"Unschooling stems from the premise that learning is natural and personal - and as such it depends utterly on the individual's perceptions and perspectives. It is not something that can be given or created from the outside. There is no way to guarantee what another person will learn. From that perspective, teaching isn't so much bad as superstitious."
Monday, March 14, 2022
Saturday, March 12, 2022
March 2022, a note
Yesterday's has a slide show / photo gallery, at the blog / website, but it didn't work in e-mail, so here: "Beauty" (the post from yesterday)
While you're there, play with the randomizer!
And here's a photo of two of my grandkids playing at my house a few days ago.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, February 4, 2022
Choices can abound
Choices can abound. Parents can arrange life so that their children have choices all the time, and learn to see their own actions as choices rather than "have to's," but none of them can give their children "the freedom" to do as they wish at MY house. Nor in a shop, nor a public place. Certainly not in a national park, or museum, or church.
photo by Amber Ivey
Friday, January 21, 2022
Soft, peaceful, relaxed mom
"I'd just like to share that I have also relaxed my militant attitude..."I'm glad to hear that you are relaxing! I bet if your daughter could choose between a Militant Mom and a Soft, Peaceful, Relaxed Mom she would prefer the latter over the former. 🙂
photo by Rippy Dusseldorp
Monday, January 10, 2022
Powerful help
Jenny Cyphers wrote:
I want my kids to feel empowered, so I empower them. I don't want their view of the world to be tainted by "can't", "shouldn't", "wouldn't", and the like. I want their world to be full of "yes I can," I shall find a way to do what I want to do with my parent's blessing and help.
photo by Nina Haley
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Loving the non-linear
Sure, sometimes an interest will cause kids to gather up a huge chunk of learning all at once. This is easy to see. And easy to overvalue as the "best" way to learn.
More often kids will slowly gather interesting tidbits, making connections as things occur to them to create a foundation. They'll add pieces here and there over the years to build on that foundation. This is not so easy to see going on. And very easy to undervalue.
photo by Kinsey Norris
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Opportunities for expansion
Make sure your child has opportunities to expand her interests. Have books, videos, kits, games, puzzles, music tapes, puppets, nature collections, and other cool things available for her to pick up when she chooses. (Think library, yard sales, and attic treasures.) Take her places as a way to spark an interest. Wander about museums and just look at the cool stuff that interests either of you. (And resist the urge to force an interest in the things you think would be good for her.) Read a book or do a kit even if you're certain it won't lead anywhere. Let her say no thanks if she's not interested in pursuing something right now, or in pursuing something to the degree you think she "should."
photo by Sandra Dodd
Monday, November 8, 2021
What is unschooling?
photo by Kinsey Norris
Friday, October 22, 2021
Deschooling
In some ways parents need to be actively demonstrating how much BETTER staying home is to being in school. Make sure you are busy doing fun things. Give her experiences that she could never have if she was in school.
Sylvia's right—DO things. Point out in the midst of a fun activity that it's cool that she doesn't need to... get up early the next day, or wear special clothes/uniform/dress code every day, or...And you, the mom, see other things that are lucky and fortunate about it.
photo by Cátia Maciel
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Can laundry be fun?
...Can laundry be fun? If you have to do laundry and you choose NOT to enjoy it, an hour or more of your precious hours on earth have been wasted. Can looking at your child bring you joy even when he needs a bath and has lost a shoe and hasn't lived up to some expectation that only exists in your mind? If not, a paradigm shift could help you both.
The quote above is on the new page, though it is from
Rejecting a Pre-Packaged Life (SandraDodd.com/joy)
photo by Cathy Koetsier
Monday, September 6, 2021
Easy cure
"If you don't feel like you're doing enough, do more. Easy cure. 🙂"
Jill Parmer quoted me, and added:
"As I paid closer attention to my kids, and less about what I should put into them, I found it easier to find ways to do more. Like lingering longer at an ethnic grocery so they could look around, and finding things that would relate to their favorite games, or their interests."
Experiences / Building an Unschooling Nest (chat transcript)
photo by Sarah S
__
Thursday, September 2, 2021
No substitute
There is no substitute for being authentically "there" for them—for genuinely trying to help them resolve problems. For putting your relationship with them at the forefront of every interaction, whether it is playing together or working together.
None of us are perfect—we'll all have some regrets. But with my kids 19, 16, and 13, I can now say that I will never say anything like, "I wish I'd let them fight it out more," or "I wish I'd punished them more," or "I wish I'd yelled at them more." I will only ever say that I wish I'd been more patient, more attentive, more calm and accepting of the normal stresses of having young children.
One interaction at a time. Just make the next interaction a relationship-building one. Don't worry about the one AFTER that, until IT becomes "the next one."
photo by Roya Dedeaux
__
Pam's offspring are all in their 30s now, and being kind to Pam's grandchildren.
Sunday, August 15, 2021
The next interaction
Stop thinking about changing "for good and not just for days or moments." That is just another thing to overwhelm you and you don't need that!
Just change the next interaction you have with the kids.
Stop reading email right now and do something "preventative"—'something that helps build your relationship with them.
Fix them a little tray of cheese and crackers and take it to them, wherever they are, unasked. Sit down on the floor and play with them. If nothing else, just go and give each of them a little hug and a kiss and say, "I was just thinking about how much I love you."
Okay—so that is one good, positive interaction.
Again—just change the next interaction you have with the kids. Focus on making the next interaction another one that builds up your relationship.
I appreciate that Pam Sorooshian has let me collect her writing and quote her for many years. There are others who have been similarly wise and generous. It is a gift I enjoy every time I come across their words. —Sandra
photo by Elaine Santana
Monday, August 9, 2021
"Same-old" can be new
Don't be bored and boring! Look for joy in moments. Shine your own light on things.
photo by Sarah Dickinson
__
Friday, May 28, 2021
A natural part of the world
I responded:
No, they are natural parts of their OWN world.
Robyn Coburn mediated with: "I believe the visiting alien idea, is one that is mostly useful as an aid to assist impatient or pushy parents (probably not Unschoolers) to be more compassionate—an analogy rather than a true metaphor. One thing that seems to unite Unschoolers is acceptance of their children's individual timetables."
photo by Julie D
Friday, May 14, 2021
Math and logic over superstition
Messages about deprivation are in most people's heads, passed down from parents and grandparents. I was told once, "You need to frustrate them."
No, that was NOT a need I had.
Be gentle and sweet and kind and attentive. Your child benefits, the relationship is stronger, and it makes the parent a better person.
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Do it; be it
Just Do it. ● Don't talk it. ● Be it.
photo by Sarah Dickinson, of a Kitty Letter game in progress
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Sometimes thinking is shared
If a child wants to share his thoughts with you, take it as a compliment. Be honored.
Honor him by listening to him as a full human sharing real ideas.
Those are the moments faith and trust are made of. Be a person he'll come back to next time, next year, when he's grown.
photo by Ester Siroky
__
Friday, March 26, 2021
Playing with them
photo by Kinsey Norris, "Rat Town"
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Comforting and comfortable
Life can be based on comforting others, on finding ways to be comfortable ourselves. I don't mean comfortably wealthy, I mean being at peace—not making other people uncomfortable. There are emotional and mental and physical comforts most people never knew existed, but unschoolers have learned to get used to them! |
photo by Sandra Dodd