Reading, thinking and doing

Alysia Berman wrote:

It took several years before I stopped having those fears creep into my thoughts every once in a while. I can finally say that after about nine years of reading about, thinking about and doing unschooling those fears don't enter my mind anymore.

I tell people that I'm amazed every day by what my kids know and learn. It seems miraculous. It's not, really. It's normal. I see it as miraculous because I was indoctrinated to believe that none of this could happen outside of school and without teachers.

—Alysia Berman

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At first, it's not easy to see learning.

After a while, it shows easily.

This Friday, see if you can step away from learning, just for a while.

SandraDodd.com/gettingit
photo by Jo Isaac

Calm and thoughtful

"Rebellion for the sake of rebellion is as bad as conformity for the sake of conformity."

—Sandra, 2011

Live in the middle. A life of calm, thoughtful choice-making is more relaxing.

SandraDodd.com/balance
photo by Brie Jontry
(there's a moose)

Mix it up

From some ideas for proving unschooling gradually to an unknowing spouse:

Go "interdisciplinary" as much as you can so you can checklist two or three things at once. Songs about history. Recipes from other countries. Science that requires measurement (size/weight/temperature, whatever) and double-dip on your listings so that your daughter will NOT separate the subjects into separate categories as schooled kids tend to do. Don't use the "science/history" terms with her when you don't have to. Just on the paper your husband sees. . . . . Put your frustrated energy into a burst of mixing it up.

SandraDodd.com/reluctance
photo by Cátia Maciel

What's the rush?

I saw an advertisement on the side of some webpage, aimed at me. "Homeschooling," I saw out the corner of my eye. It asked me whether I didn't want to make sure my child was ahead.

"Ahead" of what? Ahead of himself? That's considered a bad thing. "Don't get ahead of yourself," people say.

"Ahead" of other people? What's the rush?

When the traffic is slow on the freeway, sometimes someone will zoom along the shoulder and try to squeeze in. Why? It's not helpful. It's not polite. It's not safe.

My children are grown. They grew slowly, safely, politely, and I've always tried to be helpful. They weren't ahead. They were right where they were, all day, every day. There they still are, where they're used to being. They are themselves, here and now.

SandraDodd.com/being
photo by Sandra Dodd

"Rat plate"

Sally Lopez wrote:

This was lunch for Will (3 yrs), who was busy playing games online, and for Elias (18 mos), who was napping while I was preparing it all, otherwise it probably wouldn't have stayed together long enough to snap a picture. I had a Mexican tablecloth and napkins out already, so I made some snacks with Mexican flavor to look pretty with them. The sunshine-y plate is mango, grapes, chipotle ham, and queso fresco (Mexican cheese). The other is sliced cucumber and tomato, and the little cup is a salt/chile seasoning called Tajín, for sprinkling on fresh fruit or veggies. Results: Will devoured the grapes and cheese at the computer desk and drank the water, but discarded the lime wedge. He licked a piece of mango and sampled some ham, but said it was too spicy. Then he turned off his game and asked for some leftover soup from last night and an ice cream sandwich, which he ate at the table. Elias ate a little of everything except the Tajín. He sucked on the lime wedge for a while.

We call ours a "rat plate." There's a scene in the movie "Ratatouille" where Linguini sets out a little feast for Remy, the rat, with fruit and bread and cheese. After we watched that, Will pretended to be a rat and asked for "rat food."

—Sally Lopez

SandraDodd.com/eating/ratplate
photo by Sally Lopez

Poker chips

One of our best math tools is a revolving holder full of poker chips. Babies discovered and continued stacking-patterns started by a parent or sibling. They were counted, stacked, rolled, spun and thrown. Older kids use them as coins in adventure games, or try to make patterns too hard for parents to guess.

SandraDodd.com/supplies
photos by Sandra Dodd

Playing, hanging out and listening

In response to a question about what to do first, Schuyler wrote:

You start by learning about your children. You start by playing with them. By hanging out and listening to them. By starting with them. The more you know about them, the more you know about what interests them, the more you see them and hang out with them, the easier it will be for you to find things that interest them. Don't start by looking at the wider world and trying to force it upon your children. Start with them.

—Schuyler Waynforth

SandraDodd.com/howto/
photo by Cátia Maciel