[email protected]

In a message dated 09/08/1999 11:24:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
longones@... writes:

<< Hi Liz I had to write to you on the subject of your 14 yr old. I also have
a 14
yr old that went to ps >>

Becky and Liz...

I have a 14yodd who NEVER went to ps.....well, she went to Montessori Pre-K
and K, but that was all. She is showing some of the same symptoms...the
difference for her is that she is a rhythmic gymnast and trains 5 hours a
day, 6 days a week, so that takes up a lot of her time. When she comes home,
though, it's right to the computer to check her mail and talk with her
friends (some of whom she just left at the gym!!). She doesn't watch much
TV, but music is important to her (and all of her friends).

I look at what she does though and I can put "education" of some sort to
almost everything.....gym = physical education; computer time = reading,
writing composition, spelling and typing skills; gymnastics notebook that she
is required by coach to keep = handwriting, spelling, some French terms; gym
time = socialization; injuries = anatomy and physiology and kinesiology. I
recently got her her own ATM card for her to use to access her allowance for
expenses at the gym - drinks, etc. - and that makes her use her math/life
skills. We recently got back from vacation and that took care of history,
geology, social studies and American Literature (we went to Key West and
studied the history and geology of the Keys, visited Hemingway's home, etc.).
We will take the occasional trip to our Science Museum, but, compared to
others we've been in, it's not so hot and really doesn't hold much of
anything interesting in it...so, for science we get the Experiment of the
Week from Robert Krampf emailed to us.....they're just simple science
experiments that you can do at home, but I put them in her folder and that
takes care of Science.

I think that maybe what we're experiencing right now is just 14yo stuff ...
and I'm not sure it isn't happening to all of them!! Her friends....some are
us/hs and others are ps ... are going through pretty much the same thing.
Maybe we should just relax and not blame ourselves or our decision to
unschool them as part of "the" problem.

I think unschooling requires a certain amount of faith....faith in yourself
that you knew what was right for your child, faith in your child that he/she
will learn what they need to know, and faith that it will all turn out OK in
the end. After all, we adults have gaps in our education...things we have
learned and forgotten or things we never learned. What do WE do if we find
we have to learn about something? We go out and find someone or something to
teach us.....our kids will do that too. Maybe at 14 ... not a child, not an
adult... they're in a sort of limbo for a little while.

Now I'm rambling, but at least I made ME feel a little better.....LOL!! One
thing about 14yo people....they surprise you all the time and keep you on
your toes!!!

Sam

The O'Donnells

>I look at what she does though and I can put "education" of some sort to
>almost everything.....gym = physical education; computer time = reading,
>writing composition, spelling and typing skills; gymnastics notebook that
she
>is required by coach to keep = handwriting, spelling, some French terms; gym
>time = socialization; injuries = anatomy and physiology and kinesiology. I
>recently got her her own ATM card for her to use to access her allowance for
>expenses at the gym - drinks, etc. - and that makes her use her math/life
>skills......

This is what captivates me with unschooling - how anything in life can be
viewed as learning. But boy, until you learn to look at it with this type
of eyes and insite you can really feel like they are doing nothing!

Love it!


In His Service,

Laraine
praxis@...

Q

> What about driving in cars with other teens?

>>Not a tricky problem in the UK as very few teens have cars. In fact, I
can't think of >>anyone I know under 20 who has a car back home. Back home
we don't drive until 17 at >>the earliest.

Not a problem in Tokyo, either!
Heck, who wants to drive when there's no parking and the trains come every
five minutes or less? LOL.
Bicycle safety , OTOH, is a big problem. Helmets are practically unheard
of, there are no bike lanes anywhere, and accidents happen all the time.

Hikaru

Jim Selvage

> > What about driving in cars with other teens?
>
> >>Not a tricky problem in the UK as very few teens have cars. In fact, I
can't think of anyone I know under 20 who has a car back home. Back home
> we don't drive until 17 at the earliest.
>
> Not a problem in Tokyo, either!
> Heck, who wants to drive when there's no parking and the trains come every
five minutes or less? LOL.
> Bicycle safety , OTOH, is a big problem. Helmets are practically unheard
of, there are no bike lanes anywhere, and accidents happen all the time.
>
> Hikaru

I thought this interesting, culturally speaking. I lived in Haiti for 18
months and never drove and never planned to. If we go back to Haiti, I will
be very surprised if I will drive this time. Too many road hazards, danger
of getting the car stolen, etc. And I defintiely would never go anwhere
alone.

But, in North Dakota where I live now (and go places alone all the time), a
child can get their license at 14 years old. But of course, there is little
traffic and half these kids have been driving tractors since they were 7.
My son who is 15 today, has no interest in getting a license and would
prefer to wait until he is 16 so he doesn't have to take drivers ed. He
told me there is no reason to get a driver's license because there is no
where to go!

blessings,
erin

Bronwen

After reading my post to my daughter she says that "Seven habits for Highly
effective teens" is really for schooled kids and she recommends "Seven
Habits for Highly Effective People" more.

also- I ordered that book "First things First" for *one dollar* -
hardcover- used from amazon- there was even a copy for 47 cents! (but I
"splurgged" and went with a closer shipper! ha!) (shipping 3.49 or
something)

Bronwen

*check out this family friendly ISP http://www.nurturenet.com/

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/7/2004 11:01:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
Nah, yeah I'll jolly him toward that willingness in some subtly manipulative
way so he thinks it was his idea.
***************
Or you could just give me his e-mail address and I could invite him.
Kathryn


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/7/04 9:11:52 AM, KathrynJB@... writes:

<< Or you could just give me his e-mail address and I could invite him. >>

yoeetrr@...

It's on the webpage if you lose it,
http://sandradodd.com/marty

(Aha, I looked and that has a different address, which Holly says he still
has but rarely checks. I'll see if he wants it changed.)

Sandra