In my ever-continuing quest to move towards unschooling, I stopped making so much emphasis on Dawn’s work and found ways to encourage her in more active play. Unfortunately, my daughters don’t have too many opportunities to play with other children because I don’t get out very much. Thanks to the dayhome and some new neighbors, this is changing.
Up until yesterday, it never occured to Dawn to talk to her stuffed animals. We have a pile of Beanie Babies and while she plays with them extensively, she never interacts closely with them. Yesterday, the neighbors came up to play and took the large ball shoot and turned it into a “house” while turning the Beanie Babies into ‘mom’, ‘dad’, ‘baby’, etc. They then began acting out a story, using the ball-shoot as their new playground.
Dawn was ecstatic and while she was too shy to join in directly, the moment they left, she continued with the game for about two hours, squealing with joy at her newfound “friends.” She talked to them and they “talked”
back…and thus a new world has just opened up to her!
A little later, Dawn decided that her bears needed T-shirts and said that we needed to go buy some. I suggested that she make them herself with paper, scissors and crayons. Satisfied with the idea, the next two hours were spent laboriously creating t-shirts for two of her bears.
She came to me and asked me to draw the t-shirts for her, which I did. After having difficulty cutting out two templates the same, I showed her that you can fold paper in half and cut both at the same time. I did it for her and she went to the table to color them.
Once done, she got out the tape, and with a little help from mommy, put the t-shirts onto her bears. She planned on doing a third one, but time got away from us and it was time to eat dinner.
I’m envious of those people to whom unschooling comes so naturally, but then again, they were probably at this point sometime in their lives. I want my daughter to enjoy herself and let life be a classroom, rather than the four walls of a building.
For you unschoolers out there, how did you take the first steps towards unschooling?
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I have unschooled from time to time. Mostly it’s about trust. It’s also easier if you have a strong-minded child who really resists your input during the early years, or if your child has been in school and really wants and needs something different from that.
There is plenty of time for formal study later if that feels necessary. It’s about seeing what interests your child, involving them in what you do, and finding resources to make available.
It’s about getting away from the lecturing model and toward curiosity. It’s about discussing rather than asking for written stuff.
It’s difficult sometimes not to be a teacher…in fact, I think that being a teacher can make the transition towards unschooling more difficult. IT’s been years in the making though and just by thinking before saying no (and if there’s really a reason for it) makes a big difference.
We’re not unschoolers, but I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your post. I love the way that you followed your daughter’s interest and helped her make a shirt for her teddy bear.
What a wonderful reminder for me to follow my children’s lead.
Thanks!
Blessings,
Shannon@Song of my Heart
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