Unschooling NYC

Parents are in the habit of saying ‘no’.   So much so that it becomes reflexive, said without thought and often without substance.   I know that I’ve fallen into that pattern, but recently I’ve been trying to pause and think about my answer before I automatically respond with a ‘no’.   Parents throw the word ‘no’ around so often that kids stop hearing it.   They simply ignore it and keep badgering the parent with their question or request until the parent caves and says ‘yes’.    Which is bad because it means that the ‘no’ was insincere,  which can then be interpreted to … Read more

Before I start, I just have to say that I love the sound of rain on windows (or cabin roofs, but since we live on the 7th floor of a 30 story building, I settle for windows).   I especially enjoy it when there is nowhere I need to go, and I can just sit inside, feeling cozy, listening to the rain.   It rained off and on all day, but really picked up steam this evening and has been pelting the windows for several hours.  It is also nice that it is rain, and not snow.  Finally.

Now, to the topic … Read more

Maya was invited to an overnight tonight, so it was just me, Ben and Joshua this evening.   Ben got to choose our itinerary, which included dinner and then a movie.   But first I need to mention that earlier today,  Ben received a Webkinz bat in the mail.   He had purchased with his own money on Ebay.  He was so thrilled with it, and took it both to dinner and to the movie theater.

Ok, so we went to see “Rango”, and while we were waiting in line Ben and I went to the bathroom.  He insists on going to the … Read more

That’s right.  You read correctly.   As of today, I will never again  say that we unschool our kids.   From now on we are life learners.    If I slip up, send me a message to remind me.   Why am I doing away with the term unschooling?   Because it has the word ‘school’ in it, and that, as it turns out,  is problematic.

Recently I have become aware of the fact that even people who are homeschoolers have preconceived notions of what ‘unschooling’ is.  These notions run one of two ways:  Either unschooling is where your kids, on their own, magically decide … Read more

Is knowledge somehow more valuable at a young age?   Is there a time frame after which learning about something is no longer allowed?    As Sandra Dodd said, does it matter if a person becomes interested in dinosaurs at the age of 6 or the age of 40?    Just because children tend to learn faster, does that mean it is automatically better?

It seems to me that a large percentage of the parents out there today would answer yes to all of those questions.   If you are to be good at anything, you must start it young – like before the … Read more

I’ve said this in past entries, but the question I get most when I tell people we unschool, after “But what about Math?” is “So what is a typical day?  Do you follow a certain schedule?”    I hate that question, because if I answer honestly with “No” it just leads to more questions.   Like, “But how do you know if your kids are learning anything?”  “How do you know that they are keeping up with other kids their age?” (Please note that by ‘keeping up’ they mean with schooled children and the standards set by the Dept. of Ed.)     Again, … Read more

When I read articles about education, or hear people talk about school, or schooling, the tone of the article or tenor of the conversation is always serious.   There is a distinct lack of joy.   Think about it.   When was the last time you read a joyous article about the state of education in this country or anywhere else?   When have you ever heard a parent or student speak about their homework or classes with joy in their voice?  I’m not talking about the bragging that goes on over good grades or acceptance into an elite school or university.   I’m talking … Read more

Don’t believe the naysayers who have spent the last 24 hours telling everyone how awful the Oscars were this year.   The Oscars were great.   The Oscars are always great.  No matter if the show runs 5 hours and they do 15 movie retrospectives.   (Which they didn’t this year, by the way.  The show came in at an incredibly short 3 hours and 10 minutes.)   No matter if the hosts are funny or not.  Even Rob Lowe singing with Cinderella is ok with me.  And do you know why the Oscars are always great?   Because we get to see people recognized … Read more

Every now and then, when someone asks me why we unschool, I’ll say, “To avoid crowds.”   This is of course not the only reason, but it is a very good one.  I hate waiting in long lines for things, which means we hardly ever do any ‘kid friendly’ activities on the weekends, because that is when everyone else is doing them!    If the kids want to see a movie we try out best to go on a weekday afternoon before 2pm.   When Ben needs a haircut we schedule an appointment for 12:30 on a Wednesday.   Toys R Us is an … Read more

If you read yesterday’s entry, you read part of an article from Sandra Dodd in which she talks about how when people say they tried unschooling and it didn’t work for them, she often finds that what they were looking for and expecting was still ‘school’.   As though if left to their own devices, the children would choose a curriculum and area of study and set about procuring the proper materials with which to learn it; materials being textbooks, workbooks, etc.

On the flipside, what I sometimes find is that when people hear that you unschool, they have their own … Read more