Re: [Unschooling-Discussion] Re: Importance of "outside" activities
Gary & Lisa Williams
Hi Joyce~
Yes, I see you point. My dd would like some outside activities but we are limited due to the location of where we live. So I was wondering that by having her more isolated than she would like, how can we overcome that? Or can we? Do some of you live or have moved just to be near available lessons, groups, activities for your kids? Are some of you or your children more outgoing but also limited by where you live or perhaps finances?
We do lots of things in the home...computers, video games, DVDs, crafts, reading, piano, guitar, board games, etc., etc. but of course, this mainly involves mom and kids. Just wishing that I could give her a little more outside activities...
Lisa
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-Discussion] Re: Importance of "outside" activities
on 8/31/03 10:10 AM, Gary & Lisa Williams at glmnw@... wrote:
need. My daughter likes to stay home so dragging her to activities would be
cruel. But it would be cruel to treat a child who loved outside activities
like my daughter.
The question isn't what do kids need but what do *your* kids need.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yes, I see you point. My dd would like some outside activities but we are limited due to the location of where we live. So I was wondering that by having her more isolated than she would like, how can we overcome that? Or can we? Do some of you live or have moved just to be near available lessons, groups, activities for your kids? Are some of you or your children more outgoing but also limited by where you live or perhaps finances?
We do lots of things in the home...computers, video games, DVDs, crafts, reading, piano, guitar, board games, etc., etc. but of course, this mainly involves mom and kids. Just wishing that I could give her a little more outside activities...
Lisa
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-Discussion] Re: Importance of "outside" activities
on 8/31/03 10:10 AM, Gary & Lisa Williams at glmnw@... wrote:
> So I guess what I'm asking is, how involved are you and yourI think the answer doesn't lie in what our kids do but in what your kids
> kids involved in weekly lessons of some sort or how involved are you in
> homeschool groups that provide kid interactions, etc.?
need. My daughter likes to stay home so dragging her to activities would be
cruel. But it would be cruel to treat a child who loved outside activities
like my daughter.
The question isn't what do kids need but what do *your* kids need.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Heidi
Hi Lisa
We're in just exactly the situation you describe: live in the
country, not involved in the public school and not involved in the
religious life of our neighborhood...we are isolated. This hasn't
been a problem, as our kids have had chickens and a treehouse, and
I've always had plenty of books, craft books and supplies; we have
bikes, good places to walk (one of my passions is Amateur Naturalist-
ing...LOL)...so our outside activities have centered around stuff we
can do as a family right here in our valley...and then my oldest
became a teenager, and has been more involved in the nearest city for
three years, as a library volunteer. This has meant at times, twice a
week drives to the city... hour long drives that put 100 mi round
trip on our vehicles. When she signed up for a drama workshop at
Idaho State, it was an EVERY DAY drive, for five days in a row. She
is also in the drama class at a high school that is 30 minutes
distant...every day, mon-fri, 60 miles on the van! ack...
And so, partly because of the activity level that she is choosing,
and partly because our two younger ones are beginning to come into
that age (at 9 and nearly 11...) but mostly because we need to be
near an economic center for the jobs available...we are moving closer
to a large city, just so that we do have activities closer by.
One thing that never did catch our attention, but is lots of fun for
many families (and has POTENTIAL!!!) is 4-H...are you in an area
where you can get involved in 4-H? I have a friend whose boy has been
all over the nation, including to DC more than once, due to his 4-H
involvement, and is now attending college in Pharmacology on a full
ride academic scholarship...homeschooled his whole life, with 4-H
being the one consistent factor in his and his sisters' educations...
anyway, if you are in the middle of nowhere, sounds like the country,
or small town...4-H would be my biggest recommendation, if it's
something your family likes.
We drove many miles getting our older girl to her activities, and now
we are moving closer to those activities...but 4-H IS activities. We
just never did get into it. And we have to move anyway, but we might
have moved for the sake of closer activities...I'm looking forward to
it big time.
blessings, heidiC
--- In [email protected], Gary & Lisa Williams
<glmnw@w...> wrote:
wondering that by having her more isolated than she would like, how
can we overcome that? Or can we? Do some of you live or have moved
just to be near available lessons, groups, activities for your kids?
Are some of you or your children more outgoing but also limited by
where you live or perhaps finances?
course, this mainly involves mom and kids. Just wishing that I
could give her a little more outside activities...
We're in just exactly the situation you describe: live in the
country, not involved in the public school and not involved in the
religious life of our neighborhood...we are isolated. This hasn't
been a problem, as our kids have had chickens and a treehouse, and
I've always had plenty of books, craft books and supplies; we have
bikes, good places to walk (one of my passions is Amateur Naturalist-
ing...LOL)...so our outside activities have centered around stuff we
can do as a family right here in our valley...and then my oldest
became a teenager, and has been more involved in the nearest city for
three years, as a library volunteer. This has meant at times, twice a
week drives to the city... hour long drives that put 100 mi round
trip on our vehicles. When she signed up for a drama workshop at
Idaho State, it was an EVERY DAY drive, for five days in a row. She
is also in the drama class at a high school that is 30 minutes
distant...every day, mon-fri, 60 miles on the van! ack...
And so, partly because of the activity level that she is choosing,
and partly because our two younger ones are beginning to come into
that age (at 9 and nearly 11...) but mostly because we need to be
near an economic center for the jobs available...we are moving closer
to a large city, just so that we do have activities closer by.
One thing that never did catch our attention, but is lots of fun for
many families (and has POTENTIAL!!!) is 4-H...are you in an area
where you can get involved in 4-H? I have a friend whose boy has been
all over the nation, including to DC more than once, due to his 4-H
involvement, and is now attending college in Pharmacology on a full
ride academic scholarship...homeschooled his whole life, with 4-H
being the one consistent factor in his and his sisters' educations...
anyway, if you are in the middle of nowhere, sounds like the country,
or small town...4-H would be my biggest recommendation, if it's
something your family likes.
We drove many miles getting our older girl to her activities, and now
we are moving closer to those activities...but 4-H IS activities. We
just never did get into it. And we have to move anyway, but we might
have moved for the sake of closer activities...I'm looking forward to
it big time.
blessings, heidiC
--- In [email protected], Gary & Lisa Williams
<glmnw@w...> wrote:
> Hi Joyce~we are limited due to the location of where we live. So I was
> Yes, I see you point. My dd would like some outside activities but
wondering that by having her more isolated than she would like, how
can we overcome that? Or can we? Do some of you live or have moved
just to be near available lessons, groups, activities for your kids?
Are some of you or your children more outgoing but also limited by
where you live or perhaps finances?
> We do lots of things in the home...computers, video games, DVDs,crafts, reading, piano, guitar, board games, etc., etc. but of
course, this mainly involves mom and kids. Just wishing that I
could give her a little more outside activities...
> Lisa
>