Unschooling - Page 2

[DharmaDisciple]

unschooling

Joan
thanks for you reply, I agree totally with you about school topics being so narrow- all that I believe and that is important to me in my life I learnt AFTER I left school/college/university.

Deschooling is hard (dd was in school till age 8). Sometimes it is so hard, all the home educators around here are VERY structured school at home- my dd can't telephone them during schol hours! Hence I get my support here and other forums, there are no unschoolers near me ( it is called 'autonomous education here!)..

I find it sad that we live in a society where the 3 'r's are all that seem to matter; at what age they start to read, whether they know their times tables etc. I do find it a pressure, it is all around me.. Any good deschooling books to read?? I love unschooling and find it so inspiring to read others experiences of this- so thank you everybody xxx

I love that my dd is passionate about cooking and has an avid interest in History...but society expects her to do other things too...if she has the confidence to be different then that is great, but at the moment she hasn't- maybe with time who knows.

The children are back at school tomorrow and dd to feel like she fits in has drawn up a schedule she wants us all to follow- everything is covered, what time we get up and dress etc- She wants me to enforce lessons from 9 am till 3pm- how do I help her understand unschooling? Is she too young for the Teenage Liberation Handbook?

I have considered a 'not back to school' party or an adventure walk, but am not sure if this will make her happy I don't mind that she wants to 'play school' but when it comes down to the 'lessons' the onus is all on me, it just seems so contrived........Where I have to play teacher and tell her what to learn, I want to follow her interests, and let her develop her own path and I'll walk alongside her for a while whenever she needs me.

When do I get my life in this timetable too?- time to read, to play, to laugh, to walk......

So how do I deschool us both? What can I read? How do I explain it to her and let her know we're not the only ones who 'unschool'?...
Blessings and love
Amanda

[barbara]

suseyblue, I'm sorry you felt attacked about your position. I never ment to make you feel that way. I just wanted to share our experience as an alternative way of dealing with the problem. We have always shared our disdane for soaps and "Jerry Springer" type shows, so our kids tend to share our dislike. That isn't to say we haven't spent some amusing moments laughing at People's Court or the like. I don't want to give the impression that I don't ever tell the kids to change the chanel or turn off the tv when I see it becoming a problem that is either too big for them to handle or they are simply unwilling to deal with themselves. Just like with eating habits, reading, studying, exercize, etc. we are trying to help our kids to have healthy attitudes about tv and learn self control.

Mand, our first son was also in school until he was 8 years old. That first year was a time of "deschooling" for us all. We spent a lot of time talking about, and developing, our educational philosophy. Being involved in that process allowed him to embrace home education and unschooling as his own. He is now an old married man, working on his masters in his own, unique unschooled way! Try reading some of John Holt's books such as Teach Your Own and Growing Without Schooling. He is the father of the modern unschooling movement and you will gleen much from his writings. Give yourself and your dd time to adjust to this whole new way of learning and living. Allow yourself to fumble, make mistakes, and experiment with what works best for you and yours! Just enjoy!

Peace,
b