unschooling

We had a good unschooling day today.  Eleanor put on a complicated play with eight puppets and made seating and tickets.  Charlotte separated different bits of hamster food mix and made a heart shaped design for Despereuax to walk on and stuff his cheeks with.  We talked about estimating how many bits were in each color group and comparing more and less.  That's totally math.  She also collected feathers and leaves and taped them into a folder for later classification.  

I think I felt happier when I was embracing unschooling.  At some point I felt it wasn't enough/trying different ideas/getting to know different people and how things were working for them.  When I apply my (classic) impossible standards to myself as the sole educator of my children, I feel panic-y.  There's a bit in The Power of Now about fully letting go (of the running talk in your mind) and falling into a black abyss of nothing - like that (unnecessary) part of you dying.  That's what unschooling feels like to me.  I have to let go and trust them to learn and stop freaking out.  It feels great when I'm able to do that.  I can see the girls are having great moments.  They have a-has and they are curious and they get excited.  They are still innocent.  

I have to read some John Holt again for re-inspiration.  

It is clear that each homeschooling family has different priorities and I am figuring out ours.

The golden rule, social manners, self-care, house chores, TV off during the day, limited computer game time, play outdoors, fascination for all bugs, birds, feathers, leaves, sprouts, plants, animals.  Our civil war interest has come to end, but that was good and now we are excited about the Chronicles of Narnia.  ( I keep hearing - "the chronic - what! -cles of Narnia" in my head.)  They are interested in saving the earth.  They are very DIY friendly.  They are not caught up in clothes and material flotsam.  There are no Jones' for them to keep up with.  They like to read, they like to play games with each other, they like to draw.  Charlotte illustrates everything.  Charlotte is a natural ballerina - I was so proud of her at her recital; she was so beautiful and so graceful.  Eleanor will start soccer soon.  They are not overweight or worried about it.  They are good skaters.  They are not squeamish.  They like to get dirty.  I can trust them to behave in public.  They tell me they love me everyday and that I'm the best.  (Of course I tell them the same.)  I love who they are.  I can see that I don't suck as much as I've been thinking.  

still growing