Before I forget. I wrote a piece about unschooling, and the many comments “skeptics” like to make. I hope you find it helpful.
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Hot. Friends invited us to the River. Where we hid out. It was excellent.
NELS’ TEETH, I DIE EVERY TIME
A few pictures of a shy guy, my friend S. Whom I adore. My kids love him too. Kids are a good judge of a person.
RIVER-DOG
My mom’s birthday. I made her a custom pincushion and got her flowers; then set up a surprise movie/dinner date complete with SUPER-SURPRISE birthday visit from my brother and his lady. Anyway here are the presents:
The local florist in Hoquiam is wonderful. Lucky to have some great businesses here.
In my eyes, you don’t even need to defend yourself to the haters. Just keep on doing what you are doing with you family because it is working for you all. It is obvious that you and your husband are happy with the choice to unschool and so are your children! We don’t un/homeschool, but I raise my children very similar to the way you do when they are not in school. They have a lot of autonomy and are treated like people, not to be controlled (ha, they get enough of that control stuff in school). That is why I’m still reading your blog, because the way you look at your children and treat them, I can relate to it. Haters gonna hate even when confronted with logic (and sometimes especially when confronted with logic!). I find your blog very inspirational and I think that says a hella a lot since my kids are both in (magnet) public schools. š Been getting your zines, btw. Thank you. They are great and the design of them are impressive. Great work.
@Michelle
Thanks! Of course, the post wasn’t really directed at Haters. It was support and (hopefully) articulation for so very, very many home/unschooling parents and carers & how defeated many of them can feel when confronted with endless “skepticism”, discrimination, and public policy (legal and tacit). I’ve been grateful to see so many home-educators finding the piece helpful.
I’m glad you like the zine! I just had a photographer over and the zine is going to be in our local paper. I have no problem giving interviews but having “candid” (yet posed) pictures? BLARGH.
Oh, I also want to say, I think what people are experiencing when they hate on home/unschoolers even/especially after listening/reading/learning about it from the folks who participate, is cognitive dissidence. It is very painful for them. The idea that you make so much sense coupled with wanting/having/needing/choosing to do differently is too much and causes them to defend themselves by criticizing you/your choices. Otherwise, why criticize at all? It is either something you do or something you don’t. Sometimes, I have noticed that when people (you, me, everyone) get in that defensive mode it is hard to stay away from attacking “the other side” in the same way they are attacking me/you/everyone. You don’t have to defend yourself against these people, or anyone, it is not worth the energy.Just you know, you are a rocking mama/human/woman and there are a lot of people who have faith in the way you are raising your kids – especially the folks who matter, like your family and friends and those of us who support your writing.
@Michelle
“You don’t have to defend yourself against these people, or anyone, it is not worth the energy”
Thanks, but I really am pretty good at knowing where I’d like to expend my energy!
oh cool. i didn’t see your response until after i posted my second comment. š
ha, we must have posted at the same time again…
“Thanks, but I really am pretty good at knowing where Iād like to expend my energy!”
Yes, I trust that you do, just an attempt on my part to show support. after reading your first response to me, I understand that you are showing support to the parents who deal with the same struggles you do dealing with the non-unschooling folks.