Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 2593
Pam Hartley
Hi Amie,
What we do here is really, really pay attention to and support and applaud
what they are enjoying. In our spare time from that <g> we (my husband and
I) do talk to each other and to our daughters about things they might enjoy
-- some of those things work out, some don't.
For example, we were very enthused about them joining 4H this fall because
all of our friends had told us how marvelous it was with all the variety of
activities available (these are friends who have kids the same ages as
ours). Turns out, that's the case in THEIR county, but not in ours! Here,
there's almost nothing for the under-9/10 crowd. So it was a bummer, but we
got over it. ;)
Our girls try lots of different things and have lots of different hobbies.
Some get dropped quickly or after a time or temporarily and then picked up
again.
There's so much potentially interesting and potentially fun stuff "out
there" that I think it would be hard to run out of ideas for them, and ours
show no real signs of running out of ideas for themselves!
A hard thing for some parents is to really and honestly APPRECIATE what
their little and big unschoolers are doing. They want to see "academic"
looking stuff. If I were waiting around on that, I'd be one sad unschooling
parent. ;) Occasionally my daughters do something noticeably "academic".
It's not any more celebrated than a cartwheel would be.
Pam
----------
What we do here is really, really pay attention to and support and applaud
what they are enjoying. In our spare time from that <g> we (my husband and
I) do talk to each other and to our daughters about things they might enjoy
-- some of those things work out, some don't.
For example, we were very enthused about them joining 4H this fall because
all of our friends had told us how marvelous it was with all the variety of
activities available (these are friends who have kids the same ages as
ours). Turns out, that's the case in THEIR county, but not in ours! Here,
there's almost nothing for the under-9/10 crowd. So it was a bummer, but we
got over it. ;)
Our girls try lots of different things and have lots of different hobbies.
Some get dropped quickly or after a time or temporarily and then picked up
again.
There's so much potentially interesting and potentially fun stuff "out
there" that I think it would be hard to run out of ideas for them, and ours
show no real signs of running out of ideas for themselves!
A hard thing for some parents is to really and honestly APPRECIATE what
their little and big unschoolers are doing. They want to see "academic"
looking stuff. If I were waiting around on that, I'd be one sad unschooling
parent. ;) Occasionally my daughters do something noticeably "academic".
It's not any more celebrated than a cartwheel would be.
Pam
----------
>From: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 2593
>Date: Thu, Oct 31, 2002, 10:36 PM
>
> I really thought that I had a handle on what unschooling is. The
> definitions I see here totally resonate with me. And everything I have
> read, I feel comfortable with. However, I am struggling on what it "looks"
> like IRL, if that makes any sense. Do you "plan" any learning? I believe
> whole heartedly that my boys(age 5 yrs) can and will learn without having
> curriculums to follow, and without me formally teaching them everything.
> But, I don't really get how the whole picture goes together. Do you set up
> or "stage" things, then see if they get interested in something, and then
> find more info and/or activities to relate to that subject? Or, do you just
> kind of go about your day with your interests and let them discover things
> on their own and ask you questions? I don't mean that I would just sit
> around eating bon-bons and not have to be present , but I guess it just
> doesn't seem like we have enough excitement around here. I am worried that
> I somehow need more to spur their curiosity? They really seem bored at
> times. I keep thinking, how can they be bored already, they are only 5! I
> hope this question is clear.
> Can anyone help me understand?