Ridiculous (to me) statements

These statements were made in a conversation about my homeschooled children with someone in the system, very in the system.

*The world is changing and they won't be prepared for the future*

*They need to go to highschool to get scholarships for college*

*They are missing out on experiences that their counterparts are experiencing*

*I would hate to see them living at home when they are 30*

Yes, I need to let it go but it is so absurd that I had to tell someone!

Just to be clear I did not mention Unschooling, this person thinks what they think about homeschooling.

Tuesday

Why do mosquito bites itch?
Hawaiian Islands
Cyborgs
Robots
Pictionary
Clue
Wallaby
Butterflies
Kangaroos
Rabbits
Tongue Twisters
Legos
PS2
WOW
TV
Internet
Store
Drawing
Lots of questions and talking

That's off the top of my head,
I have a hard time remembering everything. I normally wouldn't care but  need to  learn how to keep track of stuff when I start registering.

So I think that I will try to keep tab on things we learn about.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Bangs :: head
2. Diaper :: bag
3. Coffee table :: haven't had one in 14 years
4. Cops ::  a plea
5. Matches :: fire
6. 250 :: 300
7. Hurricane :: Earl
8. Bad :: attitude
9. Confirmation :: number
10. Fiber :: flaxseed

Luna Nina

I used to play this every week, it can be fun, try it  :)

Enjoy Life Unschooling giveaway

Enjoy Life Unschooling is having their first giveaway.

There will be five winners.

The winners will receive an organic cotton (natural color) tote with the Enjoy Life Unschooling logo in Terracotta.

Check out the link, these totes look cool.

Good Luck!

Sleepover aftermath

The kids had fun, boy it sure is a mess :)

OY!

I can only be so hopeful for change and then talk to someone who would never change. Some people will never shift, they like their box, they like the school model and live by it accordingly.

It is frustrating for me as I am speaking of my own father. I can't figure out why he thinks my kids won't be prepared for the future, the world is changing and school is the best preparation?

What?

My kids have an advantage because they are free to learn as they wish. I think they will be more ready for the world because they live in it. They aren't holed up in some little box all day being carroted around.

I think I made a new word...hee hee, I was referring to the carrot and stick...

I don't usually get into these discussions with people I know are unwavering. It happended though because my dad and I have a very strained relationship, it's more so now that I spoke up.

The truth is I'm glad we are not nearby so he can't constantly critique my children. I know that seems harsh but it's how I feel.

I usually let things he says roll, but I have to speak up now and again to defend myself.

I am not a complete idiot and I'm pretty confident that my kids are fine and will continue to grow and learn at their pace.

Changing the system

My husband asked me how would I start to implement change in the school system because in reality you can't just close schools.

Unfortunately not everyone will homeschool...

I think that first I would lift the compulsary attendance law or at the very least raise the age. People shouldn't be forced to send their child away to an institution at a young age. Children should be with their parents for as long as they can.

I would do away with grades. When people are learning, they shouldn't be graded on their process. When you learn it for real, you know it, you retain it. Real learning is an individual process and is disrupted by schooling, teaching, grading and testing.

I would also do away with standardized tests or any tests for that matter for the reason stated above.

If school was more interesting and less rigid about pushing grades and tests more kids would learn and more would enjoy being there.

My ideal if you will... is schools being  run more like libraries or community learning centers.

They will be there for people who can't or won't homeschool.

Not compulsary, if it's so great people will choose to attend.

Facilitators who love what they know and want to share their knowledge could host *classes*

People of all ages could pick and choose what they wanted.

I disagree with age segregation. Age has nothing to do with knowledge. Everyone is individual and should be able to learn at their pace.

The whole system is outdated and obsolete as a way of learning.

If our tax dollars are going to be spent on *education* we should make it productive and useful and even enjoyable.

All the lawmakers are doing is throwing money at those with high test scores and doing nothing to improve the quality of life for these kids.

I don't expect to see much *change* in the near future. Many people write daily on the woes of public schooling but nothing is being done to change it.

I believe that too many are ingrained that school is the way and it's hard to get them to shift their paradigm's.

Sure it's nice to think of ways that the kids who have to be there could be nourished and not depleted but I don't know how to go about that.

Just putting some thoughts down, wish I could remember everything I said to my husband. He was playing devil's advocate and asking me lots of questions.

Keeps me on my toes :)

Picking Up the Pieces

It’s easy unschooling when everything’s going well, but what about when it’s not?

Last year my family went through a serious financial crisis, my husband lost his job and was out of work for 4 months.

We have never had a lot of money, always lived on one income, paycheck to paycheck but when there was no paycheck for months life was  completely different.

We have always unschooled and in my mind and life unschooling isn't about academics, it's about learning through living. Unschooling is a philosophy and it's a lifestyle, we live therefore we learn.

So I was very stressed out, high blood pressure, anxiety, hormones out of whack, just not well. I've been having health issues for awhile and the stress from that situation really made me much worse.

The kids really did well, I mean we all adjusted going without things we were used to having. Relying on help from friends and strangers. So many of my online friends helped us through, I will never forget the generosity, I hold it in my heart.

It was hard but we were honest with the kids about not having any money, we ran out of things and couldn't replace them. We did just eek by with the bare necessities. We only lost power once, briefly and lost internet for a week or two.

We stayed home mostly and just used the things we had in the house to play with. We met some wonderful *angels* who blessed us greatly at Christmas. Yes, we had Christmas with presents and food all given to us by kind, generous people.

We learned a lot about kindness and helping others. We also learned that some agencies that are supposed to help you in time of need was just a bunch of bureacratic bullshit.

I believe because we have always unschooled that the kids just kept doing what they do the best they could. We learned a lot of real life stuff in those months. We grew stronger and closer and had to work together even more than usual.

We had to move (foreclosure) so we just did what we had to do to pack and clean and move. We are in a much better place physically and mentally now. My husband got a job at the end of December and we are climbing our way out of the hole that unemployment caused.

We have also been able to help several people in the past few months and it feels so good to help someone who truly needs it.

So while things seemed to be going all wrong, we perservered and stuck together and got through it.

Unschooling for us truly is a way of life, we adjust and go with lifes turns and twists all the while learning so much each day.

Because I am that mom, I lost count on how many times Jared said *mom, look* so my train of thought is gone...

This post was inspired by the Enjoy Life Unschooling Carnival.

I'm that mom

This post is inspired by Ronnie go to the link and see lots of entries in the comments :)

I've been trying to think about what makes me *that mom* I mean honestly I just do what I do for my kids because they are awesome people who deserve to be loved, respected and really listened to.

I honor their likes and dislikes, I cut the crust off the bread, I make them what they want to eat regardless if it's what I made for everyone else.

They play hockey in the living room and build forts and do experiments in the bathroom.

I'm that mom that inspires neighbor kids to want to spend all day at our  house and ask me to adopt them.

I'm that mom that let's her kids BE kids. Play in the mud, play in the rain, play in the hose, get dirty and explore. Guess what kids are washable :)

I'm that mom that reads the same book over and over, that answers countless questions each day, that comes when called to:

Mom, come here.
Mom, look.
Mom, what is this?

I'm that mom who does her best to find a way to say yes, even if it's not now but let's figure out how we could do that.

I'm that mom that will play a game with her child even if she really didn't want to because it makes the kid happy and in turn it makes me feel good.

Today I was that mom who let her 8 yr old play with a plastic produce bag in Whole Foods. He had a blast playing with that bag, it kept him occupied the whole time :)

I'm that mom who wants her kids to be happy and free and does her best to make that possible.

Learning happens

We all know the phrase *shit happens* right?

Well *Learning happens*

It is natural, it is individual, it is real and it is part of being alive and kicking.

Learning happens!

No shit!

Some days it explodes!

Some times there is so much info being shared, discussed and researched in this house that I can't keep up.

Lots of great stuff was discovered tonight, Jason said is it after midnight yet?

Ha ha! Of course we learned lots of stuff on Learn Nothing Day because we know it's impossible not to learn.

Annual Learn Nothing Day

Well it's that time again when unschoolers try not to learn anything.

We all know it's impossible but it's fun to try.

I'm sure I already failed and it's only 12:38 am :)

Enjoy your day.

Learning happens.

You can't stop it.

Just wish the mainstream folks picked up on that :)

When did this become the *Norm*

I think about things a lot and sometimes I actually verbalize them or write about it.

Soon after birth we(as a society) send our kids away for at least 12 years. If we do daycare and preschool then it's much longer than that.

Then in the high school years we push them about getting into college, then we send them away for another 2, 4, 6 or 8 years depending on how long they stay in college.

How does this promote families?

How is this a good thing?

 How is this considered the thing to do?

How can you have a real relationship with them?

Do you even know them?


I did not have kids to send them away. It never even crossed my mind to send them to school.

We planned on homeschooling before we had kids.

I left college to be a mother.

Being a mother is the best decision I have ever made.  We have 4 awesome people to share our lives with, why would I send them away for somone else to raise?

Why send them to government daycare ,aka prison, aka school?

I just can't understand how sending our kids away during their young years is a good thing.

Well it's not a good thing at all.

Happy Birthday Jared

Happy  8th Birthday to my sweet boy!

Late night life

I have always been a late night person, I feel better at night. Over the years my kids have been staying up later and later.

Our kids have never had a set time that they had to go to bed. We have evolved into really late nighters more and more.

It has been so hot lately that they are staying up all night and sleeping late in the day. I think this will pass as time goes on and the seasons change. Isn't that life? Growing and changing with the times and seasons literally and figuratively.

Lately we have been going out at night around the neighborhood, last night we went out at 10:30pm. I walk and the kids all ride bikes. It's a way to get a little exercise and fresh air when it's a little more tolerable. Did I mention we have been in the high 90's with heat indexes in the low 100's, it was 104 last I checked. So the weather is having a bearing on our activities and times we do them.

We have lots of late night talks. We discuss all sorts of things. We sometimes play games or watch tv, a few might be on a computer, or drawing or playing.

They get pretty creative and play and make stuff up. The other night they were drawing, looking up how to draw ____ on the computer. They made all sorts of cool pictures that were left for me to see when I got up.


Pretty much what you do during the day we do at night. Learning happens all the time, life is 24/7 you should choose when you want to be awake and sleeping. The world is always awake, we have 24 hour stores and people who work the night shift. We do need people who are night time people to help the world run smoothly.

I remember a time several years ago ( like 8 or 9 years ago) that we used to prompt Kieran to start winding down or head to bed around 10pm. It wasn't a bedtime it was just a suggestion. Well Cassie was a toddler and she was up well until midnight running around. One night he asked why he had to go to bed while his little sister didn't.

Well Hello!      Lightbulb!

You don't HAVE to go to bed, you can go to bed when you want, I never thought of it, it was just a routine. What I think happened is he realized he wanted to stay up and so he did.

He would be asleep by midnight or earlier but because he wanted to. Actually Kieran still goes to bed before the younger kids, he is 15 now.

 It is important to listen to our internal clocks. Mine is all messed up after years of getting up for school even though I couldn't fall asleep until late at night.

I suffered migraines and insomnia because I had to conform to something that wasn't natural for me.

Right now Cassie is going through changes, she has herself on a really different  sleep/wake schedule. She has been staying up all night and sleeping all day. Then all this week she was getting up at like 7 am and going back to sleep around 10 or 11 am and then sleeping the whole afternoon. She has been really tired and requiring more sleep, I believe it is body changes, possibly the start of puberty?

What I do know is that she is tired and is requiring more sleep than usual so she is listening to her body and sleeping regardless of what time is on the clock.

My husband does have a day job and he goes to bed when he is tired and he gets up in the morning to go to work. He is a morning person but he also stays up later than most people who get up for work do.

Whenever daddy goes to bed that means it's time to quiet things down so he gets his sleep. Once in a while they will forget and get loud and wake him, but most of the time he sleeps undisturbed.

When they were babies they slept and woke on their own time, we never messed with that. So many people have kids and try to make them fit nicely into their lifestyle and schedule. Well I think that causes problems, babies know when they are tired and hungry or wet etc.....  We need to continue to trust and foster that as they grow.

Why do we have to live on an 8-5 work/school/day, bed by 9pm, up at 6am. I guarantee you that only a small percentage of the population actually thrive on that schedule.

School has set our young people up to live on their schedule regardless of what is natural. I know we as unschoolers do not live on any type of school schedule.

We live and learn naturally, we sleep when we are tired.

"I can't help noting that no cultures in the world that I have ever heard of make such a fuss about children's bedtimes, and no cultures have so many adults who find it so hard either to go to sleep or wake up. Could these social facts be connected? I strongly suspect they are."







~John Holt~ Teach Your Own

This might get personal

I used to blog about all sorts of stuff...unschooling, public school, parenting, politics, hormones, whatever the hell floated my boat.

Then... my life took a turn...

I have been really... kind of... well... miserable.... My hormone imbalance has pretty much taken over my life. Then we had unemployment and lots of stress and we moved and all that is over now.

I am seeking answers for my physical/emotional issues.

I have been making dietary changes, off of wheat and gluten for two weeks now. I stopped using my estrogen cream because it turns out that I am way overdosed. My estrogen and progestertone are sky high and many other things were revealed in a saliva test that I did.

I have just been living in a fog, trying to just do what I can... dishes, laundry, take care of my kids.... That's about it, really, I'm struggling with lots of pent of emotions and physical discomfort. I'm visiting another doctor next week, searching for answers.

I am still here, still advocating unschooling! I just haven't been able to write much about it.

My kids have grown so much, I'm in awe, it is happening way too fast. I really just want to enjoy it, enjoy them... I want to get well and be healed so I can live instead of just survive.

Bob the cat

This is Bob, he has adopted us. He started hanging around about 2 weeks ago. The kids started to play with him and give him milk or something to eat. He kept coming back everyday and now he is here most of the time.
 I was at Petsmart buying dog food and bought cat food and a dish for him.

I think he is here to stay until he finds a better gig.

I am allergic to cats and the kids have always wanted one. I used to say we could have one if it stayed outside, and he just happened to find us.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Executive :: order
2. Director :: movies
3. Dress :: up
4. Studio :: recording
5. Accountant :: number cruncher
6. Unit :: of measurement
7. Engaged :: interested
8. Safety :: first
9. Post :: after
10. Dialogue :: conversation

Luna Nina

Hey Media! Leave unschoolers alone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_bvT-DGcWw


If I was a talented song writer I would make an awesome parody.

I've come up with a few lines but Hey media leave us unschoolers alone is sufficient for me at the moment.

Unschooling and the mainstream media

Here is the latest mainstream blip on Nightline trying to discredit unschooling. Here is Dayna's explanation of what happened.

Personally I do not want unschooling advertised via maintream media to the general public. I truly believe that they can't handle it because it is so different than the box they are in.

The general public has a hard time accepting homeschooling as a viable educational option. Many believe that we need strict laws and government oversight. I do not understand this thinking, I went to school just as they did and I do not want to subject my children to that.

Unschooling brings in all sorts of misconceptions. If children are free to eat, sleep, wake and do what they want how will they ever learn to live in the REAL world.

I don't know about you but school is about as artificial as you can get. There is no real world in school. Being locked up in a cell with 30 kids your own age being forcefed useless facts and moving to a bell. How is that the REAL world?

We live and learn in the REAL world. Our kids learn about real life as they live it.

Our kids learn to listen to their bodies to know when they are hungry, tired or have to go to the bathroom.

They learn about current events as they are happening in the REAL world.

They follow their interests and learn according to their own personal time frame and ability.

They read when they are ready by living in a world full of words.

They write, they do real life math, they learn about history and geography by living and questioning.

Kids are curious...So many questions, all day, everyday. Google is our friend.

Kids do not need to be taught, they don't need lesson plans and curriculum and scopes and tests and comparisons.

They need freedom to grow and learn and be and do and question and answer and explore and just LIVE!

They need parents who are willing to allow them the freedom to grow and learn and be facilators and guides and mentors and partners.

I say question everything, do not take my word at face value.
My kids are thinkers and questioners.

They live and learn in the REAL world without school.

School doesn't exist in our lives but REAL learning does.

We just want to be left alone to live and learn and enjoy our freedoms without anyone taking them away.

Mocking Birds

Baby birds squeaking for food, May 22nd.

Here they are May 29th.

May 31st and then they flew.

Mama Bird watching us watch them.

We had another nest in our yard, it was right outside our bedroom window.

There were 3 little baby birds. They squeaked every hour on the hour for mama to feed them. She must have been exhausted. I know I was cause they kept waking me up.

It has been really neat to experience the life cycle right outside our window.