Welcome!
i wish to create an inviting home to parents who are radical in their many loving ways. Unschooler's, home schoolers, traditional schoolers, vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters, artist, activist,.
Personally, i am a radical bi-dyke who as a single parent chose to homebirth, nurse to the age of 3 1/2, do odd jobs, cut hair from my home and be on welfare the 1st few yrs. of my son's life cuz i wanted to be w/ him, not building a carreer. I've always been politically involved in one way or another, mouthy, loud and intensly protective of my son's right to be educated about the world from a radical perspective, to choose his own food, clothing, hair color, life goals.
When he started kindergarden i was sad i could not homeschool but desperatly needed to get back to work and relieve abit of the financial single mama stress. Luckily he always went to alternative arts focused schools but now at the age of 12 in 7th grade i feel he's still been harmed by school. He hates it, hates being told what to study, how to study it and just seems to have given up. He's incredibly bright and yet has lost his desire to esplore the world.
I offered homeschooling at the end of elementary school but he chose an alternative arts school, unfortunatly, this has done nothing for his wonderlust.
Currently I am trying to explaine to my partner the benefits of unschooling but she will need to read up and meet other unschoolers, she's very uncomfortable with the idea and i do not explain it well to her becouse i am so ferociously (mama lion like) committed to the idea of saving my son's spirit!
I'd love to hear from folks on ways they bring the beauty of radical parenting into their lives.
posted by queermamma @ 3:00 AM
16 Comments:
hey it's mariah from hipmama. Nice blog!! Good pictures!!
What you wrote ... "but now at the age of 12 in 7th grade i feel he's still been harmed by school. He hates it, hates being told what to study, how to study it and just seems to have given up. He's incredibly bright and yet has lost his desire to esplore the world."
really struck me, the same thing is happening to my son. He is only in 2nd grade, but asks all the time if he can be homeschooled. I wish I could, but am a single mama and have to work. He tests way above his grade level, but does not do the class work, so his grades aren't good. He is a funny guy, and is constantly in trouble at school for stupid crap, like joking in class. Like you said, sometimes school can harm their spirit.
Oh mamma, i hear ya! My son has consistantly tested very high accross the ciriculum, always been bored, never challenged. He's currently being challenged in pre algebra to some degree but he's so "over it" by now that he's not grabbing on to it w/ the hunger he once had.
It was a drag to have to choose free childcare, i.e. school, over my truest desire to homeschool. Now that he's older he can do unschooling and be on his own while my partner and i are at work. I really hope to start this next school yr.
Hey mama! I'm dragonfly from hipmama. Great blog! Love the topic!
We're a home un-schooling family too, but our kid is quite a bit younger. C had a hard time with this at first, but after researching all the different curriculums, thhis is the only one that we felt would work long term. I was scared at first and questioned whether I was squandering a really valuable learning period with my son, but he's really developed quite a lot and has gained a lot of the skills he wasn't learning in daycare. We're also in contact with the Homeschool network in our school district, though they deal more with older kids, like Josh's age. We're going to be taking some classes with them as Rylie gets older and is better able to make informed choices.
One of the many things I love about unschooling, is watching my son make really great choices and using his time his way. He chooses what he wants to do every day, but the parents choose what comes into the house. I think if he were choosing to veg out with some electronic educationally useless toy, we'd be finding something else to do. I've read though, that often when older kids are starting to unschool, they will spend months, sometimes as much as a whole year just reading, drawing, or playing video games. This is called the "decompression period" when the kid is testing the limits of newfound freedom and releasing old pent-up school stress that didn't have a real outlet before.
Good luck!
Just dropped in to say hi! It's filmmama from hipmama, and I accidentally created a blog here the other day, when trying to comment on Ariel's blog...it's called Violet Jones, but I have yet to fill it with any content..LOVE yours tho - your young man is awesome! Love you, nice lady! :) Congrats on your new home in space!
Filmmama! That's it, a home in space. As spacey as i can be...your congrats made me feel at ease...my new home in space ;-)
Dragonfly, so nice to hear from you! I didn't realize you were doing the unschooling gig, GOOD FOR YOU! Yes, i do expect Josh to go thru a period of numb brain while decompressing from 7 yrs. of schooling. I trust him completely, he's smart ...he'll do much better on his own and next yr. he'll be old enough to get him self places on the city bus while we're at work. Now just to get my girl comfy w/ the idea of not turning our home into a school...that's not at all what i want for josh.
I have been sitting here this morning drinking cheap coffee, reading e-mails and post on hipmama feeling devestated by the state of the neocon american republic.
I looked out my window a few minutes ago and shock and awe over took me! It is snowing. When the holidays arrive I become a small girl, excited about snow, christmas tree lights, presents, friends over for polish beer, n.a. beer and homemade polish perogies! This yr. I have been grieving my little faith in the general public, lost forever on Nov. 2, replaced w/ the mounting rage I have attempted to subdue w/ metaphysical love and affirmations my whole life. Seeing the snow brought me back to a place of joy, a belief in miracles, possibilities.
May we all remain or become radical, in your face, protesting mammas this holiday season! Buy anonymous gifts for those who need to feel the childlike faith in humanity I feel for this lone moment, watching the big fat flakes stick to my window screen.
Good Morning Mammas!
So my family and i found our fake tree, no luck finding a disco tree, ya know, colorfull aluminum but as always one of the beautiful mamas from another site ran into a bunch somewhere in N.Y. and offered to send me my pink tree...oh i'd love to say yes but i just can't afford the shipping. That's o.k., we found a very real looking green one for $5.00 at Goodwill! Very cool score!
What is everyone's biggest wish (material items pls, I know we all have gerous sides, but just for you!) what is that big present you hope to get for the holidays or did get at Hannukha?
I don't care that this makes me sound like a fake feminist, or the ultimate housewife... What I really, really want is a KitchenAid mixer cause they totally rock the baker world. And I want a membership to the Chidren's Museum/Science Center so I'll have something fun and educational to do with the boy when I'm not busy baking.
What do you want?
Oh Dragonfly, i'll be a domesticated baker w/ kick ass kitchen machinery any day!!! A membership to the science museum would be great!!!
What do I want, a bright red leather day timer that is BIG, fat and has lots of extra compartments for storing my loose stuff!! I am so disorganized right now i think this would truly make me the star in cosmetics management...my life would be renewed, never again would i look thru several bags, folders and drawers to see where the heck i putt that info!! ahh...simplicity.
I also really want a big huge picture frame w/ red or black matting for my autographed Peter Max print, it is my favorite (since i was a little girl and my sister turned me on to his work) the Woman w/ a hat painting...I want to finally take it out of it's protected tube and bring those bright whimsical colors into my home!
Teen age Son, how do i help create a sense of responsibility?
My son is about to turn 13, i always wanted to homeschool, unschool to be specific but i haven't yet. When it was time for middle school to begin i offered this option, he would be old enough to stay home alone but he desperatly wanted to work w/ the percussion teacher at a local alternative arts focused school so we entered him into the lottery and he got in. Well, 2 years into it and he still gets D's and F's in both homework and inclass work due to it not being turned in or turned in late. His test recieve A's and B's. We have discussed his need to turn work in, bring his grades up, be responsible for his choice to not be unschooled, therefore needing to follow through on his committments and what is expected of him. He still does not do his household chores unless we seriously nag him. He's been grounded until things turned around, it worked, temporarily and then it immediatly falls back to the failing grades. We recently grounded him again, this time i am calling his teachers and telling them the game plan, i will call you all in 2 weeks to see if EVERY project was turned in and on time and to the BEST of his ability and if 1 item is missing, you are still grounded. We've told him this is the path for the rest of the school yr. and that his assistance at home is also included.
I hate this traditional route, i want to let him "find his way" yet he shows no signs of the responsible and respectful nature some of his friends show, i want him to learn to do his best, know that yeah, there are times you do what you don't want to do but feel the pride you get from doing well.
I would love comments on "alternative" ways to assist him w/ not giving up all the time, not disrespecting his parents and teachers, taking pride in something other than his loves, music and bmxing.
Do any of you have advice for teens who's parents want to follow the alternative route of trusting they'll find their way yet are afraid he's not learning valuable lessons on how to be a productive and respectful member of a community?
Long Time no Blog
life has been busy, trying to be the best worker bee i can be while not at all interested in the corporate life, just interested in the steady pay and health insurance. Trying to stay as interested as i can be and work toward being worthy of a promotion so i can have even more money for my families dreams to come true.
My son and I have been having very intimate discussions re: his desire to be homeschooled. He was into it if his alternative arts education didn't get better and he finally said this week, i don't care if i can't be in the steel drum ensemble next yr., i'm done!
He's going to discuss w/ my partner his needs today or tomorrow so i am very proud of him for this.
I spent yesterday getting the info. packet from the school board, joining local online groups etc. I feel so excited about this...i believe it will inspire the whole family to eventually lead a more interest directed life!
My hope for the immediate future. That Josh will finish is "schooling" this friday. This is his wish cuz he wants to go to the final ski club trip and then get on w/ unschooling as of monday!
I'll keep you all posted.
hi queermama,
i think you might be able to help me. My name is jackie and i am looking for the long lost derrick jr. aka ivett. she has been reported missing in action at our 10 year high-school reunion. she was my best friend forever. the last i heard from her was a card she sent to my parent´s house with a new address, which unfortunately my mother accidently misplaced. if you could give her this message, i would LOVE to talk to her.
Thanks,
Amazonwoman
Dearest Mysterious Amazon Woman,
I beleive that I am the Derrick Jr. you are looking for online. I am stunned to think that after all these years "Boa" is back. There is much I want to say. I am shocked to think that you have found me. I am giving you my e-mail address,which I never ever check. I now have a wonderful excuse to embrace technology. hondagirl360@hotmail.com
Ivett/Derrick Jr./Derrick Sr./Sabateur
update on unschooling!
YES! a week and a 1/2 ago i took Josh out of school! we are officially unschooling, he does what he wants during the day, taking time to just decompress. eventually he'll find what he wants to do but for now, he's just chillin'. We're going to hook him up w/ the cash to buy the parts needed to design his own BMX racing bike for his 13th birthday. I now he will be quit shocked at this present! Just think of the homeschooling portfolio potential, math and science, history, phys ed....all while livin life the way he wants to! Life is very good right now.
Hey, I came in via another link and I am an unschooling mom in Columbus, too. Welcome to the fold!!!
:D
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