Unschooled kids complete tasks that they find difficult all the time. But, they do them because they see the reason for it and have a larger goal. They might want to create their own video game, so they go through the laborious process of learning a programing language. They may want to write a novel, so they spend hours and hours at the computer. They may want to win a Lego competition, so they learn about geometry and physics. If forced to do any of these tasks, they would find them pointless and frustrating. But, because they have set their own goals and have the freedom to pursue their own interests, they amaze us with their stick-to-itivenss and determination.
Author Archive > Cassi
Prodigies
But, here’s the thing: every child is amazing at something. Okay, maybe we can’t place every child on the prodigy pedestal because that’s really reserved for kids who are better at something than most adults will ever be. But, isn’t it possible that we are hindering every child in his pursuit of his gift by forcing him to go to school? We are trying to make all of our kids mediocre in everything, instead of excellent in one thing.
Mindful Parenting
Make sure you have actual, legitimate reasons for your actions, reactions, habits, discipline, and rules (or principles). And make sure your child knows those reasons.
The Discipline Question
I’ve been thinking a lot about a truism. Every parent knows, in their head anyway, that kids learn by modeling them. We hear our kids use the same words and phrases we use. We see them make the same gestures we make. We watch, sometimes in horror, as they react to someone in a similar way that we might. Kids model adults. This isn’t news.
In Defense of: Video Games
I can’t remember, I may have written about video games already, but I just read an amazing post I want to, no NEED to, share. After the whole hullabaloo recently, many people are pointing to unschoolers as lazy, tv-watching, video-game-playing hoodlums. And, we unschoolers become very accustomed to defending our non-traditional concept of the world [...]
Concrete Details
Recently, one of these wonderful members replied with some details about what her unschooled children do during the day.
A New FAQ
With all of the attention brought upon unschooling lately, I decided to write an unschooling FAQ page for this blog. I thought, “If someone is researching unschooling and, against all odds, stumbles onto my blog, I’d want them to get some answers.”
Listen
This is Adora Svitak, a 12-year old author who does public speaking to educators and kids around the country. She exhibits just a little of the wisdom our kids can share, if we’re willing to listen to them.
