I'm sorry--I hope I didn't sound weird or pathetic or anything...I am feeling frazzled and distracted this week trying to deal at long distance with a very ill mother..I certainly wasn't trying to make you feel nervous, JDAx3! Just trying to give some sense of how things have evolved here for us over time, I guess, or something (more a snapshot than a warning if you see what I mean)...but truly, we love homeschooling, and I am every day so grateful for the opportunity to do this.
The unschoolers (the radicals, I mean) here where we live are a funny bunch, I must say. I know many, many homeschoolers here who believe that even leaving a book out on the coffee table that you think might interest your child is an act of coercion and is not respecting the child's freedom, which must at all times be total. This freedom must also include the freedom not to share toys, take turns, or be polite. It just seems like an abdication of parenting to me, let alone schooling (I of course do not say this out loud, and very likely these children will turn out just fine anyway!). (We certainly unschool some subjects, but don't "radically" unschool any!) But we have indeed had much more success lately in meeting some middle-of-the-road types, too. I also should point out that we are in a very rural area, where the demographic skews much older than average, so there are unique challenges here which will very likely not apply to you, JDAx3, so please don't be nervous!!
All will be well, and of course, it is a reversible decision, so that is a comfort, too. Best of luck to you as you ponder and plan!
Well, you can tell from the prose that my brain is still not firing on all cylinders, but I hope this helps a little, anyway...
peace
minnie
Last edited by minniemarx; 10/14/09 04:35 PM.
