NEW BLOG: Learning Parsley Style

Ice Tea & Flip Flops will continue to be my diary.

But we also created a blog called Learning Parsley Style. You can find it here: http://learningparsleystyle.wordpress.com/

Welcome. This blog will serve as a public showcase of what our family is learning through our relaxed homeschool (unschool) environment.

We have been homeschooling regularly since 2007. We homeschooled Levi when he was in “Kindergarten” even though well-meaning people made comments like: “Levi will be 5, he HAS to go to Kindergarten, it’s the law!” It’s funny how we’ve been conditioned to believe that once our kids turn 5, they become property of the State and we no longer have a say, or a choice. We chose to homeschool.

Levi, being the curious, energetic child that he is sort of caused people to be concerned that he was “acting that way” because he was homeschooled and “wasn’t around other children HIS age.” We started thinking, “Maybe they’re right.” When first grade rolled around, we decided to put him in public school. That was interesting. Levi was at school from 8-3 and when he came home, he would have at least 2 hours of homework! It was very overwhelming for a 6 year old. Also, we noticed that he was still energetic even though he was now around other kids his age.

When second grade came along, he was in public school for 2 weeks. Every time I would drop him off, I had a feeling that he needed to be home with us learning. So the second week into the second grade, Skipper and I pulled him out of school and went shopping for homeschool material. We took Levi to HEP and asked him what he thought about certain books. We decided not to go with a “boxed curriculum” for several reasons. #1. They are expensive and those nice folks that put these together sure do make a killing off of homeschoolers! Add some bible verses with your package and you’re paying out of the wahzooo! Isn’t that interesting? #2. We have seen the product of the homeschooled kids who came from boxed curriculums and asked them questions. The answers they gave us, lead us to believe that we were spot on concerning our opinions we have of them. #3. We are still learning Levi’s learning style. A boxed, rigid curriculum does NOT go hand in hand with an independent thinker. And me wanting to be a “good homeschooling mom” I would have followed the directions and forced my child to learn subjects and topics he may not be ready to learn. This situation would cause me to feel pressure because I wouldn’t be able to check a lesson off in my “Good homeschooling mommy’s book.” This entire situation would only tempt me to lash out and force Levi to do what the pre-packaged box curriculum says. This is why we showed Levi several books and resources. We watched how he reacted and engaged with them. He was able to have a hand, or a say, in what he would be learning. Then I decided to log what he was leaning instead of doing a lesson plan.

Recently I have been doing research on the idea of unschooling. It appears that we have been practicing this concept without knowing that it even had a name! I think it is an extension of Attachment Parenting and listening to your child. This blog will be a collection of the things we are learning as a family.

Video Games ROT the BRAIN!

Our son plays video games. People have an issue with this. I can tell by their snide remarks that they think he should be in a different sport every season. Really? Hmmm. I wonder how many parents are subconsciously living through their children? But enough about them. So what do we do? We allow our son to play video games. You heard me. We do not have a problem with this. Why not? Well, for one, he does have other interests. Secondly, he doesn’t play 24/7. And thirdly, he LEARNS, yes, I said LEARNS from his video game play.You see he is constantly solving puzzles through his game play. He has excellent eye/hand coordination that has allowed him to be a skilled stunt kiter when we go out to the beach to play. He has learned new vocabulary words. And he has gotten hooked onto a new book series through a video game he enjoys.

He came up to me this afternoon and said, “Mom, I want to start reading a new book series, I just found out that Lemony Snickets started out as a book series! Can we get the books?” I was excited even though I did tell him it was a book series 2 years ago. I even showed him a couple of the books at Half Price Books, but he wasn’t interested and didn’t really "hear” me at that time. But today he was ready. Levi has taken the initiative to start a whole new series of books he can read for fun and it came through his enjoyment of a video game. Now, I suppose I can do a search on “required” or “recommended” literature for 5th graders and see what the experts (that do not know my child) suggest. Then I can force Levi to read those books that will possibly bore him to tears so we can be in the "in crowed” with the public school system, family members, or even other homeschoolers. Or, I can pay attention and listen to my child when he is naturally ready and more than willing to learn. God created us to learn and absorb. We do not have to force learning on our children.

I found a used copy of the first book in the series at Amazon for a few bucks. He was so happy to read the little excerpt Amazon has available as you “Look Inside”. Then he made a mini calendar to count off how many days until his book arrives. He was doing math on his own and happy to be doing it. Again, God created us to learn and absorb. We do not have to force learning on our children.

“It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for what this delicate little plant needs more than anything, besides stimulation, is freedom. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty.”
~Albert Einstein