Introduction, The store owner story
elissa kroeger <[email protected]>
Greetings! I couldn't help but notice that the store owner who didn't
like homeschoolers shares my name (Elissa) too!
I've been homeschooling for well over 10 years, We've got 4 boys and
two girls ages, <almost 18> to 8 months. I've always been an
Unschooling wannabe, but it has only been in recent years that I've
gone public with it! I have so far had a late reader,age 9, a 5 year
old reader, one who is just catching on at 10, one who sort of gets
it at 7, a 3 year old who thinks he knows and a cute baby girl who
eats books. The seriously cool thing is that all of them love books!
Reading out loud is our life. I do it , my husband does it, the older
children do it... The two oldest and I love sci-fi and fantasy and I
truly enjoy it when we all read the same book at about the same time.
The younger ones will learn in their own time!! I collect books as a
hobby, I am trying to write one, and I draw. My Oldest son
is "Wilderness Man", his life is rock climbing and the outdoors, my
14 year old daughter is into horses and the next three boys are LEGO
maniacs.
I often forgo "field trips" for many of the reasons the store
owner described! I prefer to do cool activities with just our family.
For a number of years we were members of a structured support group,
one of my best friends is the leader, I was roped into being the art
teacher, along with another unschooling mom (funny how artists are
unschoolers) and we got burned out. Anyway, I hated group field trips
as a child. I used to stay home those days and my mom took me to the
same place on the weekend. It wasn't very different as a
homeschooler. Too much confusion, not enough time to really enjoy the
trip, and I hate staying as a group. The group we belonged to adopted
a policy that children had to walk in straight lines by two's yuck!
But I understand why they did it! Being homeschoolers, we are not
taking time to teach our children "groupthink".
Incidentally, has anyone read The Pillars of Creation by Terry
Goodkind? It is a fantasy novel whose main character grows up
isolated from society because of danger. On T.G.'s website someone
referred to her as a homeschooled kid who did not have a clue about
life! I am often shocked that people do not understand our lifestyle!
I probably shouldn't be, but I still am. Have a great day!
-ElissaK
like homeschoolers shares my name (Elissa) too!
I've been homeschooling for well over 10 years, We've got 4 boys and
two girls ages, <almost 18> to 8 months. I've always been an
Unschooling wannabe, but it has only been in recent years that I've
gone public with it! I have so far had a late reader,age 9, a 5 year
old reader, one who is just catching on at 10, one who sort of gets
it at 7, a 3 year old who thinks he knows and a cute baby girl who
eats books. The seriously cool thing is that all of them love books!
Reading out loud is our life. I do it , my husband does it, the older
children do it... The two oldest and I love sci-fi and fantasy and I
truly enjoy it when we all read the same book at about the same time.
The younger ones will learn in their own time!! I collect books as a
hobby, I am trying to write one, and I draw. My Oldest son
is "Wilderness Man", his life is rock climbing and the outdoors, my
14 year old daughter is into horses and the next three boys are LEGO
maniacs.
I often forgo "field trips" for many of the reasons the store
owner described! I prefer to do cool activities with just our family.
For a number of years we were members of a structured support group,
one of my best friends is the leader, I was roped into being the art
teacher, along with another unschooling mom (funny how artists are
unschoolers) and we got burned out. Anyway, I hated group field trips
as a child. I used to stay home those days and my mom took me to the
same place on the weekend. It wasn't very different as a
homeschooler. Too much confusion, not enough time to really enjoy the
trip, and I hate staying as a group. The group we belonged to adopted
a policy that children had to walk in straight lines by two's yuck!
But I understand why they did it! Being homeschoolers, we are not
taking time to teach our children "groupthink".
Incidentally, has anyone read The Pillars of Creation by Terry
Goodkind? It is a fantasy novel whose main character grows up
isolated from society because of danger. On T.G.'s website someone
referred to her as a homeschooled kid who did not have a clue about
life! I am often shocked that people do not understand our lifestyle!
I probably shouldn't be, but I still am. Have a great day!
-ElissaK