[email protected]

Hello all! This is our first year unschooling and I was
wondering if anyone had some links to some good "deschooling"
information. My oldest, who is nine, is going through the
deschooling process and it can be difficult at times to maintain our
patience. We have not reached the motivation point yet by any
means!! He is currently shunning ALL "learning" activities whatsoever
and stays clear of books like the plague. ( by activities I do not
mean "workbooks") My husband is VERY concerned and I am a bit stuck
in the middle. My belief is to just "be" and let him explore his
freedom. We are experiencing real life adventures large and small.
The main trouble seems to be that my husbands idea of substance
sometimes differs from mine.
Thanks,
Tara

Tami Labig-Duquette

Hi Tara, I remember my oldset going through this very thing. It took her a
year and a 1/2 and even now still does, (but not like it was in the
beginning). Here a couple links I have found useful.

http://www.deschooling.org/

http://www.unschooling.com/

There are alot of great articles and information. Parents who have been/ are
going through this very thing. Good luck :)
Indiana Tami

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"
~Ghandi
Networking for Central Indiana unschoolers :)
http://communities.msn.com/ChildLedLearninginIndiana
Children Leading the Way!
http://[email protected]
http://[email protected]



----Original Message Follows----
From: TarazSpot@...
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Deschooling links?
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 00:30:00 -0000

Hello all! This is our first year unschooling and I was
wondering if anyone had some links to some good "deschooling"
information. My oldest, who is nine, is going through the
deschooling process and it can be difficult at times to maintain our
patience. We have not reached the motivation point yet by any
means!! He is currently shunning ALL "learning" activities whatsoever
and stays clear of books like the plague. ( by activities I do not
mean "workbooks") My husband is VERY concerned and I am a bit stuck
in the middle. My belief is to just "be" and let him explore his
freedom. We are experiencing real life adventures large and small.
The main trouble seems to be that my husbands idea of substance
sometimes differs from mine.
Thanks,
Tara



_________________________________________________________________
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[email protected]

Dear Tara,

You need to be strong and not worry about what your husband thinks right now.
What I do is try and have 3-4 main things I want my oldest kids to learn
(this year it is the states, about the civil war and the American Flag and a
review of math). I also got coin collecting books. I would just try and
have a few projects that you could start doing that you think he would have
fun with. I also bought a little each month at Borders, books at discount
and have a library in our closet of books on about everything that they can
go to when they want. I know what you are going through but hang in there.
He is only 9. There is no pressure. Your goal is to have fun with them and
I would take all the workbooks and through them out the window. Just have
fun and do things you think is fun and they will follow. I also got my 11
year old into acting classes on Saturdays. He tried out for a play and got
the lead in his first try. I knew he was a ham and just directed him to the
right place. He also says he is interested in video game design so I
contacted a college about 3 hours away and we are going to go there for an
overnight trip in the next month or so. Just have fun and go where he seems
to want to but don't try to teach anything. Just keep telling him how much
you love him and be strong. You have made the right decision.

Mary

[email protected]

--- Tara,

I don't have any sites or books to offer you. But I can say that I
am going thru the same. This is our first year homeschooling. I
used a curriculum in August, but dropped it, was to stressful for all
of us. I love the idea of "unschooling." Of living, playing,
enjoying...and mainly letting the children move to what interest
them. I'm finding out that it is harder then I thought...for me!!!
I want me children to be involved in something. Right now my 9yob is
involved with T.V. mainly. He waits for 3:30 to come so he can play
video games (I limit the time or he would spend ALL day doing that).

I know that we just started homeschooling and it will take time for
him to settle. To find his place. I found that I have to hold my
tongue, relax and be patient. It also makes it harder when outside
forces (spouse, family and friends) are pushing for more activity
from them as well.

Just wanted to share and let you know there is another 9yo that is
taking his time in finding himself :-))))

Shawn in MI



In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., TarazSpot@a... wrote:
> Hello all! This is our first year unschooling and I was
> wondering if anyone had some links to some good "deschooling"
> information. My oldest, who is nine, is going through the
> deschooling process and it can be difficult at times to maintain
our
> patience. We have not reached the motivation point yet by any
> means!! He is currently shunning ALL "learning" activities
whatsoever
> and stays clear of books like the plague. ( by activities I do not
> mean "workbooks") My husband is VERY concerned and I am a bit stuck
> in the middle. My belief is to just "be" and let him explore his
> freedom. We are experiencing real life adventures large and small.
> The main trouble seems to be that my husbands idea of substance
> sometimes differs from mine.
> Thanks,
> Tara

[email protected]

<< He waits for 3:30 to come so he can play
video games (I limit the time or he would spend ALL day doing that). >>

If he's there mentally before 3:30 he might as well be there physically. By
limiting it you glorify it.

Have you considered the things he learns from playing video games?

What games is he playing?
Do you have player's guides?

Sandra

"Everything counts."
http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
http://expage.com/SandraDodd

[email protected]

<< We have not reached the motivation point yet by any
means!! He is currently shunning ALL "learning" activities whatsoever
and stays clear of books like the plague. >>

If you stop looking for just what you consider "learning activities," you
will see him learning all the time.

Instead of waiting for him to "be motivated," maybe you could motivate
yourself to learn more about unschooling.

<<My husband is VERY concerned and I am a bit stuck
in the middle.>>

Your husband needs to be motivated to get books and learning activities that
will lead him to understand unschooling then! If he believes that learning
from books is the way to go, he can set an example for his son by learning
about unschooling.



Sandra

"Everything counts."
http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
http://expage.com/SandraDodd

[email protected]

---Sandra....You don't want to know what kind of games he
plays..hehe There not very educational. Games like car racing,
pokemon, some game where monsters are fighting...games he gets from
my ex-hubby. I wish he wouldn't play them. He can play games on the
computer...I have more education games for that...but he won't do
that. I've even mentioned and checked out books from the library
about making your own video games and computer programming. But that
hasn't worked either :-(((

SHAWN



In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., SandraDodd@a... wrote:
>
> << He waits for 3:30 to come so he can play
> video games (I limit the time or he would spend ALL day doing
that). >>
>
> If he's there mentally before 3:30 he might as well be there
physically. By
> limiting it you glorify it.
>
> Have you considered the things he learns from playing video games?
>
> What games is he playing?
> Do you have player's guides?
>
> Sandra
>
> "Everything counts."
> http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
> http://expage.com/SandraDodd

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/8/01 2:07:24 PM, pepperberrys@... writes:

<< You don't want to know what kind of games he
plays..hehe There not very educational. Games like car racing,
pokemon, some game where monsters are fighting...games he gets from
my ex-hubby. I wish he wouldn't play them. >>

There are things to learn from all of them.

Of the three you mentioned, Pokemon is VERY involved.

If you've never tried them, you probably should! or at least sit and ask
your son to explain what he's doing. The car racing has a map to learn (in
his head, but maps are maps) and there are strategies. Ask him.

Same with the fighting game.

Pokemon is elaborately involved. I bet you'd be surprised at the thinking
involved in that.

Sandra

Sandra

"Everything counts."
http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
http://expage.com/SandraDodd

[email protected]

--- So should I just let him play them whenever he want??? In hope
that is a month or a year )HEHE) he will be tired of them???

OH, I forgot to mention...the reason he can't make his own video
games is because he is not old enough. He claims he has to be a
certain age to do things like that. This is one of the negative
ideas put in his head from the public school systems!!! Do you have
any sugestions on how to deprogram him of these ideas???

SHAWN



n Unschooling-dotcom@y..., SandraDodd@a... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 11/8/01 2:07:24 PM, pepperberrys@y... writes:
>
> << You don't want to know what kind of games he
> plays..hehe There not very educational. Games like car racing,
> pokemon, some game where monsters are fighting...games he gets from
> my ex-hubby. I wish he wouldn't play them. >>
>
> There are things to learn from all of them.
>
> Of the three you mentioned, Pokemon is VERY involved.
>
> If you've never tried them, you probably should! or at least sit
and ask
> your son to explain what he's doing. The car racing has a map to
learn (in
> his head, but maps are maps) and there are strategies. Ask him.
>
> Same with the fighting game.
>
> Pokemon is elaborately involved. I bet you'd be surprised at the
thinking
> involved in that.
>
> Sandra
>
> Sandra
>
> "Everything counts."
> http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
> http://expage.com/SandraDodd

jbpan

I was AMAZED the first time I sat down and played Pokemon with my son.
Educational? VERY! Give it a play and you will see!

Brynn


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

Tia Leschke

At 09:28 PM 11/8/01 +0000, you wrote:
>--- So should I just let him play them whenever he want??? In hope
>that is a month or a year )HEHE) he will be tired of them???

Why not just let him play them for whatever reason? Maybe he'll never get
tired of them. Maybe he'll be like a young man I recently heard
about. His mother was worried about the huge amount of TV he watched while
he was growing up. His first feature film was apparently just recently
released. So just maybe he *needed* to watch all that TV. I know that
hearing about him (along with things I've read here) calmed most of my
worries about too much TV.


>OH, I forgot to mention...the reason he can't make his own video
>games is because he is not old enough. He claims he has to be a
>certain age to do things like that. This is one of the negative
>ideas put in his head from the public school systems!!! Do you have
>any sugestions on how to deprogram him of these ideas???

You could try researching young video game programmers. I think there have
been some quite young ones. And if he wants to do that, he could start
with the basics now.
Tia

Tia Leschke leschke@...
On Vancouver Island
**************************************************************************
It is the answers which separate us, the questions which unite us. - Janice
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