Alan & Brenda Leonard

12/8/02 21:03:

> My dh and I will be unschooling our 8yo next year. This year he's in a private
> church school where he's been since age 5. We've been going crazy trying to
> figure out a curriculum and I am so glad I discovered the unschooling site! It
> sounds a lot more laid back to me, and I'm sure he will be happy with it since
> he doesn't like going to school. He does well in his classes - they use a
> workbook based curriculum - but he doesn't like all the rules they have and
> they have gotten more strict on some things this past year.

Christina,

Why not start now? You sound like unschooling has a lot of appeal to you,
and the school is good and nice, but your son doesn't like going there.

Unschooling doesn't require you to set up a classroom, prepare your space,
or anything like that. You could start tomorrow (although your son might
like waiting until after the holiday parties at school are over!) The
longer you spend in school, the longer you'll de-school. If you start now,
he won't wonder all summer if you'll actually send him back in the fall,
too. He'll know this is for real!

Just a thought.

brenda

Alan & Brenda Leonard

12/8/02 21:03:

> My column in the upcoming issue of Home Education Magazine [everyone go buy a
> copy or subscribe! plug-moment] is about abundance, and that children who are
> given respect and freedom can afford to give respect and freedom away to
> others.

Somewhere in one of the many we have around this place, I remember an image
about this sort of thing that I still think of regularly.

The author asks us to imagine that every person has a bucket. Happy
children have buckets that are regularly filled, ladleful by ladleful with
good feelings, respect, love -- positive stuff. If their buckets get
"bumped" and some sloshes out, like when bad things happen, or Mom
absolutely loses it, or they're treated poorly, it's ok in the long run,
because there was quite a bit there, and the children expect that more will
be given, in time. These children are also mightily able to give, because
they know they have plenty, and a steady source.

Children who aren't regularly ladled out good stuff, whose buckets aren't
full or regularly filled aren't going to want to ladle any out to someone
else because they fear scarcity. And when their buckets get bumped, it
could be a catastrophe, because they could easily lost the little bit they
have.

I like this image, because it reassures me when I lose it (and apologize but
still feel bad), and also because it reminds me to consider whether I'm
filling my son's bucket, and anyone else's I might have a chance to, as
well.

brenda

Christina in GA

I have considered it and I may talk to my dh about him not going back after Christmas break. But we will still owe for the tuition and the curriculum for the year at the school and I think dh wants more time to get ready to this idea. But ds will be out of school for almost 3 weeks so maybe we can "practice" and when the holidays are over dh will decide not to take him back to school.

Christina in GA
Happiness comes through doors you
didn't even know you left open.

----- Original Message -----
From: Alan & Brenda Leonard
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 6:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 2691


12/8/02 21:03:

> My dh and I will be unschooling our 8yo next year. This year he's in a private
> church school where he's been since age 5. We've been going crazy trying to
> figure out a curriculum and I am so glad I discovered the unschooling site! It
> sounds a lot more laid back to me, and I'm sure he will be happy with it since
> he doesn't like going to school. He does well in his classes - they use a
> workbook based curriculum - but he doesn't like all the rules they have and
> they have gotten more strict on some things this past year.

Christina,

Why not start now? You sound like unschooling has a lot of appeal to you,
and the school is good and nice, but your son doesn't like going there.

Unschooling doesn't require you to set up a classroom, prepare your space,
or anything like that. You could start tomorrow (although your son might
like waiting until after the holiday parties at school are over!) The
longer you spend in school, the longer you'll de-school. If you start now,
he won't wonder all summer if you'll actually send him back in the fall,
too. He'll know this is for real!

Just a thought.

brenda




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

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/8/02 6:38:02 PM Eastern Standard Time,
clr71@... writes:

> But we will still owe for the tuition and the curriculum for the year at the
> school

I've heard people mention this alot. What do parents who change private
schools in the middle of the year do when the first school doesn't work out?
They pay for two schools? What if they move out of state or 60 miles away?
Are they then expected to pey for a school they aren't sending any children
to?
Elissa


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/9/02 7:36:32 AM, Earthmomma67@... writes:

<< What do parents who change private
schools in the middle of the year do when the first school doesn't work out?
They pay for two schools? What if they move out of state or 60 miles away?
Are they then expected to pey for a school they aren't sending any children
to? >>

Depends on the contract!

I have a friend who called last night VERY unhappy with a small private
school his kids go to. I told him if they decide to withdraw them, just walk
and forget the cost. I said if you buy 18 donuts and only want three, the
loss is constant whether you eat more donuts or not. And if the school's
harmful, no sense leaving them in one more hour just because it's already
paid for.

Sandra

Mary Bianco

>From: Earthmomma67@...

<<I've heard people mention this alot. What do parents who change private
schools in the middle of the year do when the first school doesn't work out?
They pay for two schools? What if they move out of state or 60 miles away?
Are they then expected to pey for a school they aren't sending any children
to?>>


Mu oldest goes to a private school down the street. One with a very good
reputation not just in our area. My daughter tells me all the time all the
kids that come and go there. Kids who leave because they can't afford
tuition only to come back 2 weeks or a month later. Everything at the school
is itemized right from the beginning. Most people there pay monthly and the
school seems very good at handling the revolving door system some have. I
would imagine any private school could do the same if they were willing to.

Mary B


_________________________________________________________________
Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail