thomas
http://www.stillwaters.ca

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pamela Sorooshian

And - you can sing in French - Alouette and Frere Jaques - (I'm sure
I've spelled those badly - but you'll know what I mean). You can sing
WHILE they jump on the trampoline. You can sing in rounds and THAT is
math (but don't tell them).

-pam

On Tuesday, April 8, 2003, at 12:16 PM, Tim and Maureen wrote:

> So who needs a closed in lecture French class when you can do math
> physics phys ed and communication and still play!!! Yahoo to
> unschooling
> Tim and Maureen Thomas

Tim and Maureen

My daughter is 12 and has some motor delays and possible seizure activity.We went to a neurologist yesterday(I won't make that mistake again) and in the end he said nothing was wrong. He based this judgement on checking her reflexes, asking me 2 or 3 questions and two out of 5 EEG test results in front of him. My daughter was very frustrated as she says she knows something is going on in her brain that makes things harder, fuzzier, and her muscles to not work when she wants them to. I told her that I was done with this whole doctor thing and that i now just wanted to focus on her strengths and accept the other areas as something that was part of her.
One of the things that happens for her is she cannot print easily and without a lot of fingerpain.She holds the pencil very atypical and has been unable to change that. The neurologist asked her why she did that and told her that was dysfunctional. I told him we knew that and obviously had tried to alter this as had the local therapists, etc...
She told me that when she needs to write and print she will just keep practising until she has it the way she wants it. She said she knows it takes her a whole bunch longer to do these motor things but she will just do it when she wants to. That is unschooling. I am so glad I am learning to trust my children and let them be all they can.

Tim and Maureen Thomas
http://www.stillwaters.ca


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

jmcseals SEALS

**My daughter is 12 and has some motor delays and possible seizure
activity**

Have you considered taking her to another specialist? A motor delay should
not cause pain, as in her fingers while writing. I'd also be concerned
about he possible seizure activity. Is this something you have observed or
suspect might be happening and resulting in motor delays? It doesn't sound
like you were pleased with how the dotor handled the assessment/diagnosis.
If that were my experience, I would want to give up, too. I'm not
suggesting you are wrong to do so, by any means. From reading what you
wrote, it does sound like you have reason to be concerned and your daughter
seems to be asking for help.

When my son was about 2 weeks old, he began having terrible green water
bowel movements. My doctor and every book I read said it was normal, but
Ethan was lethargic and losing weight. I tried to make doctor's
appointments but they wouldn't allow him to come in with diarrhea, yet all
the while they were telling me it was normal!?! Huh? She even delayed his
well baby because of it. How is that normal? One day, I took him to the
hospital to be weighed in the breastfeeding support center. They made me
rush him over to my docor office and take a sample stool to show her. She
suggested I stop breastfeeding and immediately start supplementing, which
felt wrong, but I did it. He continued to have the diarrea.

I called everyday for two weeks and was told the same thing until finally,
Ethan began projectile vomiting and wouldn't even turn his head away from
it. My husband told me to call the doctor but I no longer had faith nor any
trust in her. When I took Ethan in, he was about 6 weeks old, weighed 6
pounds 9 ounces and had weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces at birth. He wasn't
moving or reacting to anything. The nurses were so kind. I was terrified.
They told me had I not brought him in, he wouldn't have made it through the
night. They allowed me to hold him while they put lines in his tiny head
because they couldn't get a good vein anywhere else. He had bruises over
the greater portion of his body. He ended up staying in the hospital for
almost two weeks. They thought he had rotovirus but never gave me a
conclusive diagnosis.

I later found out through the LLL that what we experienced was due to Ethan
getting too much lactose from my foremilk. I wasn't breastfeeding long
enough on one side and he never got the chance to get my hindmilk. Instead
of listening to my son and my insticts, I was placing all my faith in my
Ped. I wish I would have just taken him in right from the start, whether
she wanted me to or not.

I realize this is quite different from what you are experiencing but I share
it because it sounds like you and your daughter are seeing something the
Neuro isn't. I realize what you wrote isn't the entire story, but I can
well relate to feeling like I'm not being lsitened to and wanting to give up
on doctors. We haven't been to a doctor in almost three years. Since Ethan
got out of the hospital, other than for stitches about half a dozen times.
It is amazing what happens when you take a proactive stance in your childs
healthcare. Rather than relying on faith in someone else, you learn to
listen to your children. It sounds like she is asking for help. Have you
researched her symptoms and found anything on your own? Have you looked
into any homeopathic alternatives? When I had carpel tunnel problems, I was
given excellent advice and found the pain dissappeared immediately.

Anyway, I'm babbling again. :) I wish you the best. Just keep listening to
your daughter. Keep a journal of her symptoms and complaints and what
happens around those times. You may find that to be very revealing and
begin to see connections and find your own solutions. Best of luck!

Jennifer

_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sheila Terry

One of the things that happens for her is she cannot print easily and without a lot of fingerpain.She holds the pencil very atypical and has been unable to change that.

I'm reading the Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine and he discusses that EXACT thing. I just started reading the book so instead of misquoting anything I would suggest checking it out yourself.
Sheila Terry
shera70@...

"Every child is born a genius.
9,999 out of every 10,000 are swiftly,
inadvertently, de-geniused by grown-ups."

- R. Buckminster Fuller


One of the things that happens for her is she cannot print easily and without a lot of fingerpain.She holds the pencil very atypical and has been unable to change that. The neurologist asked her why she did that and told her that was dysfunctional. I told him we knew that and obviously had tried to alter this as had the local therapists, etc...
She told me that when she needs to write and print she will just keep practising until she has it the way she wants it. She said she knows it takes her a whole bunch longer to do these motor things but she will just do it when she wants to. That is unschooling. I am so glad I am learning to trust my children and let them be all they can.

Tim and Maureen Thomas
http://www.stillwaters.ca


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

zenmomma2kids

>> She told me that when she needs to write and print she will just
keep practising until she has it the way she wants it. She said she
knows it takes her a whole bunch longer to do these motor things but
she will just do it when she wants to.>>

You might tell her that sometimes it helps to do some big motor
things before she has to write. Something that uses the big muscle
groups. My son Conor also found that chewing on something helps him
write easier. He chews on ice a lot.

>> That is unschooling. I am so glad I am learning to trust my
children and let them be all they can.>>

Beautiful.

Life is good.
~Mary

Tim and Maureen

Jennifer,

Thank you for your kind thoughts and suggestions.I have been struggling with this for so long that that is why I am tired. Her symptoms are subtle and one place says yes there is something and then the doctors brush me off. The seizure stuff is just a guess but given family history (5 cousins) and observing some spaced out, not remembering what we talked about, sleep walking, night terrors, lethargy and tremoring on those days and anxiety which is worse when these other things happen as well leaves me thinking I should be exploring it more.
Anyway she has been referred to a neuropsychiatrist by a psychiatrist who was seeing her for her severe panic,anxiety attacks but now I don't know if I want to even explore it.We have been working with a homeopath for 5 years with little help in this area and we have seen naturopaths, biokinesiologist and are doing vitamin therapy. I think one thing that gets in the way is the whole idea that maybe I am not accepting her the way she is and that the whole medical institution goes against anything natural and accepting and the first question always brings up homeschooling which I feel has influenced not being taken seriously.

Anyway thank you and I am sure this to will pass.

Maureen
----- Original Message -----
From: jmcseals SEALS
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 4:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] unschooling moment


**My daughter is 12 and has some motor delays and possible seizure
activity**

Have you considered taking her to another specialist? A motor delay should
not cause pain, as in her fingers while writing. I'd also be concerned
about he possible seizure activity. Is this something you have observed or
suspect might be happening and resulting in motor delays? It doesn't sound
like you were pleased with how the dotor handled the assessment/diagnosis.
If that were my experience, I would want to give up, too. I'm not
suggesting you are wrong to do so, by any means. From reading what you
wrote, it does sound like you have reason to be concerned and your daughter
seems to be asking for help.

When my son was about 2 weeks old, he began having terrible green water
bowel movements. My doctor and every book I read said it was normal, but
Ethan was lethargic and losing weight. I tried to make doctor's
appointments but they wouldn't allow him to come in with diarrhea, yet all
the while they were telling me it was normal!?! Huh? She even delayed his
well baby because of it. How is that normal? One day, I took him to the
hospital to be weighed in the breastfeeding support center. They made me
rush him over to my docor office and take a sample stool to show her. She
suggested I stop breastfeeding and immediately start supplementing, which
felt wrong, but I did it. He continued to have the diarrea.

I called everyday for two weeks and was told the same thing until finally,
Ethan began projectile vomiting and wouldn't even turn his head away from
it. My husband told me to call the doctor but I no longer had faith nor any
trust in her. When I took Ethan in, he was about 6 weeks old, weighed 6
pounds 9 ounces and had weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces at birth. He wasn't
moving or reacting to anything. The nurses were so kind. I was terrified.
They told me had I not brought him in, he wouldn't have made it through the
night. They allowed me to hold him while they put lines in his tiny head
because they couldn't get a good vein anywhere else. He had bruises over
the greater portion of his body. He ended up staying in the hospital for
almost two weeks. They thought he had rotovirus but never gave me a
conclusive diagnosis.

I later found out through the LLL that what we experienced was due to Ethan
getting too much lactose from my foremilk. I wasn't breastfeeding long
enough on one side and he never got the chance to get my hindmilk. Instead
of listening to my son and my insticts, I was placing all my faith in my
Ped. I wish I would have just taken him in right from the start, whether
she wanted me to or not.

I realize this is quite different from what you are experiencing but I share
it because it sounds like you and your daughter are seeing something the
Neuro isn't. I realize what you wrote isn't the entire story, but I can
well relate to feeling like I'm not being lsitened to and wanting to give up
on doctors. We haven't been to a doctor in almost three years. Since Ethan
got out of the hospital, other than for stitches about half a dozen times.
It is amazing what happens when you take a proactive stance in your childs
healthcare. Rather than relying on faith in someone else, you learn to
listen to your children. It sounds like she is asking for help. Have you
researched her symptoms and found anything on your own? Have you looked
into any homeopathic alternatives? When I had carpel tunnel problems, I was
given excellent advice and found the pain dissappeared immediately.

Anyway, I'm babbling again. :) I wish you the best. Just keep listening to
your daughter. Keep a journal of her symptoms and complaints and what
happens around those times. You may find that to be very revealing and
begin to see connections and find your own solutions. Best of luck!

Jennifer

_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

milgrom family

Hi Everyone

Just had to share this. First a little background. My 15yob started homeschooling 3 years ago and unschooling shortly thereafter. I've written before that one of "my" goals was to encourage more reading. Well that and more writing. I bought books on writing - I bought a whole curriculum on writing - I bought him a journal (still blank 2 years later) - I bought him gel pens and black paper - no results. Now three years later (on his own with no input from me - other than I found out he was doing this when he asked me to proofread some of his stuff) he has built a web site and writes about his reptiles and his trips. He answers questions online every day from people who want help with their pets. He writes to other people with his own questions etc. So...

Last night he convinced my husband to help him purchase some vine snakes. He has told me that not a lot is known about them and he wants to study them. My husband asked him "If I invest in the vine snakes what's in it for me?" Jordan replied "When I write a book about them you can share in the profit" !

Stella

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bill and Diane

If it's OK with him, will you please post the url? My daughter has
become interested in frogs and would like one as a pet. I have no clue.

:-) Diane

>Just had to share this. First a little background. My 15yob started homeschooling 3 years ago and unschooling shortly thereafter. I've written before that one of "my" goals was to encourage more reading. Well that and more writing. I bought books on writing - I bought a whole curriculum on writing - I bought him a journal (still blank 2 years later) - I bought him gel pens and black paper - no results. Now three years later (on his own with no input from me - other than I found out he was doing this when he asked me to proofread some of his stuff) he has built a web site and writes about his reptiles and his trips. He answers questions online every day from people who want help with their pets. He writes to other people with his own questions etc. So...
>

Julie Bogart

>>>Now three years later (on his own with no input from me -
other than I found out he was doing this when he asked me to
proofread some of his stuff) he has built a web site and writes
about his reptiles and his trips. He answers questions online
every day from people who want help with their pets. He writes to
other people with his own questions etc. So...
> >

The most incredible thing has happened in the last ten years.
We have kids who are dying to write... they just don't want to write
for school. There is a ready-made audience of literally multiplied
millions online wiating to hear from our kids.

Last month, my son's visual basic friends who gather on a forum
were discussing the merits of The Matrix Reloaded and debating
some of the finer points in the script. My son was so thrilled with
the dialog, he spent quite a bit of time refuting one person's point
of view and then asked me to listen to it before posting to be
sure he'd expressed himself well enough. This is my oldest who
"doesn't" like to write. Of course, he keeps a journal for
"significant events" so he won't forget them, but he doesn't like to
write. He discovered "Live Journal" online and has been
recording all his feelings, thoughts, ideas there, but he doesn't
like to write. He read the story of Gilgamesh online, saw a
screenplay emerge in his head, wrote it out (32 pages) but,
doesn't like to write. The Internet has been key to his interest in
writing.

My daughter is involved in fanfix, posts regularly to an internet
board and is on IM most days (apparently writing poetry and
stories to each other, besides sorting out teen angst and
gossip).

My next in line (11) subscribes to a discussion group for
astronomy and reads there regularly. He asks questions of sites
when he has them. He definitely doesn't like to write. <g>

I just joined Harry Potter for grown-ups and discovered that there
are literally hundreds of discussion boards and groups for kids.

Now this is real writing! This is the kind of writing that makes you
hone your arguments, gives you real life feedback and creates
the writing impulse. Thank God for the Internet!

Julie B

[email protected]

In a message dated 7/4/03 1:24:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
milgrom8660@... writes:

> he has built a web site and writes about his reptiles and his trips

That is great. What is his web site? We love reptiles. Where does he get
his, locally or online?
Pam G.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]