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In a message dated 8/14/02 10:12:40 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
leschke@... writes:


> *Wasn't this the kid who had gone to school? We let a couple of our
> (formerly) schooled kids have some time to unschool their way into life
> after they left school. (These were the ones whose other parent opposed
> homeschooling.) I think it did them a lot of good. What's so magic about
> age 19 that a kid automatically has to be grown up and out into the working
>
> world by then? We aren't supposed to worry if a kid isn't reading by some
> certain age. Why should they be ready to work by a certain age? I've even
>
> heard of some parents who were willing to support their kid away from home
> but not in college during the "college years" if they were doing anything
> that could lead to a career.*
>
>

I agree with this, I went through this myself when I was 17. Back then, it
wasn't considered homeschooling or unschooling by my mother it was just
dropping out. Her theory was if your not at school, your at work. Even
though my leaving school was prompted by her. She hounded me for weeks to
get a job, and we lived ten miles from the nearest town and she rarely gave
me access to the car. So my options were very limited. The final result was
that I never found any job or career that I was passionate about. I stayed
with my jobs for quite a while (never worked anywhere less than a year) but
they never were important enough to pursue.

The strange thing about this is, I had a job when I was 15 that I enjoyed.
It wasn't prompted by anyone else and I was able to juggle school, work and
social activities. My point here, is that people seem to have the view that
as of such and such an age, we should have our lives planned out. Isn't the
point of unschooling, not to follow "our" plans but to facilitate the child's
interest?

I am really new at this method of teaching, it wasn't until recently that I
have realized my own experience with unschooling (yes folks, mom is still
denying it). But I know if I had been left to make the decisions on my own,
it would not have taken so long to find what I enjoy.

*I think chucking a kid out of the house at a certain age to make it on
their own is something like throwing a kid in the water so he'll learn to
swim*

I don't remember this being an option in the original post, but in my case
this is exactly what happened. In my experience this only leads to
alienation from the parent. Everything you have worked the last 17 years for
is gone, no trust, loss of respect, and tons of resentment.

Anyway, just thought I would add my thoughts. I hope everything works out
with the 20 year old.

Mary P


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KT

>
>
> My point here, is that people seem to have the view that
>as of such and such an age, we should have our lives planned out. Isn't the
>point of unschooling, not to follow "our" plans but to facilitate the child's
>interest?
>

Well, this person doesn't have that view.

Work can be something you do to to make ends meet while you're making
other plans.

Tuck

jessi koons

that was __almost__ a john lennon lyric. :)


Work can be something you do to to make ends meet while you're making
other plans.

Tuck


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