[email protected]

Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 09:34:19 -0700
From: marji <zintz@...>
Subject: Re: Intro.


>The TCS people helped me to get unschooling too :-)
>
>Though I suspect after the list's experience with the TCS Troll who visited
>here many people who had no experience with TCS before are scratching their
>heads over that! ;-)

Yeah, that was weird!

~marji~

What is TCS, and what is a Troll? (I know what a troll IS, I mean in this
context, what is a troll?)

~Nancy


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 5/24/02 2:23:28 PM Central Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:

<< Do you think this is leaning towards forced learning if the
child has no interest in those things? >>

Yes, I do.
Not everyone needs computer skills. Other than the basic
finding-your-way-around-the-internet/computer ones. Anything beyond a basic
comfortableness with a computer is only necessary for certain people, and it
should totally be their choice.
I do want my children comfortable with a computer, that's easy to achieve by
having one in my home and giving them unlimited access.
If they need more than that in their life, they will eventually get it.
Just like everything else.
Ren

Fetteroll

on 5/24/02 3:51 PM, Dnowens@... at Dnowens@... wrote:

> What is TCS, and what is a Troll? (I know what a troll IS, I mean in this
> context, what is a troll?)

TCS is Taking Children Seriously. It's a parenting philosophy espoused by
Sarah Lawrence revolving around raising children without coercion and
treating them with the same respect as adults.

You can find out more at http://www.TCS.ac/

And I thought pamS's definition of troll was pretty apt:

>> A troll is someone who purposely comes onto a list and posts in such
>> a way as to annoy people and to disrupt on-topic discussion - the troll has
>> no real interest in learning about the subject matter of the list - they
>> simply want to post their own narrow personal beliefs which are sure to
>> enflame listmembers.

Joyce

Michelle or Vern Hunt

I'm right there with you on this. Our boys have LOVED making weapons of all
sorts, I got books like "The American Boys Hand Book" and "Camping and
Wilderness Survival"... they spent hours drooling over stick guns, fling
sticks and animal traps. It's like it was bringing out some necessary
primitive male hunting skill in them. We got our older boy a BB gun when he
was about 9 or 10 and he was fascinated with that for a few months. I think
it fills a great need in role playing these type of things. I had a
pediatrician who told me "If they don't play with it now, they will when
they're older". Now they are a bit older, and the thrill has lost its
appeal... the BB gun hasn't been used for months, and the sling shot hasn't
been fired for an even longer period of time. They watch some violent
movies, but they opt for sci-fi or a reality based theme. They know full
well the difference between a movie and real life, and have known this for
years. I grew up with the cutest little silver cap gun that advanced the
roll of caps as it shot.... I loved that thing, more for the way it
functioned than that it made a bang noise I think. (And I grew up not ever
shooting anyone!). I suspect that was a big part of the draw of their
weapons, some were intricately decorated and meticulously researched before
they were made. I have many happy memories of those days.

Michelle H


Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 09:41:40 -0600
From: "zenmomma *" <zenmomma@...>
Subject: guns was Just my thought on boredom


<snip>
I have always tried to support his interest at whatever level was
appropriate at the time. I let him play with toy guns, found books in the
library, rented him movies if he asked. We made bows and arrows, rubberband
guns and hundreds of different swords. We played castles, Robin Hood, Peter
Pan conquers Captain Hook, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, GI Joe and on and
on. All the while I talked and observed and listened to where he was. (Oh
and blew away a few bad guys in the process. <g>)

Movies like Star Wars were good sources of shooting without any blood. He's
watched more realistic ones as he's gotten older and we've talked, talked,
talked. I've talked a lot about the difference between real guns and toy
guns and what to do if you come across a real one. He has a cousin who
accidentally shot himself, so that story came out when it was appropriate. I
tried not to lecture, or sound dissapproving of his interests. But I am his
Mom and I'm concerned for his safety. I like the idea of going to talk to a
police officer. I want to take him to a shooting range to get a gunsafety
course. He's also going to be doing paintball guns.

He's still sweet and gentle and cries at sad stories.

Life is good.
~Mary