Naomi Aldort

When we (here at this blog or on the unschooling lists) discuss extending the principles of unschooling into other area’s of our lives with our children, Naomi Aldort’s message is very helpful. Naomi does not teach parents how to “get kids to be/do…” but rather how to be with children so that they are free to be their own magnificent selves. Parents say that what they get out of Naomi’s...

Speaking With An Unschooled Child

There was a discussion, on one of my unschooling e-mail groups, about how extended family members seem to have a hard time finding something to say to a child, when they can’t ask about school. It’s like the only questions anybody can think of to ask a kid is “What grade are you in?”, “What’s your favorite subject?” and “How are you doing in school?” lol I’ve found...

Nurturing Your Teenager’s Soul

10 clear and practical principles for giving teens a much-needed moral and spiritual compass: Nurturing Your Teenagers Soul: A Practical Guide to Raising a Kind, Honorable, Compassionate Teen by Mimi Doe At a time when teens face overwhelming issues-the hazards of substance abuse, issues of sexuality, the stress of high school, the importance of getting into a good college-it’s no wonder that these years often become a...

Unschooling Freedom

Someone posted their concerns about unschooling freedom on an unschooling e-mail list I belong to: Although some kids might think an all day video-game, cookie eating, bath-free world would be fabulous, as a parent we know that would lead to illness in the short term, obesity in the long term. Obviously that’s an extreme example, but it makes the point. Here are two of the replies and as usual, Pam’s response was...

Being An Unschooling Parent

A large part of being a (successful) unschooling parent is being present and mindful with your children. Being involved in their lives. Because let’s face it, if you’re going to get rid of school, it should be replaced with something. That something should be you. One of the members of an unschooling e-mail list I belong to, wrote that she is having trouble being truly present with her kids. I’d like to...

Childhood Is Life

I really like this quote: “When we adults think of children there is a simple truth that we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life; childhood is life. A child isn’t getting ready to live; a child is living. No child will miss the zest and joy of living unless these are denied by adults who have convinced themselves that childhood is a period of preparation. How much heartache we would save ourselves if we...

Unschooling Concerns

When I first began unschooling my kids (and myself), I found a lot of food for thought at the message boards at unschooling.com (the boards are no longer there). I saved several topics that were useful to me and have shared them here from time to time. I recently found one while cleaning out some old folders and thought some of you may find this helpful. It was originally posted in 2001. Be warned-it’s long....

Getting Rid Of Arbitrary Limits

My parenting style went through a lot of changes from the time we adopted our children to when we started unschooling. A lot of it stemmed from the fact that my children (I’m speaking about my two daughters only, not my son) have changed and my parenting needed to reflect those changes. During the first year of unschooling (in 2004) we let go of a lot of “rules” and “limits” and replaced it with...

Raise Children With A Wild Streak

I enjoyed the whole article except this part; “Surround them with books, not video games”. I think it should be “Surround them with books AND video games”. Raise children with a wild streak: Many `ideal’ students lack inventive, restless and self-reliant spirit by Mark Pruett A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of childhood playtime. It reinforces my...

Nurturing Growth

From one of my favorite sites: Daily Om. Nurturing Growth/Spiritual Parenting A parent’s job is to prepare their child for life. One of the best gifts to give your child then, is a sense of their spiritual self. Nurturing a love and appreciation of themselves and their relation to the universe at large will serve them well as they travel through life, especially when the road gets rocky, as it often does. Show them...