From Wheezing to Why Not?: Supporting Children’s Passions

This weekend, our new kitten, Misty, joined our family. He was a long time in coming – and I’m not just talking about the 10 weeks we had to wait until he was weaned and ready to leave his mama. No, for us the journey to our kitten was long and winding, with many challenges to overcome. All in all it took more than 18 months from start to finish, and longer than that from the moment my daughter first expressed her deep yearning for a cat.

It’s because of Katy that Misty is with us. At age four, she fell in love with all things cat, and wanted more than anything have one of her very own. Due to my severe allergies, this didn’t seem all that likely – and besides, Ted and I figured that after a few weeks she’d move on to a new passion.

Not so much.

Two years later, Katy was still desperate for a kitten. We’d done everything we could think of, from visiting shelters and friends with cats, to starting a cat club, to getting a guinea pig (Katy loves him, but he was clearly a poor substitute for a feline). Finally we decided more drastic measures were needed. I started a course of allergy shots and we began researching any and all cats that I may possibly be able to live among and still draw breath.

Eventually we settled on a breed and began the process of finding a reputable breeder and saving up (these cats do not come cheap!). In the end, it was beautiful how everything just fell into place. We found the perfect kitten for us, from a wonderful breeder who was thrilled that Misty would be coming to a family of unschooled kids who’d have plenty of time to lavish him with love.

As unschoolers, we all think about supporting our children’s passions. Sometimes it’s as easy as pulling up a YouTube video or taking a trip to the library. Sometimes the obstacles seem all but insurmountable – like when supporting that passion is in direct conflict with your lungs. But when we focus on the “yes”, on the “what steps can we take to move toward this?” instead of “well, that’s out of the question!” it’s amazing what can happen!

Meow.