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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 7:06pm | IP Logged
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My dd 12 is pretty much unschooling. I am having my monthly panic attack. 
I am reading the Millmans' book, Home Schooling, and it is helping me relax a little. However, she just seems to be doing so little right now! She is doing Lial Basic College Mathematics and Warriner's grammar on a regular basis. She reads constantly and I try to get her to do some history reading along with her pleasure reading (Jane Austen, LM Montgomery, and Dickens lately). We have been watching Planet Earth and The Learning Company History DVD's recommended on Serendipity. She is also working hard on the piano. She is self-taught.
So, she is doing a variety of things, just not a whole lot of anything. And she is spending a lot of time on silly things like reading Dilbert comics on the computer and doing Sudoku. The one thing she isn't doing at all is writing.
I am looking for advice as far as encouraging writing without assigning stuff for the sake of assigning it. I have Bible-based Writing Lessons from IEW, but every time I suggest pulling it out she scoffs.
I also am looking for suggestions for her Confirmation prep. Again, she has read the Prove It books, done the Bible History book in the past, and just finished The Screwtape Letters. What she doesn't want is a textbook approach. So, I am trying to find alternative approaches just to make sure she is still learning and growing in her Faith. I think she thinks she knows it all, which, as far as any textbook would go, she does. I probably need to check the archives for Confirmation prep ideas.
I think these winter days of hibernating leave lots of "free time". I have a bad habit of wanting to "fill" that time for her. Maybe I am just jealous because I would love to cuddle on the couch with Jane Austen and a cup of hot tea! I just can't stop worry that I am letting her develop bad habits. I am never sure how much to push.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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LLMom
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 7:10pm | IP Logged
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Wow, Molly. From what you write, it seems to me like she is doing a lot. Have you suggested having her write about something she likes such as reviews on Amazon of some of those books she is reading, blogging, etc? Also, maybe for the religion, ask her what she wants to study. Just some ideas.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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Lara Sauer
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 7:22pm | IP Logged
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Reviews for Amazon...very creative. I might have to use that one of these days.
Molly, how about using some of this winter down time and reading some books together so you and she can go to Starbucks and have your own "book/coffee" club? There are some really fun books that you could read together. And for confirmation prep, Andrew and I read through the book, Philadelphia Catholic in King Jame's Court. There is a study guide that we worked through. We would actually take turns reading the chapters to each other and we did it when the other kids were in bed...he still talks about how much he enjoyed that book.
Hope it all works out.
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folklaur
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 7:45pm | IP Logged
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teachingmyown wrote:
| My dd 12 is pretty much unschooling. I am having my monthly panic attack. |
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Deep breath, Mom!
She sounds like she is doing a lot!
I think having her blog might be a great way to get her to write. Blogging is fun. :)
But really - she sounds like she is doing great. :)
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Leonie
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 8:25pm | IP Logged
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Sounds like she is doing a lot! Really. 
With Confirmation prep, we read together. Just mum and kid time, so it was less assigned but more reading and talking and memorising together. We read bios of saints, too, especially a help when choosing Confirmation names. ALso read Mere Christianity.
I wouldn't worry a lot about writing. It tends to come in spurts. We did set up a journaling nook with journals and nature journals and pencils and water colours and journal starters in the sitting toom. Making it cozy . This used to help with encouraging more writing.
So does blogging and email. And routines - we used to all journal together on Sunday nights after Mass. Now, we keep a holiday/travel journal - every time we go away we all write and paste and draw.
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Leonie in Sydney
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Willa
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 8:53pm | IP Logged
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Gosh, Molly, that sounds like more than my kids do when they are on task
I know what you mean though; I always get antsy when I see kids relaxing....my 12 yo is just rereading the Redwall books for about the 100th time. And he likes to make Bionicle comics on the computer.... I have to remember that I had down time as a child and it didn't seem to hurt. I probably could have used more down time than I had.
My daughter got her writing in at that age by round robin stories with friends; pen pal correspondence; an occasional article for a friend's newsletter; and occasional participation on "safe" message boards and email groups.
One thing we did once that worked quite well was a daily "free writing" for the whole group of children (15 down to 2 back then) . Even the toddler was in his high chair with crayons and scratch paper. We set the timer for 20 minutes. I don't know, maybe it's too structured for your daughter. My kids were OK with it and it was quite successful. It can be challenging to find something that will work!
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Willa
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 9:47pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Ladies! She was just quizzing me about which books I have read in my life. I have always loved to read, but she has read so much more! I had to remind her that I did go to school growing up so I had to squeeze in time for reading.  So, I guess she is at least getting a well-rounded literature education.
I think I will have her set up a blog. She likes to critique mine, anyway. Also, I need to encourage letter writing again. She hasn't had luck with finding someone to write back, so maybe a pen pal or two from here?
I will remind her that she needs to be picking a saint and encourage her to read some more of the Vision books. It has been a while since she has read any of those.
Thanks again!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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vmalott
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| Posted: Jan 29 2009 at 8:21am | IP Logged
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Molly,
My 14yodd is a writer of fan fiction and has been doing it for a couple of years at an online forum. I just did a search for Jane Austen fan fiction and came up with this link:
Derbyshire Writers' Guild
There is also
FanFiction.net, which you can search by book/series title (Anne of Green Gables was listed, as was Jane Austen). This site looks like it has a rating system for how suitable content is for particular audiences...so that might be something you would want to check out before letting her have free reign.
Just a thought that this might jumpstart a new hobby. My daughter is into anime, so that's her writing focus. She even keeps stories in a journal so she can write late at night when she's supposed to be sleeping. 
Valerie
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