May Unschoolers Support - Page 5

[papayapetunia]

Life is crazy with a newly mobile baby. Seeing a naked-butt baby crawl across the room is just priceless though. My 8yo, Tania, has been getting into cooking lately. She makes her own little creations and is heavy on the presentation aspect. She has also been into writing letters. She has surprised me lately with knowing how to multiply and divide and do percentages. I guess when you have something to apply it to, it makes sense. Unschooling just continues to pleasantly surprise me. We're going to a 40% off fabric sale today, and she informed me that if something is $10, I'll only have to pay $6. She easily grabs mathematical concepts if money is involved.

I'm also rereading the book Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn, and it is helping me so much with trusting my children. He talks about trusting that your children are good, but I am also applying it to trust that my children want to learn and want to grow and that they will do it when they are ready.

Hope you all are having fun with your families. The sun has been making a few guest appearances here in Portland, OR, but I can't wait for it to stick around for a while so we can spend hours and hours outside!

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by Bella Babe

They did a game where you assigned numbers to letters (a-1 b-2 c-3 etc) and figure out your names value.

If you enjoy that kind of stuff, check out Math For Smarty Pants
http://www.amazon.com/Brown-Paper-Sc...8382755&sr=8-1

It's FULL of that kind of stuff and it's where we learned to play the $1.00 word game.

Originally Posted by papayapetunia

I'm also rereading the book Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn, and it is helping me so much with trusting my children. He talks about trusting that your children are good, but I am also applying it to trust that my children want to learn and want to grow and that they will do it when they are ready.

I always liked reading Kohn--(his books about homework and rewards were a relief to read--made me realize I wasn't the only one who had those thoughts!) but it always struck me as strange that he's not a proponent of unschooling. It just SEEMS like he would be yk?

[UnschoolnMa]

We had a spontaneous garage sale today, and we managed to sell a few things and get a few $$. It was a little chilly and breezy at times, but it didn't rain on us!

It was interesting to see and talk to all the different kinds of people that came to look. We talked to a little boy who was having a hard time parting with his money even though it was his decision. (His mother said that actually...) He ended up buying one of my Ds's PS2 games for a couple of dollars and said he was saving the rest for M&M's. Another older woman really liked a bathrobe my Dd was selling for $3. She tried it on and then was asking through her daughter (who spoke a bit of English) if Dd would sell it for $1. Dd agreed and the woman was just so thrilled.

Tomorrow we are going out of town for a bit to see Dh's 18 year old Dd and her boyfriend. It's going to be a long day! LOL

[Pam_and_Abigail]

Well, I subscribed at the beginning if last month's thread and then didn't keep up, so here I go again.

I need some support because I am feeling uncertain about homeschooling in general, even though dh and I have been so sure of it for so long. DD1 is 4 1/2 and technically could start PS in fall (and says she wants to, even though I've tried talking her out of it), although the neurologist we say for behaviour problems said she doesn't seem ready. She's mostly got scoial issues and agression, possible ODD.

I just don't know some days if I can handle it.I've got two spirited children (4 1/2 and 2 years 4 months) at home with me all day in a secluded rural area with no access to a vehicle most days. And soon, the blackflies will be bad enough that even going outside may be just about impossible.

Anyway, I mentioned to dh that maybe we could give the PS thing a little thought. In a couple weeks there's an information session for parents and then a few days after that is a one day orientation. It seems worth looking into, even though we both want to unnschool.

I feel guilty at the thought of not homeschooling, and I don't think dd1 has any idea what PS will be like.

Anyway, we are doing some good stuff around. We just bought some of the books from Starfall, and I got a book called Sunny Days and Starry Nights, nature activities for 2-6 yr olds. We've been checking out the frog pond nearby lately. The thing I find tricky is dd2 is dropping her nap, and there's little time for dd1 and I to do bigger kid things together. I've got all thses ideas for crafts and such that I could managed with dd1, but add dd2 (who has to do whatever we're doing, naturally) and suddenly, craft time falls apart. And then dd1 will copy what dd2 does, and then *I* fall apart. Gluing for example: dd1 is all about just messing with the glue, wiping it all over the table, sticking her finger in the glue stick, etc. but it's hard to wash off, and our craft area is also our main food preparation and eating area.

Sorry to post such a long, rambly rant, but I am struggling with a lot of this stuff right now. I hope to be able to keep up with the thread this month.

[carolm22117]

Just to warn everyone, HUGE,LONG,BRAG ALERT!!!!

Our robotics team placed 3rd, THIRD, in the robot tournament Saturday!!!
THIRD place out of 11 teams. They placed above some schools that had been competing for 3 years. This was our very first year, we were the only homeschool team there. The team that won it has an entire robotics COURSE taught at their school. Our team was a bunch of boys that opened up a box of parts 8 weeks ago and none of them had ever touched a robot before, let alone built and programmed one.

Not only that, they won the Judges Choice Trophy! Its HUGE, I'll put pics up on my blog soon. They were kinda bummed with *only* placing third until I explained to them that to be Judges Choice was the bigger honor.

The engineering department at Rose-Hullman puts on the competition. The judges (the professors, students and grad students) look at the robots, interview the teams and then they choose the winner of the trophy. Our little homeschool team was the one they chose this year! Professors and Grad students were impressed enough with our boys to give them the award. The other moms and I were crying when they one that one. It truly was an amazing honor for them!! (They totally understood it once we explained that to them.)

To place 3rd in the tournament, their first year out is HUGE, just huge. They learned everything, everything from the ground up in 8 weeks. And they did it on their own. They had some adult mentors help, but at the competition no adult could touch the robot. The boys could ask for advice, but they had to handle everything.

It was just amazing to watch this group of 6 teenage boys handle everything yesterday with such focus and maturity and grace!

Actually, all of the teams there were amazing to watch. It was a competition, yes, but everyone was cheering for everyone else and helping each other out with spare parts or advice or encouragement. It was wonderful to see!!

We're qualified to go to the Nationals in Hawaii this summer, but thats not gonna happen. Ah well.......

Ok, that was really long and braggy, but my mama heart is just bursting today!!!! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!

[genifer]

Hey. Do you ever, uhhh, avoid your children? or hide from them with the warm brownies you just made... and eat ALL of them, not willing to share any of them with anyone? Or, like, strongly suggest that they go and play somewhere.... else.... far away from mum? Ive been like that the past few weeks. working on getting back into the swing of things soon.

[lillbeetle]

Congrats, Carolm!! That is spectacular. Robotics is so fun (of course have never done it myself) but used to be an avid "Battlebots" watcher. I would love to build a bot. I'm waiting for my son to get a little older. He turned 3 in March and I think he will be ready for an introduction to robotics soon. We will learn together, I guess. That is what is so cool about unschooling.

My little guy is learning to read!! He recognizes many words and memorizes poems like crazy. His newest two are Shell Silverstein's "A Light In the Attic" and "Moon Catchin' Net". It is so cute to hear him recite - and he does it all on his own. YAY!

[mommabear]

Ali, I found the Stellarium website last night, and dh and I spent a lot of time on it, figuring it out to show ds -- it is awesome!

P and A, I'm sorry I don't have any advice, I just want to send you a and tell you that no matter what you decide it sounds like you have your dd's best interest in mind, and will make a well-thought decision. Just take each day and piece of info a bit at a time. Peace to you.

Tina, I know how hard it is to have to do something mainstream when you normally live outside of that. We had to take ds thru an EKG / children's hospital route a couple years back, and while everyone was so wonderful, it was hard to put him inside the medical model. It helped me to balance it out with my own alternative therapies. Good luck with it all mama.

LionTigerBear, I love the image of your son reading. It sounds like even tho he was frustrated, he was really determined! That determination will take him far I'm sure!



Around here today ds is helping dh rebuild a fence. He's right in there with the tools, and is a big help to dh. Have a great day everyone!

[mommabear]

Oh, forgot to say congratulations to your son and his team, Carolm! That rocks! :

[Thystle]

Hello everyone!

Thought I would jump in as I recognize a few names on here!

I am trying to catch up on the posts... but wanted to post real quick.

Originally Posted by Ruthla

We're "relaxed homeschoolers, leaning towards unschooling."

That's is what I said last year. Well I decided to just drop "it" and say I really am unschooling... at least 90% of the time

Originally Posted by UnschoolnMa

I cannot believe it's May! Wow. I'm almost 31!

I just turned 31 and my hubbby's bday is in May too. I also emailed you but it said your box was full... saw you on the pen pal list and you were one of the few who had a teen.



BUT I am seeing other teens on this thread too! Anyone have a 12-ish to 16-ish year old (boy or girl) wanting a pen pal? Preferably "quirky" and not "super testosterone man boy" like? My son likes some "guy" stuff (but not really sports, other than his TKD), but is very into science/Bionicles/ancient history/art/D&D/Magic Cards/etc...




As for us... we have been hs'ing since I pulled ds14 from school in the middle of first grade (unknown dx of various LD's and teacher issues). Been at it about 8 years now. We deal with some special needs and gifted challenges in both older boys. We spend ALOT of time on the computer and going on field trips. Most of our learning is outside the house. My kids can "fit in" if they really want to.. but honestly they are both pretty "quirky".


A small example: My then newly 4 year old was drawing on his whiteboard a picture of what he thought the baby was going to look like. He then proceeded to draw a realistic picture and inform me that "This is what wormholes look like in space". My 14 year old will play Bionicles with all the little kids and then have a conversation with all the adults on evolution theories of the future, and then draw up pretend worlds where he has "evolved" speciaes from earth to the future.




So that is a bit about us! Today is Sunday and the kids are pretty much playing Bionicles and reading news and groups on the computer.

[Thystle]

Do you guys find that your kids when not in a school.......... that they act 50/50 too young or too old to most people outside your home? And if they are in school people just "assume" that they are acting "right"?


Like if my teen plays with a toy or enjoys a "pretend" game with younger friends and siblings... he is acting "too young" and not mature enough.

Or if he spends his whole day talking to adults and working he is not acting his age because he is not out riding a skateboard with a group of teens and figuring out how to get in trouble next?




Argh that is frustrating!







.

[Thystle]

carolm22117 that's great!!!!!




Have any of you read "The Teenage Liberation Handbook"? I am reading it to my kids right now.

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by genifer

Hey. Do you ever, uhhh, avoid your children? or hide from them with the warm brownies you just made... and eat ALL of them, not willing to share any of them with anyone? Or, like, strongly suggest that they go and play somewhere.... else.... far away from mum? Ive been like that the past few weeks. working on getting back into the swing of things soon.

Yes but I think I'd have to bake a decoy pan of brownies so no one would sniff me out. If ds is not happily engaged with someone, he comes looking for me every two minutes. Drives me up the wall sometimes, especially if I haven't gotten any alone time in a few days.

[SagMom]

Carol, Congrats to your son's team. That is soooo cool!

Originally Posted by Thystle

Do you guys find that your kids when not in a school.......... that they act 50/50 too young or too old to most people outside your home?

Yes this is true of my oldest in particular. (My dd has always been older than her age, but that's another story.) I think, for ds1, it's that he gets along well with people of all ages. He can be playing with his younger brother and cousins and being all goofy one minute, and the next, he's having a discussion with the adults about the best way to construct a patio.

I think a lot of people just expect kids to hang with their same-aged peers, so when they don't, it's "weird."

I've only ever heard one negative comment about it though, and that was from a neighbor who's pretty negative about most things, so that's not worth much.

genifer, while I don't eat whole pans of brownies while hiding from my kids, I do remember once having a hershey's kiss while in the kitchen alone. Ds2 was about 3 and when I was done, he came to me for a hug. Mid-hug, he suddenly pulled away from me and, with huge accusing eyes, shouted, "I SMELL CHOCOLATE!" So, no, it's not possible to hide chocolate in this house.

[2 in August]

I have a secret chocolate stash. Nobody knows about it, not even dh.

[DTmama1]

Just saying hello. My DD is only 2, but we've mostly decided on homeschooling, probably unschooling for most things if not all.

I wasn't homeschooled as a kid but many of my friends were. Unfortunately they weren't the best examples of homeschoolers, they were the socially awkward sheltered students who were quite behind academically for the most part. I went to a tiny Christian school and was equally socially awkward and sheltered. I had great teachers in elementary school though and with small classes (only 5 students in 5th grade, 2 were me and my twin brother) we did have the opportunity to pursue things that we were interested in etc. School went downhill in junior high when the class for bigger. I sat in the back of class reading the high school text books because I was so bored. Then went to public school the last 2.5 years of high school and did like it. My brother and I really would have thrived with unschooling, we were the type that really did want to learn and would read and explore a subject until we'd exhausted it , but am glad we didn't... my dad wouldn't give my mom the freedom to actually take us anywhere usually and we never would have left the house... not good.

Anyways, I also run a home daycare and am trying to incorporate natural learning into our days instead of doing a formal preschool program, which was what I was leaning towards before. It is a challenge to run my program this way when parents think their child needs a 'structured preschool program' etc etc.

I've been working on a degree in Early Childhood and am somewhat struggling with reconciling what I'm learning about how kids learn and my classes where I am supposed to write lesson plans for INFANTS even?!?! I have learned some great things from some of my classes, and having a degree is something parents look for and can help me build my business, I'm just not sure if I should regurgitate what my professors want me to say to get through the class or what other options I even have.

I loved reading along in April, it is very inspiring!

[Arduinna]

DD has mostly been reading anime books and working on some math. It's been pretty boring here we were all exhausted from going out of town last weekend so it was kinda zombies catching up on sleep this week.

[dillonandmarasmom]

Hey DTmama1,
I do daycare in my home, too. I keep things natural as much as possible--organic meals (kids help with), cd-encouraging, cloth wipes, etc.
I unschool my 4 year old (and 2 year old), so for the others I watch, that means we go with the flow. If they want to build tracks all morning and couch cushion forts all afternoon, that's what we do!
I can't imagine any parents wanting a structured program for an infant: ...but, I do know that is the push in the mainstream. Naps at the same time, circle time, reading for a specific time each day, a schedule...yeah, that's not appropriate on sooo many levels in my book!!
I ma sorry about your frustration re lesson plans. Just for fun, I would list in your objectives something along the lines of "experiences successful cooing and pooping moments...", or "cries in my arms for as long as he/she needs to..." (notice I began each objective with an action word...yeah, used to be a teacher and wrote the obligatory "plans seldom followed"...)

Good luck to you!

[dillonandmarasmom]

DH attended the funeral of a friend today, so ds, dd and I took a field trip to a local alpaca farm. I swear it is my dream to one day live on a farm surrounded by these beautiful, peaceful, soft animals! DD kept waving and calling to the alpacas, "Hi, Alpaca!" DS got up close and personal--so proud of my shy boy: .
So, the kids are really getting along lately like two peas in a pod. Sure, a few moments of in-each-other's-space-pinching erupt here and there...but there are so many other moments of kindness, compassion, sibling loooove. They have come a long way from that first day DD came home and got a smack on the head from ds: . (DH and I have come a looong way, too ).
This evening they spent a lot of their time building and rebuilding with ds' new legos. Man, when did legos get to be sooo tiny??? I cannot believe we haven't lost nay yet (that we know of)!
On a somber note, DH's grandfather just passed away (like within the past 30 minutes). So, we will be explaining this to the kids in the coming weeks as we are surrounded by grieving family. Some lessons are hard to look forward to...

[DTmama1]

Originally Posted by dillonandmarasmom

Hey DTmama1,
I do daycare in my home, too. I keep things natural as much as possible--organic meals (kids help with), cd-encouraging, cloth wipes, etc.
I unschool my 4 year old (and 2 year old), so for the others I watch, that means we go with the flow. If they want to build tracks all morning and couch cushion forts all afternoon, that's what we do!
I can't imagine any parents wanting a structured program for an infant: ...but, I do know that is the push in the mainstream. Naps at the same time, circle time, reading for a specific time each day, a schedule...yeah, that's not appropriate on sooo many levels in my book!!
I ma sorry about your frustration re lesson plans. Just for fun, I would list in your objectives something along the lines of "experiences successful cooing and pooping moments...", or "cries in my arms for as long as he/she needs to..." (notice I began each objective with an action word...yeah, used to be a teacher and wrote the obligatory "plans seldom followed"...)

Good luck to you!

Neat meeting another unschooling daycare momma. I'm not as AP as most folks on here, but am moving towards more natural living. Do you charge more than other daycares in the area for providing organic meals? That's something I eventually want to do, but it hasn't quite fit into the budget yet. Next summer I want to do a garden though. How many kids do you have each day? GTG to Occupational therapy now (had surgery on my wrist a few months ago) so I'll write more later.
Melody