Top 5 Essentials to Unschooling

Unschooling requires key traits  from parents.

Trust
-in the child
-process of learning
-in themselves

Active participation
-encouragement of the interest of each child
-modeling involvement in own passion
-interest in the ideas and desires of child

 Connection
-time together
-speaking each child's love language (see Gary Chapman's  5 Love Languages book)
-supplying needs and wants without being asked

Time
-to dig into interest
-to take child to activities and/or watch activities
-to discover and develop passions

Enthusiasm
-eagerness to embark on new ideas
-zeal for life and diversity within it
-devotion to learning and exploration through living life

Each child was placed in your home by God because you have what it takes to be the parent that child needs. Get out there---LIVE, LEARN, & ENJOY.

Baseball Set of Lessons

Baseball, the all consuming season of practices, games, schedules, wins, and losses.  Mostly beautiful weather finds us outside supporting our son.  Watching him grow, improve, and learn from this strategic game, continues to amaze me.

Valuable lessons discovered:
-accomplishments achieved from hard work
-follow through with your commitments
-teamwork 
-listening to authority
-good sportsmanship on and off the field 
-respect for yourself and others
-importance of strategy
-the difference family support makes
-acceptance of skill level (yourself and others)
-time management

Get out there and play ball!

Simple Comparison

I LOVE this graphic.  In fact, I should print it in bookmark size so I can refer to it when quizzed by others about our homeschooling method.  

Unschooling is more of a natural learning process.  Information learned is linked together in areas of interest instead of designated to individual subjects.  Are all subjects learned? Sure, but not in equal segments of time spread out through the day.  

Children and parents work together to understand, inquire, and process interest.  Unlike the presumed concept of unschooling, kids are not turned loose to "figure it out" on their own.  Parents are involved in providing information, processing questions, and creating the environment conducive to their family's learning styles and interest.  

Goals are set by student, which means student is invested in achieving goals.  Why is this key?  Have you ever been successful at dieting when put on a diet by someone else?  Of course not.  Until you deem it is important to achieve, achievement in any area isn't happening. 

 Even as a teacher I detested box curriculum.  One size fits all doesn't work for education.  Some parents pick and choose different curriculum for each subject and that works for them.  Experience has been the number 1 factor in learning for kids I taught in public school and my own children.  This is why we chose to camp, play games, explore, and visit the zoo and museums   

The best is learning happens all the time when you embrace the unschooling lifestyle.  Always learning!

Tea Time

Each month or maybe more often, we find it fun to get out the poetry books and tea set, bake a yummy treat, and have a "poetry tea time."  Everyone enjoys plenty of sugar and laughs along the way.  I found this poem during one of these poetry tea time shared with the kids.

Invitation

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

If you are a pretender,

Come sit by the fire,

For we have some flas-golden tales to spin,

Come in!

Come in!

by Shel Silverstein

This poem speaks to me that those with a desire for more and a belief that more is available learn from life and find a love for life along the way.

Why I Don't Shop Costco!

While I LOVE the idea of buying in bulk and not having to worry about our toilet paper supply for at least 6 months, I just can't shop at Costco.  Why ?

1.  It is so far from my house, like a good 30 minute drive.

2.  The trip itself will become the activity of the entire day with making list, driving to store, shopping, loading car, driving home, unloading car, putting away items, finding storage space for items bought in bulk.  

3.  The kids will have to go with me which means bribes of pizza, ice-cream, huge bags of chocolate, and snacks not on the list.  

4.  It is exhausting!

I know shopping at Costco will save money, mean less shopping, and is full of opportunities for learning.  But right now it is just exhausting.  Now if Costco will build a store closer to my house so I don't put the trip off for 6 months at a time, I will write a blog post on the joys of shopping at Costco.  

Mondays

I confess I am an early bird. I cherish my morning workouts whether it is yoga or a run.  That time alone is so refreshing.  Equally refreshing is relaxing while enjoying a cup of coffee while children sleep in.  A busy weekend of baseball, hiking, church, friends has them worn out.  This morning I am just thankful for a slow Monday morning.  We may even make it a "movie Monday" once they get up.  

So often Mondays are dreaded because of the "back to grind" mentality.  A benefit of homeschooling allows be to create a peaceful, energizing Monday instead of stress filled fast pace.  I can honestly say I love Mondays more and more. 

Rethink the package our culture is giving you. Mondays don't have to be a struggle. Make your Monday great! 

Persistence

Anyone knows fishing takes persistence!  While I have attempted to fish many many times, I just can't get into it.  Currently, there are 2 anglers in my home.  My husband and my son.  Since moving to Idaho, both have seriously taken up fly fishing, which is an entirely new level of persistence.  Bubba took up fly-tying this winter to spur his love of fishing on through the down time.  Creating and tying an original fly to catch this beautiful brown trout proved to be extremely rewarding.

 Homeschooling is all about persistence as well.  As moms, we spend our days living and learning with our children.  You must bring stamina, tenacity, and just plain grit to your daily life.  Whether you choose to implement the "perfect" curriculum at the time, support passions and talents, and/or play along side your children, you will encounter disagreeable attitudes, cranky outburst, and push back to your choices.  Many times these reactions aren't even from your kids.  You must persevere because that moment when your child hugs you, thanks you for the time you spent helping them, and/or shares the best part of their day was the book you read with them is so extremely rewarding.  If we aren't persistent, we will miss these moments.  I don't want to miss a single one.  What about you?

#outsideeveryday

This month we embarked on the Outside Everyday challenge.  Not only will this stretch us to get outside everyday but for me to get on Instagram.  

Alisha at Learning From My Kids is one of the few people I enjoy watching on periscope, so when she scoped on the lack of time children spend outside and placed an Outside Everyday Challenge, I was hooked!  

If you are looking for inspiration to get out and enjoy the fresh air, find a sunny spot to read this book.  I guarantee you eyes will be opened to the value of nature in all our lives but especially this generation of children.

Invite Your Kids Into Your World

Regularly practicing yoga at a local studio has been part of my routine for several years now.  I crave the quiet, peace, and prayer time it allows my spirit to enjoy.  Sis requested to go along with me on a Sunday evening.  Knowing the class was a restorative practice led by a patient, thoughtful woman, I felt free to have her attend with me.  After providing all pertinent information--we can't chat, focus on your breathing, and don't compare yourself to others.  She truly enjoyed it and wrote down the next class in her planner in order to remind herself to attend.  

Many times parents are encouraged to use desired activities as incentives to force kids to work towards.  If I would have taken this path, I would have missed the opportunity to enjoy the moment with my daughter, watching her experience a piece of  "my daily world."  Next time you child wants to accompany you and honestly their is no reason she can't, let her and enjoy that time, that look, that amazement.