Elizabeth Hill

**> Here is what I've gotten out of what I've read in the past here:
> You can't unschool unless you relinguish ALL control over your
> children's choices including when and how to do housework, sleep watch

> TV, etc

Nope. Never said.

What's been implied is that once you recognize that children can be
trusted
to learn the "academic" things then it's hard not to question why kids
can't
learn the rest of the things they'll need in life by living life.**

For me, the crux of unschooling is avoiding forced learning because I
believe forced learning damages a person's natural desire to learn and
can cause him to despise and resist the subject matter being forced on
him. I believe that making a child do math worksheets is likely to
dampen their overall enthusiasm for learning as well as making them
detest math. Heck, someone could make me hate strawberries (yum) if
s/heforce-fed me too many of them.

Extending this, yes, forcing or nagging a child to pick up toys can
cause them to hate picking up toys. I see the connection. But, I don't
think my child has a natural love of tidiness that I am likely to
damage. Chores are a separate issue for me. Still, I try to keep them
from being loathsome.

Betsy