Tags for "Parent Involvement"
Worry is an expression of love
I've come to love the worry parents feel and often express (including my own). I didn't start there, but as my kids got older and I found my own anxieties arrive at how my son spent his day, I found myself needing to rethink my responses to worry.
The way I see it, the worry a so called... Commercial Urges in Homeschool Education
It's a good thing I don't have enough money to do just that, or our house would be filled to the roof with chemistry kits, pretend food, costumes, and pretty much every other educational (traditional or otherwise) item available for purchase. Some people love to buy shoes or clothes--my thing is books, stickers, lacing boards and the like.
Cognitively, I know that most of these things are a waste of money; the small Melissa & Doug beading set I just bought, for example (it was on sale!), could have easily been made with some plain cord and pony beads. Yes, my daughter loves it and has made several necklaces, but she would have loved choosing her own bag of beads... A Pair of Fresh Eyes
I have plenty of experience with having those three things and then some crushed by plenty of people who were supposed to educate me, after all. But I'm beginning to notice just how much she learns and sees on her own, and if I or anyone else tried to take that from her, she simply wouldn't be the same person.
Yesterday I was cutting the top of a facial tissue box off so we could use it to hold our growing pile of colored pencils. My daughter promptly asked if she could use... Everyday Opportunities
She adds three cherries to her tree from her bucket and then, with a sly glance at me from the corner of her eye, adds two more.
"Hmmm... Is that three?" I ask.
"No!" she laughs and puts two of the cherries back.
I'm seeing more and more of this testing-me behavior every day. She likes to know her limits and she's all about discovering loopholes. She's learning about fairness, sharing, kindness, and ethics--as well as counting and colors, not to mention developing those fine motor skills even further--all with a game of Hi Hi Cherry-O!
Recently I sent in my six-word memoir for a project our local... Actions Speak Louder Than Sticker Charts
It wasn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last. And it wasn't even late in the day!
We were reading, she in my lap, a small toy fish in hers. By small, I mean it was slightly larger than a fingernail; she loves tiny things. This is the same fish that she accidentally broke by pulling of its tail yesterday. I glued it back in place (rather messily; it is tiny, after all) and today, while reading, she tore it in two once again.
Exasperated, I sighed, taking it from her and setting it on the table. "Didn't I just fix this?"
"I'm sorry," she pouted, and she was. "I didn't mean to do it." And she didn't. I saw her absently pull at the little... The Importance of Play Dates
The thing is, play dates are an incredibly important part of our lives. In our neighborhood, there are no other kids; when I was growing up, they were always in abundance, so I always had playmates when I wanted them. My daughter isn't so lucky. Yes, she gets to play with kids when we go to story time, the Magic House at the children's museum, the park, and wherever else we go--and we do go somewhere at least weekly--but it's just not the... In Like a Lion
Normally I'm not one to wish for time to pass by quickly. Our family tries to enjoy every day, celebrate the seasons of the year, and generally make the best of what we have. This March, however, has thrown us for a loop, largely financially, and I won't be sad to see it go.
It's also been a difficult few weeks for our daughter. She has not only picked up on the tension, but also suffered from her parents having to compensate by working as much as we possibly can. Even that hasn't eased all of the burden, and she's turned to tantrums, name-calling, and even the dreaded, "I don't love you" words in frustration.
Already stressed and... Support in Unexpected Places
Fortunately, where there is despair, there is always hope. People who support our decision have been coming out of the woodwork--friends, acquaintances, people at the library... I can't believe how many people say they'd like to homeschool, too, if only they didn't have to work, and especially how many people there are... In Defense of Unschooling
My family and I are not technically unschoolers. I'm very attracted to the word and what it means, and we do "unschool" in some ways, but we still prefer to use some Waldorf curriculum in our life. That works for us. Different methods work for different... 10 Reasons to Unschool
If made aware of all of the different options available to them, I believe that many parents would not choose to send their children into public schools as they are currently... “Don’t Drop It!”
She was making me pretend stew in her cooking bowl and when she handed it to me to "eat," she said, "Now don't drop it! It will make a mess!" Her voice was so serious and stern, and yet so familiar. I quickly realized that was because she was echoing the same thing I tell her every time I hand her a bowl or plate.
What mistrust I must be conveying to her! At four--nearly five--of course she knows not to drop a bowl or plate. So why do I keep telling her not to, which surely only reinforces the idea that I find her incapable, clumsy, or unable to be trusted--none of which are true.
The... Confronting Parents Who Bully
It's a very light, introductory course into water that includes blowing bubbles and getting comfortable kicking, floating, etc. This mother, however, seemed to think her daughter was training for the Olympics, and proceeded to say some things that were so biting and hurtful that I actually cried. She also told the little girl, "You're here to learn, not to play!" To me, of course, this sentence is an oxymoron.
What do you do when such things occur?
The...
Posted on Nov 05, 2009 - 03:32 PM by Scott Nine in Uncharted Parenting
As a parent of a ten- and two-year old, I continue to be awed and humbled by what parenting asks of me. Whoever said that raising children is like watching your heart move around outside your body was spot on. As an educator who spends my day with other people's kids, I'm also deeply aware of the ways parents and educators can work and grow together as well as the potential impact when we don't.I've come to love the worry parents feel and often express (including my own). I didn't start there, but as my kids got older and I found my own anxieties arrive at how my son spent his day, I found myself needing to rethink my responses to worry.
The way I see it, the worry a so called... Commercial Urges in Homeschool Education
Posted on Feb 04, 2010 - 10:38 PM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
I want to buy everything.It's a good thing I don't have enough money to do just that, or our house would be filled to the roof with chemistry kits, pretend food, costumes, and pretty much every other educational (traditional or otherwise) item available for purchase. Some people love to buy shoes or clothes--my thing is books, stickers, lacing boards and the like.
Cognitively, I know that most of these things are a waste of money; the small Melissa & Doug beading set I just bought, for example (it was on sale!), could have easily been made with some plain cord and pony beads. Yes, my daughter loves it and has made several necklaces, but she would have loved choosing her own bag of beads... A Pair of Fresh Eyes
Posted on Feb 17, 2010 - 05:02 PM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
If I directed everything my daughter was to ever learn in her life--or if someone else did, for that matter--I would abandon all hope for the survival of her creativity, originality, and sparkling personality itself.I have plenty of experience with having those three things and then some crushed by plenty of people who were supposed to educate me, after all. But I'm beginning to notice just how much she learns and sees on her own, and if I or anyone else tried to take that from her, she simply wouldn't be the same person.
Yesterday I was cutting the top of a facial tissue box off so we could use it to hold our growing pile of colored pencils. My daughter promptly asked if she could use... Everyday Opportunities
Posted on Feb 25, 2010 - 11:23 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
As the wheel stops, my four-year-old quickly counts the cherries and announces, "Three!"She adds three cherries to her tree from her bucket and then, with a sly glance at me from the corner of her eye, adds two more.
"Hmmm... Is that three?" I ask.
"No!" she laughs and puts two of the cherries back.
I'm seeing more and more of this testing-me behavior every day. She likes to know her limits and she's all about discovering loopholes. She's learning about fairness, sharing, kindness, and ethics--as well as counting and colors, not to mention developing those fine motor skills even further--all with a game of Hi Hi Cherry-O!
Recently I sent in my six-word memoir for a project our local... Actions Speak Louder Than Sticker Charts
Posted on Mar 04, 2010 - 01:45 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
Today my daughter broke my heart.It wasn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last. And it wasn't even late in the day!
We were reading, she in my lap, a small toy fish in hers. By small, I mean it was slightly larger than a fingernail; she loves tiny things. This is the same fish that she accidentally broke by pulling of its tail yesterday. I glued it back in place (rather messily; it is tiny, after all) and today, while reading, she tore it in two once again.
Exasperated, I sighed, taking it from her and setting it on the table. "Didn't I just fix this?"
"I'm sorry," she pouted, and she was. "I didn't mean to do it." And she didn't. I saw her absently pull at the little... The Importance of Play Dates
Posted on Mar 12, 2010 - 02:06 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
A lot of people like to scoff when I say something like, "Oh, we can't on Wednesday night; we have a play date." They want to know why I have to schedule time for my daughter to play with other kids and think I'm being a helicopter parent for doing so.The thing is, play dates are an incredibly important part of our lives. In our neighborhood, there are no other kids; when I was growing up, they were always in abundance, so I always had playmates when I wanted them. My daughter isn't so lucky. Yes, she gets to play with kids when we go to story time, the Magic House at the children's museum, the park, and wherever else we go--and we do go somewhere at least weekly--but it's just not the... In Like a Lion
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 - 10:45 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
I, for one, will be happy to see March go this year.Normally I'm not one to wish for time to pass by quickly. Our family tries to enjoy every day, celebrate the seasons of the year, and generally make the best of what we have. This March, however, has thrown us for a loop, largely financially, and I won't be sad to see it go.
It's also been a difficult few weeks for our daughter. She has not only picked up on the tension, but also suffered from her parents having to compensate by working as much as we possibly can. Even that hasn't eased all of the burden, and she's turned to tantrums, name-calling, and even the dreaded, "I don't love you" words in frustration.
Already stressed and... Support in Unexpected Places
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 - 12:53 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
Last week, I wrote about how bummed I was because so many people--especially one or two people that we are very close to--do not support our decision to homeschool. It is very distressing, especially when you provide explanations and clear reasoning--that we really shouldn't have to provide in the first place, to most of these people--and you're still met with disapproval.Fortunately, where there is despair, there is always hope. People who support our decision have been coming out of the woodwork--friends, acquaintances, people at the library... I can't believe how many people say they'd like to homeschool, too, if only they didn't have to work, and especially how many people there are... In Defense of Unschooling
Posted on Jun 10, 2010 - 01:12 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
Lately, there has been a surge of questions, comments, and in many cases, diatribes against unschooling. Most of these have been spawned from two very brief, very biased (in many peoples' opinions), news-oriented television programs--not from actual research completed on unschooling itself. In response to so much misunderstanding and heated--even hateful, in many cases--commentary, I decided to write out my own defense of unschooling.My family and I are not technically unschoolers. I'm very attracted to the word and what it means, and we do "unschool" in some ways, but we still prefer to use some Waldorf curriculum in our life. That works for us. Different methods work for different... 10 Reasons to Unschool
Posted on Jun 14, 2010 - 12:17 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
There are so many different philosophies of education in the world to choose from. It's a rich, diverse world, so it's only natural that there are so many different ways to learn and grow. It's a shame, however, that most of these paths toward learning are concealed from the majority of people. If asked what education means, most people cite the public school method; and though others might also toss in private or homeschooling, there are still so many variations out there that go unnoticed, or even unheard of.If made aware of all of the different options available to them, I believe that many parents would not choose to send their children into public schools as they are currently... “Don’t Drop It!”
Posted on Aug 02, 2010 - 04:10 PM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
This morning, my mouth dropped in horror as I realized how I must sound when I speak to my child.She was making me pretend stew in her cooking bowl and when she handed it to me to "eat," she said, "Now don't drop it! It will make a mess!" Her voice was so serious and stern, and yet so familiar. I quickly realized that was because she was echoing the same thing I tell her every time I hand her a bowl or plate.
What mistrust I must be conveying to her! At four--nearly five--of course she knows not to drop a bowl or plate. So why do I keep telling her not to, which surely only reinforces the idea that I find her incapable, clumsy, or unable to be trusted--none of which are true.
The... Confronting Parents Who Bully
Posted on Sep 01, 2010 - 12:03 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
Recently I wrote about an incident that occurred during my daughter's swim lesson that had me in tears. A mother openly bullied her child--who was perhaps three or four years old, no more--about her lack of discipline in the class.It's a very light, introductory course into water that includes blowing bubbles and getting comfortable kicking, floating, etc. This mother, however, seemed to think her daughter was training for the Olympics, and proceeded to say some things that were so biting and hurtful that I actually cried. She also told the little girl, "You're here to learn, not to play!" To me, of course, this sentence is an oxymoron.
What do you do when such things occur?
The...