I’ve been a homeschooler with an unschooling philosophy for 26 years. I’ve read a lot of great books on the subject, but it’s rare to encounter homeschoolers and unschoolers in fiction. It’s even more rare to see our lives portrayed as anything other than extreme in one form or another. So, I, along with my… Read More ‘Unschoolers’ coming in March
The nights are getting cooler, our first butternut squashes from the garden have been picked, apples are showing up at my local farmers’ market. Fall is coming, the season of mists and yellow fruitfulness, to quote John Keats. It’s the season of the bittersweet, harvests of plenty, and the last gasps of beauty and fullness… Read More Not back to school time, again
We all have them, right? Summer memories of lazy days, popsicles, swimming, pick-up games of tag or kickball, and oodles of fun. Well, maybe we don’t all have them, especially since summer has become just another season for scheduling stuff. These days, when people ask What are your kids doing this summer? the answers generally include multiple… Read More What are you doing this summer?
Many years ago, when my eldest daughter was in public school kindergarten and I was helping out in the classroom, I witnessed the following exchange between the teacher and a boy who had brought in a special object for show-and-tell. Boy (holding up his smooth round rock proudly): “This is my boulder.” Teacher: “You mean,… Read More The boy with the boulder
For reasons I still fail to understand, every so often some clever mommy blogger decides to write about why she doesn’t homeschool. This time the culprit is Sarah Bregel, whose latest contribution to Babble, Disney’s online parenting magazine, is titled “10 Reasons I’m Probably Not Cut Out for Homeschooling.” The listicle is supposed to be… Read More Why I’m Cut Out for Homeschooling
Today my baby turns 17. Where did the time go, hard to believe, seems like just yesterday she was learning to walk, wearing the same yellow tutu every day, small enough to nestle comfortably on my hip and cling to me as I held her. I don’t think I’m the only mom who, on her… Read More Happy home birth day
This week, a little girl named Tiana talked to her mother about relationships, self-control, and love. Her mother took a video of her daughter’s remarkable speech, and now millions of people around the world have watched it, too. It’s a heartfelt plea, full of love and wisdom. To me, it shows that kids, even very young… Read More The mouths of babes
The other day I was talking to a fellow homeschooling parent about the Boston Magazine article. She pointed out that the homeschooling families profiled were depicted in the living room, not the kitchen. That’s true. The photo of my family was taken in our living room, as was the picture of Robert Holzbach and his… Read More Out of the kitchen, into the living room
Lately my life has consisted of lazy days, sweltering heat, a zucchini bonanza, and Shakespeare in the park. Oh, and lots of discussions about homeschooling. I’m a county contact for Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts, so people call me with all manner of questions and concerns. During this time of year, they’re busy with gearing up (already)… Read More Homeschooling as salvation
Today I read an excellent post by John Taylor Gatto, responding to a mom asking How Do I Rekindle Curiosity in My Teenagers? His answers were spot on, and they should be. As a New York City public school teacher, he helped rekindle the curiosity of countless young people. One thing he said jumped out… Read More Why are we doing this?
A Potluck Life 