Deschooling with Rules

OK, so I have realised that it was too much to ask that E perform all his morning jobs 'in the morning'.....and by that I mean before 12 noon. We were both getting stressed and not getting anywhere. So now I have taken away the privilege of staying up until he feels he is ready for bed. At least until he can show me that he can perform his jobs, by himself, without my continuous nagging.

Now the morning jobs need to be completed before the television is turned on or before engaging in any play. While yesterday was a disaster and very stressful for him, today has been great so far with morning jobs completed around 9am. Next step - late night priveleges return. I wonder how long this will take. I'm thinking a few weeks.

Meanwhile over breakfast we learnt all about Amphibians. What an interesting group of creatures. Did you know that the largest Amphibian has been known to grow to 1.8 meters? These Scholastic True or False books are the best resources we have. They are inexpensive (around $5 on Fishpond.com.au), of great quality and can be resold. And written in a way that really engages the learner.

These we have.....
    
These we want....
 

Unschooling update

More deschooling days however weekends don't count as days off when you unschool. Life is learning anytime, anywhere.
E wanted to build a docking bay for his latest, very large, lego creation - the Lego Imperial Star Destroyer. So he and Dad organised the wood and got to building.

While I don't believe there was much fine and detailed measuring going on (it's not quite square) it was a great project that involved learning woodwork terminology (hinge, clamp, jigsaw, etc) and mearsurement which included multiplication and division. Also a lot of teamwork which in turn involved much patience from both participants. Actually it does need to be painted but we need to wait for a much less moist weekend for that activity.

This may have been a small project but it is a large step forward in learning new skills and abilities, and building new confidence.

Hide & Seek

Here's a fun photo....one of our AustralorpX chooks with our dog Rush who is part wolf hound and just 11mths. I wonder who will find the other first.
Sorry about the colour - it's very overcast today.

Learning, anytime, anywhere, anything

Learning can happen at any time of day. It's 9pm - E and Dad are making shadow puppets on the cupboard. We printed out a shadow puppet chart we found on Pinterest.com - it has 15 different animals. I would classify this learning under motor skills, communication, entertainment, creativity and how to have fun. It would certainly be a great camping activity.

Story Writing Made Easy

Up and Down was E's first Storybird (see storybird.com). While we have had so much difficulty getting him to look at a word in order to learn how to read, this was one of the easiest homeschool projects we have undertaken.
I highly recommend the use of this site for any homeschool family.
You can start with the story or you can start with the pictures. E started with each picture and then wrote that page of the story. I was amazed at how the story seemed to magically link together at the end.
Of course there was a little prompting when the sentences were too long winded, and I was his scribe. But overall a great outcome for a non-reader. ....note to self - must get back into using it!!

Chicks

Chicks....can't live with them, can't live without them....
Yesterday we bought home some baby chicks. We have what is hopefully a rooster and a hen which are the Barnevelder breed. I love the colouring so we might get some interesting colours from our Australorp cross and Barnevelder mix.
E has already named them and was looking after them on the drive home. The lighter colouring is Fluffy and the darker Squeeze.
The dogs have been very interested in sniffing the cage but I am confident they will learn not to touch just as they have the older chooks.
I am looking forward to seeing their adult colouring. And of course the new learning that will happen as we look after them while they grow.

Floods and Fun

Wednesday was a big day. We started with a 6am breakfast so hubby and I could help the neighbours try to 'save' their property if necessary.
The water came up quickly but after a couple of hours subsided enough not to worry. Although this picture looks like there is quite a hill, if the water came up another foot it would have been ready to run through the house.
So there were sandbags and helpers everywhere just in case the tide affected the creek.
E had the 'con' (helm of the ship) and our mobile numbers in case of emergency, like the power went out and he couldn't watch telly anymore. :)

Another Day Deschooling

Yesterday.....Bindi the Jungle Girl movie got a workout today. He really does love learning about animals. As long as he doesn't talk about spiders.....eww!

E also played with new friends in the pool - they were visiting our neighbours and popped over for a swim.

He was adamant he wasn't ready for bed at 10pm but woke him on the couch at 11pm and sent him to bed. Deschooling is very freeing though as his Mum I really question myself regularly especially when Asperger's is in the mix.

TRUST...PATIENCE...BREATHE...

HomeMade Dehydrated Slice

This is a wonderful treat or snack especially if you follow a Gaps, GF/CF, SCD or No Carbs diets. It's just Nuts, Dried Fruit and Coconut. 

Ingredients for this particular batch was:

1/2 cup Walnuts

3/4 cup Brazil Nuts

1 cup Macadamia Nuts

3/4 cup dried coconut (flakes in this one but shredded is good too)

1.4 cup Goji Berries

2 cups organic fresh Mejool Dates (you will need to seed them)

• In a Blender add the Coconut Flakes and Dates - blend until the Dates are cut into fine pieces. Tip into a bowl.
• Place the Nuts in the Blender and blend until desired (I like them resembling large crumbs). Tip into the bowl.
• Add the Goji Berries to the bowl and mix by hand - like making rissoles.
• Take a portion and start spreading it by hand onto baking paper on the dehydrator trays. I use one hand to keep a straight edge while massaging it flat'ish. It usually makes about 3 trays.
• Dehydrate on dried fruit setting for 3 days (yep 3 days) until desired result.

Brisbane Bookfest - OMG

Wow - it's hard to believe until you actually attend the Brisbane Bookest just how many books are available and how cheap they are.
I attended yesterday and spent three hours trawling through just four rows out of at least a dozen rows available. AND.... I found two John Holt books (Freedom and Beyond/How Children Fail) that cost 25c each. I actually voiced my delighted astonishment by breathing out some sort of exclamation mark!! - but I'm sure I'm not the only one to get excited at my find....I just didn't notice anyone else because I had all my senses buried in the hunt for more.
I also bought some old maps to send to my sister for her artwork (again 25c each), an old Wilbur Smith novel (these never date), lots of small readers for E and some reference material like Atlases and How Stuff Works books.....etc,etc. Actually all up I only spent $19.50.

As a first timer though here's a list to prepare for next year.
1. take a hayfever pill fisrt and take tissues - its a little dusty
2. have some wet wipes handy in case I want to sit and eat - my fingers were quite dirty when finished
3. take a bottle of water
4. take some sort of trolley I can lug mybooks around in. I saw a few people with small suitcases they were wheeling around - clever
5. a spotter would be great if I could convince my husband - to keep an eye out for the specific books I am looking for (this will be tough one)...or as Kylie mentions in the comments take a friend who knows what you want and text each other when you find something.
6. don't worry about a purse just pop a card into my pocket - but must remember a phone in case I want to phone a friend with a question
7. make and take a wishlist
8. ......there might be some more.....if there are I'll update later.

Definately worth the trip. Be prepared to pay $15 for parking.

'I See Things Differently' - a Storybird for Asperger's kids

I've been on the StoryBird.com site again this morning. Gee... they have some great writers. I particularly like the book  'And That's When the Presents Exploded - A True Christmas Tale'



I found this site to be particularly useful for a non-reader who is very reluctant to look at words on a page. It allowed him to create his own story (with me scribing) that he wanted to read. It's also great when reporting to the HEU each year as you can attach some of their stories.

But a great Storybird for Asperger's kids is -
'I SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY'

link to - 25 Rules for Mothers with Sons

I love this list. I think it can be summed up as setting a good example and teaching about exemplary expectations.
http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=1

An Unschooling Experience

The things you learn when you're unschooling...

Did you know:

• There are approx 1.88 billion acres in Australia.
• You can tell the difference between a male and female fly because the males eyes are close together. (maybe with a microscope though)

Yesterday E made his own breakfast (quiche), patted a python, got his photo in the local paper and played with S (our 9yo neighbour) for 5 hours. He was totally exhausted.

Today he has offered to cut up our homemade date slice to 'save you a job Mum'. Let's see how that pans out.

Paula

Organic Raw Milk

Finally I have just sent my papers away for a Raw Milk delivery. I am planning to make our Cheeses and Yogurt. Should work out a lot cheaper and taste better. However this will be my first foray into both products and I am sure there will be some hit and misses.

E really needs to start back on dairy after two years off it on the GAPS diet. I will need milk Keffir grains to get started so it's off to see my friend Linda to get some. I am sure I will have excess to give away once I get started. Keffir just keeps multiplying. It's easy to work with but it's also like having another animal in the house. It needs prep and feeding every 2 days.

Will keep posting on my progress and any great recipes I try and succeed at.
P

The Freedom of Unschooling

After homeschooling for 2 years we are now finally free from the last of the expectations and ideas society has about schooling. I recently read John Holt's book Teach Your Own. And while I thought I had a lot more compassion for my little man (9yo) than other modern Mum's might and certainly more than I ever did, I have found that last little bit. Children are not really respected in today's society. They are treated like children. Sounds crazy right......but how do you teach a child to live in an adults world without treating them with the respect they would deserve as an adult. I was enlightened that in other cultures our special little people are not children as such, but growing adults. And thus they take on adult traits immediately. They blend in with the daily routine, create their own expectations around the chores they might assist with and don't have tantrums to test how much of an adult they can be.
Thank you John Holt, where ever you may be, for opening my mind to an alternative that is now, unfortunately, buried under societal expectations, place and time. After just a few weeks I can see the changes already.