zenmomma *

>>Think of unschooling as letting your child's own life begin, in which the
>>child begins to take the reins and control his/her own learning.>>

I love this little gem held within the concept of unschooling. Our children
are living their lives right now. They're not busy spending 12 years
preparing for their lives at 18 or 21. They get to be participating in the
real world RIGHT NOW. I believe that's very different from what society as a
whole believes about children.

>>Unschooling parents accept the truth that learning is happening all day,
>>every day. We accept that we cannot be aware, nor can even our children,
>>of what is entering their minds as "learning" and what is being filtered
>>away.>>

The same really holds true for schoolchildren as well. It's just that by
testing and tracking, the illusion of a "guarantee of learning" is
maintained for jittery parents.

>>What we must do is trust that if we have provided them with tools and
>>access and the freedom to choose what interests them, we are doing the
>>best we can.>>

And maybe also the help and guidance to use some of those tools, when asked
for of course. ;-)

Life is good.
~Mary


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