[email protected]

When we were first unschooling and people asked me questions like that I
tended to say, "We'll just see how it goes."

Many times I said, "If unschooling doesn't work out, he can go to school."
It gave hem hope and I didn't have to defend what we were doing.

By the time a few years passed, they had friends and I had counter-arguments
for the everyday stuff.

You might also ask her simple questions like, "What do you mean by
'socialization'?"

Pretty much people don't know what they mean when they ask it. Or ask her
if teachers didn't say to her "you're not here to socialize."

You might go to google.com and put in
socialization question
or
socializing homeschooling

and might find some articles already out there.

Sandra


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Penne & Buddies

--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
<snip>
>
> You might also ask her simple questions like, "What do you mean by
> 'socialization'?"
>
> Pretty much people don't know what they mean when they ask it.
Or ask her
> if teachers didn't say to her "you're not here to socialize."

PERFECT -- We've got a neighbor who was chomping at the bit to get
his daughter in school to "socialize" her properly (this line has
been repeated more than once as he sneers at our eight kids'
isolation from the *benefits* of the school system.) He decided to
enroll her (age four) in Catholic preschool this fall, because she
wasn't getting near enough peer group interaction in the comfort of
her nanny's home or while attending the weekly playgroup -- you
know, the one where Bobby got kicked out for biting his playmates
last year at age three (you assess that one!)

Last week, she brought her dollie over and suggested a game
where "Tommy" was dead, and the kids should assist in burying him so
he would go to the deadworld. We don't even get into Halloween
anymore around here, so someone suggested they play TAG instead. I
won't play psychologist, but her dad had just been reprimanded by
her mom (who had left as soon as he joined us, immediately prior to
this scenario) not to leave her alone in the street.

I get the distinct impression from comments he's made here and there
that he thinks that we're not quite up to snuff in the parenting
department, but I suppose anybody will do if he has more important
things on his agenda than spend a few minutes socializing with his
own child or her friends. I had previously informed him that over
the years I have established an understanding with my neighbors that
stay-at-home moms don't mean free sitting services 24/7, unless
there's a genuine need.

People see a woman with eight kids and seem to think, what's one or
two more till the whole neighborhood's running around in my
backyard -- even when my crew has come in for the day (and often
disappeared on purpose because of the obnoxious ways the other kids
acted when they showed up after school!) I finally got the idea to
tell each one in turn to bring a parent with them from now on so we
could all experience the benefits of socialization! Not
surprisingly, no one wanted to play that game with us... C'est la
vie.

>
> You might go to google.com and put in
> socialization question
> or
> socializing homeschooling
>
> and might find some articles already out there.
>
> Sandra

Try the FAQ at HEM (There's an article by Sandra in the Newbie
section here, too :o)
http://www.homeedmag.com/INF/strt_index.html

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/23/2004 11:26:13 PM Eastern Standard Time,
leslie@... writes:
<<i am trying to discuss unschooling with my sister and she asked
about the socializing aspect. i answered as best i could remember i
had been taught, but i would like some links if possible. i am
searching on my own too, i just thought i would ask you all as
well. thanks for any help, leslie in tx>>
*********
I dont recall my source (maybe John Holt's books)? What I say to people is
"socialization isn't of just those in your group/class/grade it is of a grand
mix of people and places and things".
Laura


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