Officially Homeschooling Family

At the start of school term, my eldest son decided he would try homeschooling. He nervously went to the school to pick up his books and things but they were incredibly supportive. For that, I am grateful. I can't fault them on their support for our children. They were always honest with us, even when we wanted more for our son but they couldn't provide it. The principal and teacher both wished him luck and wanted to keep up with how he will be doing. He seems happier and more communicative already even though deschooling is most important for now - to decompress from the demands of school life can take time. My daughter just received her much sought after drawing tablet. She is continuing to improve in her detailing and I love to see her work. She is enjoying anime and other shows she finds including Friendship is Magic and Adventure Time. Her vocabulary is growing as she asks me about new words she hears or reads. She is reading more than before too. Av now has his Dad doing karate with him which I think is exciting for him. Av continues to amaze me with the things he knows and learns without schooling. He told me what a radius is, how to tell the time and the answer to 20 plus 21 when I thought it out aloud while knitting. Also how to count in 10s past 100 and the order of 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000,, etc to a billion, trillion. He doesn't have a teacher and is not teaching himself, he is learning through life and play. His vocabulary is continually growing and his understanding great. I still get hugs from him and "You are the best" exclamations daily if not more often. Meanwhile, J loves the letter J. He 'writes' it with blocks, toys and whatever he has near but just today wrote it outside with chalk. He will be 4 in about 7 weeks. Bub is 14 months and recently started walking. He likes to explore and get into everything. He has a healthy appetite though he is breastfeeding. He communicates well though he doesn't say too much yet.

Unschooling Monday

Scienceworks is a favourite place for my kids to visit.  Museums in general are always fun.

My girl is enjoying being out of school but concedes she is lonely. She would like to relate to those who don't go to school and have someone to hang out with.  She is also becoming more self aware as she becomes a young woman. I am so glad she is at home and able to talk to us and ask questions. She is learning a great deal, despite the worries of well meaning others such as grandparents who want her to go back to school so she wont lose her intelligence or learning. Learning is inevitable.  We had a good chat to Av's sensei who happens to be a life coach. He was amazed by her awareness and intelligence and maturity. Honestly so am I! I am constantly amazed by her and her brothers too.

Our 9 year old is seriously considering homeschooling and I hope that we will be a homeschooling family from next month. I feel that he is ready to embark on this journey. It has been a hard few months with him feeling conflicted. He has been told that he needs school to succeed yet he sees how much his younger brother is learning and doing without school.

Av is so interested in things, asking questions and has such an enthusiastic attitude to all that he pursues. His sensei says that his attitude inspires him. He  can also see through people's arguments and words. I think when you allow your children freedom, choices and a  voice, you learn so much from them and open up relationships where you can understand them as whole people now not just when they have finished growing. I believe that matters. It can be challenging but its all good. Av is enjoying karate and has improved so much in recent weeks. He is willing to talk to adults and children alike.

J is a chatterbox. His vocabulary is growing and his speech is improving. He still has trouble with the k/c sound eg. he used to say 'ar instead of car now he says tar. I wanna tum too (used to be "I wanna 'ome 'oo") I am sure he will get the hang of it soon enough.

Bub is walking, not too confidently yet but still  taking a few steps often during the day at a time.

Officially Homeschooling

After the incident with my daughter's school, I have had many people understand why we took our daughter out of school. Homeschooling seemed to be the best option and I have been pleasantly surprised by the support we have received.

About a week ago, the school called telling me T was not at school in over a week.
Yes, that is right.
Why is that?
We are going to homeschool.
Do you know anything about it?
Yes *only been researching it for years and homeschooling already, also mentioned it previously at the school*
Oh, will get back to you.

We sent  off the registration paperwork for my 12 year old and 6 year old that day. After the weekend, the school called again.
We are worried that T has not been at school.
We have registered to have her homeschool.
Oh, is it possible she return to school?
No.
You have to register with distance education.
No *explain how you can register in Victoria*
Oh, well, that is how the principal always does it, through distance ed.
No. *again explain the procedure of registering to homeschool in Victoria*

Well, we will have to involve DHS if she is not attending school.
We have registered her to homeschool.
Does she have her school books and curriculum?
Yes *not going to explain that informal learning is recognised in Victoria*
Ok, will talk to the registration board and the principal and get back to you.

A little while later...Sorry *contrite apology* Of course she can homeschool, just come and exit your daughter from the school....

Interesting that they believed that they thought they cared for her education more than her parents could and that somehow they felt they needed to give their permission. My daughter chose to attend your school and now she has decided with our support to no longer attend. So after that, they promise not to bother us any more. Thank goodness. We then receive the registration the next day so that is a relief. 

Meanwhile, I am feeling very confident with how we plan to learn with our family. I am absolutley amazed with how my 6 year old shares with me what he discovers, its just incredibly inspiring and wonderful. I don't really have words to describe it.

My 12 year old is so much happier and doesn't miss school at all. I feel so saddened that she didn't tell us how things were at school. Maybe she didn't know how to, or she felt like she couldn't because she chose to enrol, I am not sure. But I do know she is much happier now and I am enjoying our discussions, primarily on her body changes at this time. ITs an exciting experience for her at the moment and I am appreciative that I am available to her at this time. For our open discussions and hugs, its important. Relationships are under rated.

What better way to learn, than on your own or with those who love and care deeply about you? We went to Scienceworks last week, we could do that every week if we would like to. We have time to talk, we don't have to sit still to learn. We can ask as many questions as we need to, we can find out the answers. We can spend as little or as long as we like on what we are interested in. We walked to the next suburb the other day, we were in no rush, we stopped at a playground. I love how my 6 year old can ask to rest at a playground, a rest meaning a play. We don't have to make plans to learn. Learning happens. All the time.

Most Learning Doesn’t Happen At School

 My husband and I were quite impressed with the kids' newsletter this week.


(Andrew Fuller‘s Handy Hints for Improving Learning
Most Learning Doesn’t Happen At School!)
Did you know …
"Children spend only 15% of their week at school!
They spend more time asleep - 33 %
(And some teens combine the two)
But most of their time 52 % is at home, awake, mucking
around, playing, and learning about life
- it’s what they do with that time that is important."

"Most of their future learning also wont occur occur in school. It is estimated that 70% of the jobs that will exist in 2020 do not exist now. It is estimated that 50 years ago a high school graduate left school knowing about 75% of what they would need to know in their working life - today's high school graduate will leave knowing 2%."

{Trying our best as parents to give our children opportunities to learn especially through fun and play.}

Homeschooling

• Do you know what your child did all day today?
  
• Do you know what your child learnt today?
  
• How well do you know and trust all the adults that are in charge of your child 5 days a week?
  
• How many life skills did your children learn today?
  
• How interested in what they did were your kids?
  
• How intact is your child's self esteem after a day of constant comparisons to other children and bullying?
  
• If your kids had a choice would they learn maths every morning or only when they needed it?
  
• Have your kids finished their homework?

 From unlearnt at last.
 We are currently planning to homeschool. Honestly we are quite happy with the school our eldest kids attend, not 100% happy but I am content with their attitude towards school, they love attending. We have discussed it as a family and homeschooling is something we think would work as our lifestyle could make learning more rewarding for us as a family. 
I do not like how schools are forced to operate a certain way which is not neccessarily the best way to treat individuals especially children who are growing and learning day to day.
I like the idea of unschooling.  
Personally, going to school did not help me socially, I was an "abnormally shy baby" according to the doctor. I have always been shy and being forced to do things I did not want to do, and not feeling I could speak up for myself, did not help me at all. I have had to deschool myself to the point where I know I do have worth and I do not have to be something or someone else.
I want my children to be confident, independant, happy. Going to school has not helped me to become rich or get into a viable career. I think that has more to do with somebody's drive and something within themselves. If you really want to learn, you will. If you really want to do something, you will. 
I know my children's talents, as they do. I don't think school helps them to develop those skills. They seem to learn much more at home, academically and in other ways such as life skills.
Do you know what your child learnt today? Only if they tell me. Though I consider we learn at home and when we go out. Contrary to popular belief, learning does not just happen at school. Do you know what your child did all day today? This is something that stood out to me when my first child started kinder, I now had no clue what my child was up to. She didn't really talk about it. How well do you know and trust all the adults that are in charge of your child 5 days a week? Not much at all. That is a scary thought. I don't really trust anyone but for some reason I expect that they will okay at school. Though honestly I do worry they could be hurt or treated unfairly. Anywhere by anybody.How many life skills did your children learn today? Hopefully some whether at school or at home.  How interested in what they did were your kids? This is something I will ask them. I am sure not everything will be interesting. Actually my son is more likely to share what he learns and he is like a sponge, takes it all in so easily. How intact is your child's self esteem after a day of constant comparisons to other children and bullying? I know from certain tidbits of information I get from the kids that bullying occurs, that the social interraction that occurs is not always positive. It seems like something you can't escape. my children seem to take it in their stride. I don't remember even discussing those things with my Mum, I don't think I was that sensitive but it did affect me. If your kids had a choice would they learn maths every morning or only when they needed it? For my 6yo, every morning, noon and night. He loves maths. My daughter may skip it most mornings. Have your kids finished their homework?`I don't like the idea of homework. This is something that the kids are responsible for and they do it themselves and occassionally ask me for  help. its just something I don't think is neccessary. If the kids chose not to do it I would support that.