Exciting times to be alive

It's almost bed-time and I've got a bazillion Christmas presents to wrap, but it's been so long since I've posted on here that all the posts I want to share are bubbling up inside. I thought I'd better put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) before I pop.

I'm pretty excited about life right now. A lot of good things are coming together and I wanted to share a couple of these with you.

I'm currently reading up on unschooling and am pretty sure that's the way we're going to go with the kids. I've decided to trial it at least, until L is 6.

Paul has often said he wants to unschool our kids but I didn't really know what he meant by that. I've often mulled over the idea of homeschooling, but always come to the conclusion that I wouldn't be good enough at it.

Then I watched the following videos and realised I didn't want to send my kids to a traditional school:

Hackschooling makes me happy, 13-year-old boy blows the myth of "public education" out of the water

Do schools kill creativity?, TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson

Changing Paradigms, animated video based on a talk to the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson

Homeschooling/unschooling is not something I ever thought I would be able to do and it has taken me by surprise that I'm getting so excited about it.

My hope is that by unschooling my kids I'll be able to:

• nurture their individual interests and passions
• encourage a life-long love of learning in them 
• give them more of my time in these crucial early years

My friend Elizabeth sent me links to her favourite unschooling websites, so I'll share them with you in case you want to find out more about this way of life:

http://www.livingjoyfully.ca/   Including Pam Larrichia's wonderful book, Free to Learn

http://www.lifelearningmagazine.com/definitions/what_is_life_learning.htm 

http://www.lifelearningmagazine.com/1012/what_do_unschoolers_do_all_day.htm 

http://www.yarnsoftheheart.com/  

http://patriciazaballos.com/how-we-homeschool/ 

http://patriciazaballos.com/2012/05/31/how-do-kids-really-learn-to-write-2-0/ 

http://www.liveandlearn.co.nz/default.aspxhttp://simplehomeschool.net/uninvolved-unschooler/ 

http://www.storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com/2013/06/getting-children-to-do-their-school-work.html

A happy outcome of my research into unschooling is that I have stumbled across the book, Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer. I'm part-way through it and it's already helping me to understand my girls and myself in a way I never thought possible. It turns out we're all sensitive dreamers.

Here's the description:

Your child may be a sensitive dreamer if: he forgets to follow instructions, no matter how clear and simple, she craves praise and positive attention, yet refuses to conform to what's expected, he tells more than his share of fibs and tall tales. If you recognize these actions in your child, you know the frustration of turning to parenting experts for advice only to find the systems don't work, the rules don't stick and strong boundary setting makes the situation worse. The creative-sensitive dreamer is not the strong-willed child. Get this book and learn how to parent your special needs child who is principle-oriented rather than rule-oriented, highly creative, overly sensitive and frustrated at a world that fails to live up to the ideal.

That pretty well sums us up (although I don't tell fibs or tall tales anymore - my principles don't allow me to. I feel churned up inside if I think someone has misconstrued what I've said or thinks I'm lying).

Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer is helping me understand the things that have often baffled me about my girls, and it's also helping me understand my own quirks, oddities and strengths. Yay for life-changing revelations.

OK, I'd better call it a night.

What are your thoughts on education in the modern era?