What is Unschooling?

I often get asked to define Unschooling, and have never really been able to provide a definition. I am going to try harder!

Unschooling is about Trust.
I trust that my children will retain the curiosity with which they were born.
I trust that they will search to satisfy that curiosity, and turn to me when they need a nudge.
I trust that they are loving, kind, generous human beings and will behave in such a manner as often as possible.
I trust that they know their bodies and will provide themselves with what they need at any given time.
I trust that I have modeled for them the morals I believe I have been called to share, and God will speak to them as He does me.
I trust that they will hear His voice, and He will direct their paths.
I trust that if they have a need, they will tell me. If they are unable or unwilling to tell me,
I trust that I know them well enough to nurture anyway.
I trust that the people in our lives will see the blessings my children exude and love them with all their ability.
I trust that my children will seek the company of others who are loving and inspiring.
I trust that in our family truth is paramount, even when it is difficult.
I trust that we will all work together for joy.
I trust that we are all on the same journey, and will have wonderful experiences along the way. I trust that my children are the best they can be, right at this very moment.

Embracing the Moment

Spring has sprung with gusto here at our house! New plantings, new colors, new animals...and tons of new activities. I have said before that homeschooling is a complete misnomer, but somehow we still always get "How do they socialize?" from nearly everyone we meet.

Well, I'll tell you how:

Sunday is usually a church day, so they get to see real human being there most weeks. This week, however, Blessing 3 had a Gymnastics Sectional. We all saw friends there, and even managed a nice lunch afterwards, with friends even!

Monday was delivery day for our food co-op, there were quite a few friends there too. After delivery Blessing 3 went to gymnastics and Blessing 2 started a Tae Kwon Do class. There were friends there, too, and some of them even came back to our house for supper.

Tuesday is swimming class, there are friends there...are you seeing a pattern yet? After swimming Blessings 2 & 3 went home with friends to play at the beach, go boating, dig holes in the back yard, ride bikes....I have no idea what other fun they had as I have not yet seen them this (Wednesday) morning. Blessing 1 picked her best friend up from school and they came back here to finish homework, eat everything in sight and make a total mess of the kitchen.

Today is Wednesday. Blesssing 1 gets her braces off today (where we always run into someone) then we are heading to the library and then to get chewy bagels. Later this afternoon Blessing 3 has gymnastics and Blessing 2 has golf. There are 15 boys signed up for golf, which should make for a very fun Spring season. Last year there were girls and boys, and the kids kind of split off by gender. I can't wait to see how they interact this season!

Tomorrow is our day off. I typically try to leave Thursday's open in case we need a day to just rest or reconnect. Blessing 2 has an optional Tae Kwon Do class in the late afternoon, but I am envisioning a day of relaxing at the beach or reading on the patio. It is such a gift to have a day in the middle of the week to do whatever we want!!

Friday Blessing 3 has gymnastics and Blessing 2 has Tae Kwon Do. Blessing 1 usually has a friend here for the weekend so her day is spent frantically finishing up her lessons and getting her room into some semblance of order.

Saturday's are Daddy day. Blessing 3 has gym in the morning, and after I drop her off I am going to work for a few hours (someone has to pay for all this fun!). So Daddy will pick her up then he is in charge of all things fun and exciting till I get home in time for family supper time.

Sunday we get up and do it all over again!

Testing

What is the point of Standardized Testing? The name alone is offensive. Do we really want to live in a world where every person has exactly the same level of knowledge? These tests do not measure the quality or even breadth of one's education. They are a joke, really.

Homeschoolers in New York are required to test, using one of several options approved by the NYS Education Department. The one my family uses is the California Achievement Test. It is a format with which the kids are comfortable, it goes in 20 minute increments, and is relatively clear in it's instructions. I do not mind the test itself, honestly. I think it is a great tool for gauging where a child should be and seeing where you should be heading. However, using this tool as the be all end all to quantifying the value of a life's worth of education is ridiculous.

I want my children to be thinkers, problem solvers, creative reasoners. I want them to be pioneers, inventors, artists! Yes, I do believe it is important for them to know how to formulate an intelligent sentence and solve simple math equations. I think they should know important historical events and have a general understanding of geography. But who is to say what is important? Half the contries I learned about in middle school World Cultures don't even exsist today. And my kids have a whole new technological world that I could not have even imagined. How much of my education do I use in my daily life? To be honest, not a whole lot. Most of the skills and talents for which I am employed I learned on the fly in my adult life. Truly, in my return to the work force after kids adult life!

I do not care if my kids can identify a hanging participle or an indirect object. I care that they can coherently articulate their thoughts and enjoy good literature. I am not interested in torturing them into memorizing multiplication facts. I care that they know how to findt he answers they need. I care that they are curious about how things work and how to make their daily lives more fun!!

There is nothing better then seeing the look on a child's face when they discover something for the first time. There is no greater joy than seeing a dream brought to fruition by their own determination. These are the lessons I want to teach my children. Dreams can come true, and they can make it happen. I will be here, cheering them on and hopefully providing the inspiration and the courage to try.

Leprechaun Traps?

I had bever heard of such a thing! And while me dear friend Shelly, whom I have known since Kindergarten, was complaining about having to make one, the prospect was intriguing to me! To be fair, she has 5, public schooled children and she is a wonderful, active, involved Mom. So multiply all the silly, time wasting projects kids (read:parents) get assigned by 5 and she has certainly done more than her fair share!

Today is raining like crazy, and I have off. Kenny III is at his new home, with a new family, and so it is just me and my girls. While they were sleeping (till Noon, no less) I ran out to Target to gather some supplies. Upon returning home I asked the girls if they wanted to make Leprechaun Traps. Kyleigh's eyes lit up and she literally jumped up and down and ran to get whatever she thought would be useful. Jessie, in true teenage fashion, rolled her eyes and looked at me like I had 4 heads. Then I reminded her that if there were no trap the Leprechaun's would have no effort to reward. She, ever her mother's daughter, replied "The leprechaun's have been good to me already, no need for more." Smartass! But, she must have had a change of heart, as she is happily creating away with her sister. Jessie is utilizing her physics skills to build a ladder! Kyleigh says she will build stairs out of Legos.

I am so blessed to have this time with my kids, building memories and traditions, however silly they may be.

No Spring Fever here!

Parents, teachers and children alike are all complaining about being cooped up inside during these new days of sunshine and warmer weather. Once again I am reminded of how blessed we are to have made this life for ourselves.
Our days have been spent walking through our towns, taking beach walks in search of treasure (and seals), playing tennis, riding bikes and enjoying the warming sun. Even more special, is that we are able to do these things all together (or not, as is sometimes the choice). It is so much fun to watch the kids discover the first bulbs peeking through the ground, or spot the first robin of the season. As we were walking last week Kenny III noticed the first osprey returning. What a glorious sight!
I am also grateful, as we experience the first night of daylight savings time, that my kids can sleep till they're done. We have a full day planned today, of bike rides and tennis and a little produce shopping then an evening of homemade pizzas and a movie.
I love spending these times with my kids, and try to be as thankful as possible for each moment.