Mary Bianco

Hi all,

I know one is suppose to wait a while before an intro but I figured with the
topics going on now, this was a perfect time.

My name is Mary and for the sake of not getting confused, I'll go by Mary B
as I have seen at least one other Mary.

I'm a mom to 4 kids. Our oldest at 16 attends a private school and has no
interest in homeschooling and at this time would probably be better staying
in there. She does quite well in the system and we just keep saying, only 2
more years when it really gets to us!!!

Next is our son who is 7, a daughter at 6 and another daughter at almost 2.
My husband and I have known we would homeschool since our son was 2. That's
when we joined the local support group and I found a great mentor who was a
total unschooler raising 2 older children. I was hooked and never looked
back. By the standards of my local group, we're quite radical in unschooling
but it works so very well for us all. My husband is totally supportive and
never questions my decisions. He knows how very thoroughly I look into
something before I decide. Whether it's the unschooling issue or the non
vaccinating one. I have total support from him and he's always here for me
and the kids.

My mom, an ex school teacher who lives in an adjacent MIL quarters, is a
great "teacher if you will" for the kids and also totally supports us.
Seeing what goes on with our oldest in school these days certainly helps!!!!

My in laws on the other hand are a handful indeed and sadly we have
distanced ourselves from them due to necessity. My sanity and that of our
kids! My MIL comes around once a week and asks how school is going and I
just say great. She has no desire to really understand and I've offered many
times. She doesn't understand why school isn't good enough for our kids when
it was fine for everyone else in the family. The non vaccination issue is a
whole other story. My 2 SIL's are pretty much the same and well, the
comments just got to be too much. Our kids don't need that kind of
interrogation and negativity. One SIL has said all the homeschool kids she
knows are sneaky, (she's an office manager in the public school system) and
the other one just plain out called us weird. Doesn't understand why I don't
farm my kids out to other people. And yes she actually said that. They
pretty much blame me, God knows my husband has no mind of his own. <BG>

I stay away and keep our kids away and my husband stays away for the most
part too. We are happy and very secure in our unschooling ways. We are very
relaxed and our children are thriving. Our oldest is amazed at what the
younger ones know as she never really sees us do school stuff with them!

Our kids are now reading on their own and interested in geography and
science and our son is extremely good in math. The baby is trying to count
and do her alphabet, not in order of course but she tries so hard to keep up
with her brother and sister!

Our days are full of play and outside fun and pets and field trips. And
sometimes just computer games and reading and board games. I can honestly
say that so far, I have never had any doubt of what our kids are capable of
and never a doubt that we haven't made the right decision. Unschooling for
us is the only way to go and we are totally at ease with it all.

I'm glad to be here and share ideas and to listen and possibly ask for help
when needed.

Thanks for listening.

Mary B





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