AmityMama.com - View Single Post

mamabear · 03-08-2004, 12:29 PM

My advice: start small. Be messy.

I was reading & reading and finally just jumped in, stuck together a circle time, and did it, learning the verses and fingerplays along with my kids. It was messy but at least we got started, yk?

It went great and now we have the momentum to do it again tomorrow.

I *just* started taking this whole unschooling thing uber-seriously today. Last night I stayed up until 2 am to catch up on housework so the house would be clean. I pretended it was a week of "real school" and I was the teacher.

My goal this week was simple: set up a circle time, do a couple of crafts. I decided right after breakfast would be a good time for circle time. So today, my only goal was to have breakfast in a timely way when everyone got up, and then do circle time.

It worked.

So in coming weeks I'll add in a little more rhythm -- I'll think of when I want the free/creative playtime after circle time to come to a close, and how to transition to a project. We'll work on that first. Then after a week of having that in our rhythm, we'll add the weekly rhythm of one day baking day, another nature walk, etc.

I guess what I am saying in my rambly way is that rather than just waking up one day and having the whole list to cross off, how about adding one piece at a time, each week or every few days adding another piece? Before you know it you will have "built" all the things you'd like to do into your day.

And, yes, I definitely lean toward unschooling, but have a curriculum and am trying to get a "rhythm" happening each day and each week.

Even if you don't want to set exact times that you do each thing, it might help to have an order. And to break up each "unit" with free play, perhaps? Depending on the ages of your kids.

03-08-2004, 12:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
mamabear ~namaste~ iTrader: 3 / 100% Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: firmly planted in the postmodern pastoral economy Posts: 12,981	My advice: start small. Be messy. I was reading & reading and finally just jumped in, stuck together a circle time, and did it, learning the verses and fingerplays along with my kids. It was messy but at least we got started, yk? It went great and now we have the momentum to do it again tomorrow. I just started taking this whole unschooling thing uber-seriously today. Last night I stayed up until 2 am to catch up on housework so the house would be clean. I pretended it was a week of "real school" and I was the teacher. My goal this week was simple: set up a circle time, do a couple of crafts. I decided right after breakfast would be a good time for circle time. So today, my only goal was to have breakfast in a timely way when everyone got up, and then do circle time. It worked. So in coming weeks I'll add in a little more rhythm -- I'll think of when I want the free/creative playtime after circle time to come to a close, and how to transition to a project. We'll work on that first. Then after a week of having that in our rhythm, we'll add the weekly rhythm of one day baking day, another nature walk, etc. I guess what I am saying in my rambly way is that rather than just waking up one day and having the whole list to cross off, how about adding one piece at a time, each week or every few days adding another piece? Before you know it you will have "built" all the things you'd like to do into your day. And, yes, I definitely lean toward unschooling, but have a curriculum and am trying to get a "rhythm" happening each day and each week. Even if you don't want to set exact times that you do each thing, it might help to have an order. And to break up each "unit" with free play, perhaps? Depending on the ages of your kids. __________________ *Be realistic: Plan for a miracle. ~Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh* My blog! Christmas Challenge Ticker! ISO: Woodstove steamer Excalibur dehydrator *Stainless steel 6-8-qt pressure cooker The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned are not intended to treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.