Comments on: tv or not to tv http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/ alternative parenting | conscious living | unschooling Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:21:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: CHITRA http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-34905 CHITRA Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:45:27 +0000 http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-34905 I especially pause to admire - at the point where u mention u joined her to watch Bobb the builder; and think how i can apply the same attitude in other situations with my daughter. thank you for sharing I especially pause to admire - at the point where u mention u joined her to watch Bobb the builder; and think how i can apply the same attitude in other situations with my daughter.
thank you for sharing

]]> By: hema http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-10489 hema Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:33:25 +0000 http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-10489 thanks so much for that wonderfully detailed message Nyah! I'm learning and learning and learning! I really feel the need to take my tabla out of its beautful carrying case and let it lie out where the kids cna touch it. except that with no other caretakers around.. i need about 8 eyes for my toddler ;-) i'm scared she will take a pen or sharp object to it while i have my eyes turned. and an apartment does not allow for too much space. Anyways.... positive positive... i jsut take them out a lot more becuase we need space to breathe. Your idea abotu work corners is great. shall try more. today... a tape measure that my toddler had not seen for a while kept her occupied while i helped my son do an intricate lego thing. it was a nice time... but the bubble burst adn then the only way was to hold her in my back carrier and help raghu finish. one or the other kid pays for the other's age. and i guess thats all part and parcel of living and learning. again thank you! hema thanks so much for that wonderfully detailed message Nyah! I’m learning and learning and learning! I really feel the need to take my tabla out of its beautful carrying case and let it lie out where the kids cna touch it. except that with no other caretakers around.. i need about 8 eyes for my toddler ;-) i’m scared she will take a pen or sharp object to it while i have my eyes turned. and an apartment does not allow for too much space. Anyways…. positive positive… i jsut take them out a lot more becuase we need space to breathe. Your idea abotu work corners is great. shall try more.

today… a tape measure that my toddler had not seen for a while kept her occupied while i helped my son do an intricate lego thing. it was a nice time… but the bubble burst adn then the only way was to hold her in my back carrier and help raghu finish. one or the other kid pays for the other’s age. and i guess thats all part and parcel of living and learning.

again thank you! hema

]]> By: Nyah Conscious http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-10432 Nyah Conscious Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:16:03 +0000 http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-10432 As a mom who is unschooling six kids(17,15,14,12,9,6) and also have a 2 year old, and when I say unschooling that doesn't mean they all choose to be at home, some are at school by their own admission....but yes, I can relate to your story Hema, a lot of people seem to focus on the romantic stuff, the letting go and liberating themselves (and their kids) from societies iron grip...and yet the reality remains, somehow people still have to juggle the kids needs and whims and all the guidance that goes along with having them at home, with housework, babycare, food buying, growing& prep, shopping, time with spouse, monetary and soul work, and perhaps even social time.... We tend to fall into relying on technology a lot, and the kids are happy with it, especially my boys (we have five boys, the girls social needs seem to propel them out into the world and they are both at school)), we have a few computers, digital cameras and a music studio as part of their (and our) learning tools. Housework tends to be a last priority for me, probably the result of growing up with a mum too busy for me....but of course as they grow, they can help more with that.....an effortless way to go for me is to have a lot of learning aids on hand, plenty books, art supplies and things...but remember Hema...having a toddler in the house can be incorporated into the unschooling approach...My oldest Jahmin is 17 and has really flourished as a babycarer, he is even contemplating childcare as a career option... Setting up spaces for learning to occur is key - I would love to have a woodworking workshop for our crew..... see I think what yah hafta develop as an unschooling parent is the ability to be both selfless and servicefull for yah kids, and to model a life of continual learning and passionate love for what you do.....if yah aren't passionately lovin it, change is probably something to look at....... I think having the household chores in their faces is a positive thing, its really keepin it real and truly preparing them for real life....My crew all shop for all of us (great for practical maths skills) and we focus on a fair share of chores, of course when they were little, it was chaos, but happy chaos, except for the battering my ego got for having a messy house...... My kids all help with food prep now and clean up and I like to use cooking as an opportunity to point out that maths, science and art is part of just about every part of life.... andways, plenty mundanes for I to attend to, so I best get cracking... Onelove and Guidance NYah I On the bedtime thing, maybe its coz we are musicians and used to take our kids gigging with us, but our youth (the boys anyway) are nightowls and we tend to live a lot in the nighttime. Yet when we lived in the bush with only a small amount of solar power and few mod cons, early nights were the norm... I know there are ways to change the patterns, but i think it takes a concerted effort. It just has to work for your lifestyle and the way you want to live. Often, as I have had many babies, I have gone to bed before most of the kids and my partner is the one trying to get them to bed so he can go to bed, its a bit messy but our kids love, raspect and are grateful to us for allowing them the opportunity to live and learn their own time. I am presently working on creating a balance between this high tech, modern lifestyle and the rootsy,yogic, natural, flowing lifestyle I also need to feel healthy and relaxed, with indoor/outdoor spaces to "get away" from the highly stimulating world of computers, electronics and multimedia....I feel is is essential to find the kinds of modes of living that suit us, then our children will get the kind of modeling they need to keep it healthy, truthful and natural all the while..... bye for now As a mom who is unschooling six kids(17,15,14,12,9,6) and also have a 2 year old, and when I say unschooling that doesn’t mean they all choose to be at home, some are at school by their own admission….but yes, I can relate to your story Hema, a lot of people seem to focus on the romantic stuff, the letting go and liberating themselves (and their kids) from societies iron grip…and yet the reality remains, somehow people still have to juggle the kids needs and whims and all the guidance that goes along with having them at home, with housework, babycare, food buying, growing& prep, shopping, time with spouse, monetary and soul work, and perhaps even social time….
We tend to fall into relying on technology a lot, and the kids are happy with it, especially my boys (we have five boys, the girls social needs seem to propel them out into the world and they are both at school)), we have a few computers, digital cameras and a music studio as part of their (and our) learning tools. Housework tends to be a last priority for me, probably the result of growing up with a mum too busy for me….but of course as they grow, they can help more with that…..an effortless way to go for me is to have a lot of learning aids on hand, plenty books, art supplies and things…but remember Hema…having a toddler in the house can be incorporated into the unschooling approach…My oldest Jahmin is 17 and has really flourished as a babycarer, he is even contemplating childcare as a career option…
Setting up spaces for learning to occur is key - I would love to have a woodworking workshop for our crew…..
see I think what yah hafta develop as an unschooling parent is the ability to be both selfless and servicefull for yah kids, and to model a life of continual learning and passionate love for what you do…..if yah aren’t passionately lovin it, change is probably something to look at…….
I think having the household chores in their faces is a positive thing, its really keepin it real and truly preparing them for real life….My crew all shop for all of us (great for practical maths skills) and we focus on a fair share of chores, of course when they were little, it was chaos, but happy chaos, except for the battering my ego got for having a messy house……
My kids all help with food prep now and clean up and I like to use cooking as an opportunity to point out that maths, science and art is part of just about every part of life…. andways, plenty mundanes for I to attend to, so I best get cracking…
Onelove and Guidance
NYah I
On the bedtime thing, maybe its coz we are musicians and used to take our kids gigging with us, but our youth (the boys anyway) are nightowls and we tend to live a lot in the nighttime.
Yet when we lived in the bush with only a small amount of solar power and few mod cons, early nights were the norm…
I know there are ways to change the patterns, but i think it takes a concerted effort. It just has to work for your lifestyle and the way you want to live. Often, as I have had many babies, I have gone to bed before most of the kids and my partner is the one trying to get them to bed so he can go to bed, its a bit messy but our kids love, raspect and are grateful to us for allowing them the opportunity to live and learn their own time.
I am presently working on creating a balance between this high tech, modern lifestyle and the rootsy,yogic, natural, flowing lifestyle I also need to feel healthy and relaxed, with indoor/outdoor spaces to “get away” from the highly stimulating world of computers, electronics and multimedia….I feel is is essential to find the kinds of modes of living that suit us, then our children will get the kind of modeling they need to keep it healthy, truthful and natural all the while…..
bye for now

]]> By: hema a bharadwaj http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-9974 hema a bharadwaj Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:22:03 +0000 http://theparentingpit.com/2006/12/12/tv-or-not-to-tv/#comment-9974 Hello again Arun, I've been browsing like a driven crazy mom who needs to report to the committe tomorrow morning... a new world in which the kids get to eat and see and do whatever... i'm freaking out. anyway... what is an Ipod audio story tape? i thought ipods were for music downloads that you paid for per peice on line? i'm really behind i know... but was curious that you had audio stories on an ipod. i only have my old audio tapes! also... i'm trying to search your website for this... but perhpas you can send me in the right direction... a detailed article on how the unschooling unfolded? I have an almost 2 year old who pretty much rules my life... and its been hard giving my almost 5 year old the time he needs and deserves. any articles on unschooling young children... i feel like i can't take his lead many a time because i'm too busy cooking, feeding, cleaning up and then doing it all over again. maybe not that bad... but feels that way. i've searched jan hunts site and a couple of others... but found loads of articles on attachment parenting, unschooling etc.. none on managing home, mess, time etc with unschooling moms/dads on their own with 2 young children. sorry long post and not toally connected to the article above. thank you for reading, hema Hello again Arun,
I’ve been browsing like a driven crazy mom who needs to report to the committe tomorrow morning… a new world in which the kids get to eat and see and do whatever… i’m freaking out.

anyway… what is an Ipod audio story tape? i thought ipods were for music downloads that you paid for per peice on line? i’m really behind i know… but was curious that you had audio stories on an ipod. i only have my old audio tapes!

also… i’m trying to search your website for this… but perhpas you can send me in the right direction… a detailed article on how the unschooling unfolded? I have an almost 2 year old who pretty much rules my life… and its been hard giving my almost 5 year old the time he needs and deserves. any articles on unschooling young children… i feel like i can’t take his lead many a time because i’m too busy cooking, feeding, cleaning up and then doing it all over again. maybe not that bad… but feels that way. i’ve searched jan hunts site and a couple of others… but found loads of articles on attachment parenting, unschooling etc.. none on managing home, mess, time etc with unschooling moms/dads on their own with 2 young children.

sorry long post and not toally connected to the article above.
thank you for reading, hema

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