Recently I took my youngest daughter, Maggie, to her first dental appointment. She’s my fourth, so I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought. I figured it would go like the initial visits of my three older kids. Our pediatric dentist works hard to make children’s dental experiences positive, and all of my other […]
Radical Unschooling
The Mother Duck Phenomenon
Okay, tell me if this rings a bell… My kids are all playing happily as I head to the shower. In under five minutes, I’ve got one in the shower with me, another keeping me company perched on the potty, and the other two hovering just outside the bathroom door. I can’t remember the last […]
Unschooling: Respecting Negative Emotions
My friend stopped over yesterday – and she was pissed. After a knock startling in its violence, she whipped open the door, removed each shoe and threw it down, slammed her purse on the nearest surface and flung herself onto my couch, launching into a loud, nearly incoherent tirade peppered liberally with expletives. “Whoa!” I […]
Unschooling: Saying Goodbye to “MY”
“Mine!” It’s a staple in my two-year old’s vocabulary these days. My dolly. My car. My puzzle. All true. In true two-year old fashion, however, she has expanded this word’s meaning to include not only what is, in fact, hers, but also what she is using at the moment, would like to possess at the […]
How Punishments Backfire: An Unschooling Perspective
The day after Hurricane Irene hit we had no electricity (we had no electricity for days, actually, but we shall not speak of that). It turned out that a downed transformer just around the corner was culprit. Other than that, there was minimal damage to our neighborhood, and since school was not yet in session, […]
Unschooling: Embracing What Is
So tonight I found myself in need of the, um, facilities, so I crept off to the master bath, leaving my incredibly competent husband with our kids. My thought – that I might actually have a few uninterrupted moments – quickly proved unrealistic. Within seconds, I found myself engaged in what can perhaps best be […]
Unschooled or Unparented? Is Unschooling Just a Fancy Word for Neglect?
When people are first introduced to the idea of unschooling, they often express a belief that children raised in such a way must end up incorrigible, disrespectful, sloppy, lazy and completely self-centered. They have images of kids running wild, with long, matted hair and blackened teeth. Kids who rule the roost, while their parents either […]
A Visit from the Un-Nanny
UPDATE: JULY 2013 The article below is an account of the UnNanny experience of my family in July, 2010. Sadly, in the past month, many people have come forward to share far less positive experiences. As of this writing, Dayna Martin has announced that she is suspending her UnNanny service. As with any paid service, […]
Unschooling: America’s Next Top Mr. Potato Head
I don’t watch reality shows. Seriously. Not Survivor or Dancing with the Stars. Not The Bachelor or Big Brother. Not even American Idol. Nothing. Well, okay, maybe I do indulge in just one…I’m a closet fan of America’s Next Top Model. But I never admit to it, so let’s just keep it between us. Anyway, […]
Unschooling: “How’s That Working for You?”
Ever watched Dr. Phil? He’s the talk show host who’s known for asking his guests, “How’s that working for you?” A retired psychologist, he appears to be a leading authority, dispensing wisdom and practical advice to his guests and viewers. In a series titled The Great School Debate, Dr. Phil explored the topic of unschooling. […]