Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Willa
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Posted: Sept 08 2005 at 3:50pm | IP Logged Quote Willa
These ones are sort of Unschooling 101:

1.   When you are unschooling, how do you measure your "success" in a day? I usually think: OK, I did the 3Rs with the kids plus some reading aloud, I vacuumed and kept the sink clean, etc.   Do you still do this kind of thing as unschoolers, and if so, is there a way to validate activities with your kids that you don't necessarily initiate yourself?   

2. A related question: when you are unschooling, HOW do you make yourself available/inspire/encourage/be with you kids? I feel that when I'm just sort of around, I'm not really DOING anything unless someone asks me to read or talk or whatever and when I'm doing something, I feel sort of interrupted if someone comes up to ask me a question or talk to me. I have trouble switching gears. How do you manage that kind of thing?

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Willa
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Marybeth
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Posted: Sept 08 2005 at 5:18pm | IP Logged Quote Marybeth
I keep a log which I make weekly through dltk-kids.com
and write down what we studied daily. Then I get an idea of what we have been really into and can strew or gently recommend other ideas. My dh is not comfortable with unschooling full-time so I have to make sure we are covering the basics plus following rabbit trails. This way both dh and ds are happy!

Regarding your second question...it is a constant struggle for me b/c I tend to be very engrossed in activities and find it very difficult to switch gears too!! I am hoping for some suggestions.

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Leonie
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Posted: Sept 09 2005 at 1:43am | IP Logged Quote Leonie
Willa,

I can tend to be task oriented so I do one of two things -

1. Have a day when I don't use my to do list and just go with the flow! Gasp! Success or not is irrelevent here - I am going with our routines and what needs to be done, what the dc and I want to do, what comes up.Surpisingly, those are still often productive days. Very peaceful,too.

2. I set unschooling and being present with my dc as one of "tasks" on my To Do list. A few years back, I actually wrote BE and BE PRESENT and JOY at the top of each daily To Do list. The gerunds acted as reminders. I was not to spend my morning doing "my" tasks or directing my dc but was spending it being with the dc - maybe playing a game or talking about their books.Or, if I was at a "me task" I would remember to take five minutes and look into my dc's eyes and really listen.

WRT unschooling and the To Do list, I also often schedule in things I know my dc want to do or would like. For example, my sons wanted extra skateboarding practice. I never seemed to get to an extra skate park in the week. So, in my diary, I made Mondays our skateboarding day. Sometime each Monday we go to a skate park together. Hey, this makes me available and even if I don't skate but read, I am still available.

Make sense?

Leonie in Sydney
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Mary G
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Posted: Sept 09 2005 at 7:03am | IP Logged Quote Mary G
Leonie:

It makes sense to me and helps me so much -- thanks!

I too have a problem disconnecting from MY time! I constantly have to remind myself that I am home with them to be home with them! You wouldn't think that would be hard but I'm a do it all kind of person and hate idle time. Again, I have to remind myself that not-directing my kids and being there for them is doing something.

Thanks for all your great advice ladies -- you have helped my homeschool truly shift away from school at home!

Blessings


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