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Anyone unschooling? - Page 2

post #21 of 164
10/14/05 at 1:19pm
I have a three year old that we're unschooling (unpreschooling?). She is learning to read, she likes to make up songs, and she is very into "cleaning" (mostly she likes to dump out baking soda and spray our vinegar/water spray bottle). She likes to go to her UU Sunday school class (although I think it's a bit too structured :LOL ), and she loves to do arts and crafts. She's also very interested in foreign languages recently, so we've been reading a lot of elementary vocabulary-type books.

How do you do yoga with a three year old? Do you take a class? Do a video? Our whole family could stand to be a bit more active
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post #22 of 164
10/14/05 at 1:22pm
Thread Starter 
My husband is a yoga teacher and we do yoga almost every day in our house. DS just copies us (as good as he can). :LOL

He LOVES it and very proudly exclaims 'Look mummy Kiran is doing yoga!'.

There are DVDs on kiddie yoga I will see if I can find a link for you.

On the foreign languages: I am German, and DH is British - DS is growing up bilingual. It is fascinating to see how easily & quick they can learn!
post #23 of 164
10/14/05 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...461674-9128647

(Yoga for Kids DVD)
post #24 of 164
10/14/05 at 1:48pm
Thanks for the link! Now I just have to decide whether the benefits of yoga would be worth DD's realizing that the TV in the basement might actually be of interest to her :LOL

It's really neat that your DS is growing up bilingual. DD's interest really made clear to DH and me just how little we remember from our high school language classes.
post #25 of 164
10/14/05 at 1:52pm
We came to unschooling by circumstance at first. I was doing school at home, and my son made it VERY clear that he was not okay with it. Gradually we let go of the idea that we had to sit at the table for "x" amount of hours. Then I started hearing about unschooling and it was like coming home . Now we're actually doing things, going places. It's so much fun! I go through periodic moments of doubt, b/c other kids his age already know how to read, recite (regurgitate?) info they've learned from school, etc. But, I always come back to the realization that this is the right thing for us to do. I just subscribed to "Live Free, Learn Free" magazine and it's inspiring! I don't know any other unschoolers in real life, and I tend to keep it to myself when people ask about how we're homeschooling. I just don't want that extra pressure from outsiders who don't know what they're talking about. :LOL
post #26 of 164
10/14/05 at 1:55pm
Quote:
I don't think Holt would recognize his coined term if he were alive. One of his dearest friends was Nancy Wallace, the mother of musicans Ishmael and Vita Wallace, and their home education did not look like any unschoolers I know! There was no TV, no 'junk' reading or music etc in that house -where Holt spent many, many hours. Holt was still a bit of a snob regarding what he thought was important for kids to learn 'on their own'.
That's very interesting!

So, what my kids are into Bridget (7) is mostly into mysteries, spies and detectives right now. Judging from how many books are out there, I'm guessing it's a common thing for kids her age :LOL She reads lots of mystery books. She's also into writing stories and poems. She used to dictate them to me but now she mostly writes them on her own. Sometimes by hand but often on the computer. She used to be really into music but not so much now. Her interests tend to consume her at the time and then she drops them for a bit and then they come back. Music is in a little bit of a lull right now. She's also pretty interested in Egypt and the human body right now. Mostly she's into her imagaination and playing Whether that be playing spy, playing house, playing dragon, whatever.

Owen (3) plays He really likes this one construction computer game. He also likes building towers and knocking them down, running around like a nut, jumping off of things and banging his head and various other typical 3 year old activities

We had a yoga for kids video (can't remember which one). DD liked it a lot when she was younger. When she was 1 and I was doing Chi Kung she'd copy me so yeah, little kids can like that too (and we didn't need the tv - she would just copy *me* even when I wasn't trying to involve her, :LOL) DS on the other hand, has no interest whatsoever so it depends on the kid. We also have the Yoga Garden game which dd really likes.
post #27 of 164
10/14/05 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
The yoga DVD can be used by parents to watch and learn the poses & how to present them in a fun way to your kids -- the kids don't have to watch the DVD at all if you'd rather keep them away from the TV.
post #28 of 164
10/14/05 at 2:25pm
Unschooling a 4yo and a nearly 2yo...

My 4yo is into space, bones, geography, engines, and anything mechanical. He likes doing mental math sometimes (i.e. word problems). He also enjoys drawing things, including instructions for things he'd like to make. He spends a lot time doing imaginary play with his kitchen or the playstands. The playstands are usually a bus to somewhere exciting, like a museum. He spends a lot of time using K'Nex, "tiny" Legos, and Meccano.

My 2yo is into trains. He also likes anything that my 4yo does. Today, he insisted on opening the Solar System puzzle and kept saying, "Help...help...". He follows my 4yo around; they are good buddies. They both like being read to. My 4yo is enthralled with the Magic Tree House right now; my 2yo esp loves train books.

Both my kids like doing yoga with me in the morning, although esp with the 2yo, it's definitely a matter of interpretation. LOL. My 4yo likes to make up yoga moves and his favorite real one is, "compost", which is really, "child's pose". I'm having a difficult time finding a yoga class for his age-set, so I might have to check out the video referenced in this thread.
post #29 of 164
10/14/05 at 3:02pm
Unschooling here too DS is 3yrs 6mnths. He is into trains, dinosaurs & pirates. He also loves to sing and dance and enjoys putting on little shows for DH and I He is really into counting and trying to do simple sums lately and loves to stick and paint.
post #30 of 164
10/14/05 at 3:22pm
I'm also unschooling for the time being. My dd is 4 and ds is 2.
post #31 of 164
10/14/05 at 4:14pm
Howdy We are unschoolers here too. My Ds is 14 and my Dd is almost 12.

Dd is into dancing and singing. She thinks about taking some classes, but has yet to do so. She told me she is going to check out the winter catalog of classes for our Parks n Rec though. She recently decided to redecorate her room, and has enlisted my help. She loves sharks, the work of Tim Burton or anything similiar, stories that feature mysterious things and kids/teens, and more recently scary movies. (This is a new thing for her. It's been interesting ) She likes to cook, knit, and paint with me.

Ds loves anime, video games, and posting in his fave forum. He enjoys a wide variety of movies and books. He is reading about comic book villians currently (enhances his role playing character building skills), and watched Kingdom of Heaven the other day. For his birthday this past July he received a guitar, and he just started taking lessons this week.

For the record, I think it's unschooling if the kids are in control of their own learning. Parents can definately bring stuff up and intro new ideas, but if the kids always have the freedom to say "no" or "I'm not interested" and then can go off and do whatever.... it's unschooling as far as I am concerned.
post #32 of 164
10/14/05 at 6:39pm
And yet another unschooling family. Sorry, this is a quicky. We have 7 and 8 year olds. Lots of reading going on around here. Building a fairy and gnome house at the moment. Drying fall leaves. Grampa is teaching them tennis two days a week until the snow comes. 8 year old is taking a college drawing/ painting class from her daddy. We belong to a community garden. We bake and cook lots and play many games. We just got a new telescope so we are having fun with that. We built a solar car last week. And every week brings us new adventures. We love our small but wonderful group of unschooled friends. We love our schooled friends too. Life is good.
post #33 of 164
10/14/05 at 6:54pm
Hey guys....I have been over on the march due date list and forgot totally that these other ones are here! lol
Were and unschooling family here. My children are 8, 5, 3 and the 4th bean is due in March.

We love unschooling!
post #34 of 164
10/14/05 at 7:03pm
We're unschooling.

Ds (14) is into space and archeology and building things. He's also into medieval times and likes to design costumes and weaponry from that period. He's also into archery and plays "Runescape" and is looking forward to getting "Guild Wars," which are role-playing games.

Dd (10) likes historical fiction, especially with a main character who is a female teen. She also likes to write stories. She's a skater and an archer and loves arts and crafts. She's also an animal lover and enjoys cooking.

Ds (5) is a gymnast, loves being read to, enjoys writing (he copies words from books and signs even though he has no idea what they say, lol) He also is into "experiments" (btw, what IS the world record for the number of baking soda and vinegar volcanoes made by one child?) He likes Legos, counts everything, and is an animal lover like his sister.
post #35 of 164
10/14/05 at 7:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joan
Dd (10) likes historical fiction, especially with a main character who is a female teen. She also likes to write stories.
My Dd too! She really likes stories that feature girls her age in them.
post #36 of 164
10/14/05 at 7:24pm

Ot

ooohh, unschoolnma, does your dd have any suggestions? Mine has been through the American Girl series, and the history mysteries and is always looking for something new. She recently read, The Breadwinner about a girl growing up under Taliban rule--she liked it, but marched into the children's librarian to inform her that she should warn younger kids that it was a little graphic. Dd is a bit sensitive that way, but at the same time, she's really interested in human rights/women's rights/minority issues, so it's impossible not to discover disturbing information when you're reading about those topics, yk?
post #37 of 164
10/14/05 at 7:56pm
We're unschoolers

Our lives are a bit complicated and have been for the last 6 1/2 months. We moved across country only to find out that my dh's job was a bit delayed. We moved back to CO and and have been living with my dh's parents for 3 months. It's not how I envisioned unschooling. It would be nice if we had our own house : I feel like we are limited, but the kids are having fun It's nice because his parents live on a cul de sac and there is a homeschooling family across the street. The kids play together outside a lot.

My 10 yr old started a doggie service. She has made quite the cash walking and washing dogs. She enjoys playing RuneScape, reading Dear America and Nancy Drew books and doing some activity books.

My 7 yr old LOVES RuneScape. It drives me crazy how long he plays that game. He is learning how to play the piano. He is a big LEGO fan. He enjoys reading "how to" books.

My 4 yr old loves to play with her toys! She is great with her imagination. She enjoys coloring and doing worksheets. Hide and Seek is her favorite game along with Lickety Split.


There has been some good throughout this fiasco. Covering almost 7,000 miles, my kids have seen a lot of this country! We've had some fun along the way too.
post #38 of 164
10/14/05 at 8:17pm
"What are everyone's kids interested in right now?"

My boys are 6 and 8, and my daughters are 1 and 4. The boys are into Pokemon and Digimon, anime, video games, card games (role-playing and otherwise,) imaginary play (they have a favorite role-playing game they created called "Science Battle",) and in addition my 6-year-old loves and has an ear for music and a mind for math, and my 8-year-old is very into cooking and chess and "inventing" (for instance, drawing pictures of fantastical robot creatures.) My four-year-old is mostly interested right now in imaginary play with her dolls and anything cutesy like Hello Kitty, playing in the garden, and she is an amazing artist. The baby is mostly interested in milk, mud, and trying to get herself into physically precarious situations.
post #39 of 164
10/14/05 at 8:33pm
We unschooled for a year. Gave it a shot. I thought it led to permissive parenting and my kids asked every day "what are we going to do today ?". We've gone back to a loose structure homeschool...it suits our family better.
post #40 of 164
10/14/05 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by UUMom
My 13 yr old is absorbed in writing comics, drawing and she is working on a fantasy novel in the style of Eragon.
My son just finished reading Eragon, and he's entranced. We're going to have to find Eldest soon! Kenzie was surprised to find out that Christopher Paolini was a homeschooler.

On a side note, I've read that Sandra Boynton, the children's book author/illustrator unschooled her children, but I can't find anything to back it up. Anyone have any links?

Oh, and for what he's interested in, at the moment:

Greek, Roman, Norse and Egyptian mythology
dinosaurs
Pokemon
Ronald Dahl's books
board games
Horrible History/Horrible Science/Murderous Maths series
Bionicle
soccer
drawing with colored pencils
Abraham Lincoln
piano
action figures
creating and selling comics

and about a million other things I'm sure I've left out.