In the Cave – Paleo Ed

Urban bounty

webmaster — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:39:28 +0000

Ok so the first egg cost $250? What?! But the rest are free! And so are the myriad of lessons learned, knowledge gained, joy and fulfillment had by our kids and ourselves. I knew it was going to be good. But I never predicted how many aspects of our lives it would benefit. It’s incredible.

Only the boring get bored, or why creative opportunity knocks

webmaster — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:58:45 +0000

Recently Phoenix has discovered the word “boring.” While I despise the word, I am thankful for this opportunity to discuss those “boring” times as an opportunity and thus transform her perception of boredom. One of the most valuable things i believe unschooling offers is boredom and the opportunity to be in one’s own head. I think nowadays, most children are just too damn scheduled. Its a reminder to let boredom be and not jump automatically to solving it with a coat of empty calorie digital candy (ie the tv or any screen). What has your child discovered through boredom? Here’s a BBC article about the importance of boredom.

No Lazy Bones About It

webmaster — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:32:51 +0000

Our cultural emphasis on being “naturally smart”, instead of learning, makes kids lazy. Our cultural discouragement of reporting truth makes the honest child an outcast and ostracized as a “tattle tail”. (Plus see must-read book Nurture Shock‘s chapter on the many ways we actually encourage children to be dishonest.) All this adds up to justification for the untruth of cheating, the lazy path to gain praise in order to feel valued. Not the plan for my child! http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/streams-of-consciousness/2013/04/17/how-to-make-kids-smarterand-ease-existential-terror/
And…
http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2013/02/12/parents-who-praise-effort-can-bolster-children-s-persistence-self-belief?utm_source=News+and+Notes+from+the+Field+No.14+3-6-13&utm_campaign=news+%26+notes+Vol+12&utm_medium=email

Her choice, my cost

webmaster — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:52:59 +0000

When they don’t want to go to a class we’ve paid for, when is it too lenient to let them stay home? Will they learn value? Should they be encouraged to go? I remember feeling the pressure and it became no fun anymore. I don’t want to turn her enjoyment into a chore to satisfy my own culturally constructed idea of getting our money’s worth.

Extreme boobing

webmaster — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:43:36 +0000

2 most extreme places I’ve managed to breastfeed:
On a rock jetty overlooking the Pacific Ocean while fishing
Standing up, surrounded by multicam and knives, in a military supply store

How about you?

At your fingertypes

webmaster — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:08:59 +0000

“…the Internet has been a lifeline for self-directed learning and connection to peers.”

Cutest Quail math ever

webmaster — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:01:11 +0000

One of Phoenix’s favourite things is quail eggs she discovered at Le Marche St George because, of course, they’re cute! So today we made a miniature breakfast: sunny-side-up quail eggs with mini quail egg pancakes, and one giant strawberry. And along the way we did some math! Four “cute” quarter-cup measuring cups full of dry mix equals 1 whole cup, and four quail eggs weighs the same as one chicken egg. I admit, serving up a miniature breakfast is fun for me too!

Life is short. Live it outside the box.

webmaster — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 07:58:53 +0000

My brother died at 26. In his prime. And yet he had lived 2/3 if his life struggling and much of the time suffering through school. From physical and mental abuse in first grade at the hands of an insane teacher, to the constant misunderstanding of and thus difficulties with learning differences throughout his schooling years, he could not have been more out of place at a desk. But school was the only way, we thought. It just was. Right?
Well change is afoot. Everything is coming into question. We are in the early stages of a revolution, an awakening. We have accepted the authority of the establishment for long enough and begun actually taking responsibility for our reality. And we are realizing our time on earth not only as individuals but as a species may be up at any moment. These times are more uncertain than ever before and in our newly spun worldwide web where we connect to people around the globe on a daily basis, we are more aware of how finite this planet truly is. Every day is a gift. Why ON EARTH would you want to spend it bored in a schoolroom?! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a classroom when I choose to be there and my anthropology studies at university were some of the most exciting and mentally fulfilling times of my life but it was torture sitting for years waiting to get the f**k out of highschool! There were moments that were good, but so much time was wasted too just doing time to satisfy my required attendance quotient and to be there to know what hoops I had to jump through. I’m sorry but no. Our kids deserve better. Wouldn’t it be mindblowing to watch their minds flow and their passions grow as they emerge and witness them live each day as if THEY owned it?! IMAGINE!

Typecasting Unschoolers

webmaster — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 06:44:33 +0000

Ok so after my last posting about my moto and being born analytical, I started to wonder if this was a common trait among unschooling parents. Not remembering what i tested on Myers Briggs personslity type, i decided to google “Myers Briggs most analytical type” and ta-da, my forgotten type, INTJ. Low and behold, “INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion “Does it work?” to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake…” While nobody fits the mold, I fundamentally cannot choose to deny my shape. And I’m not going to stuff my beautiful miraculous shooting star children into a little lead box.
I’d like to know, what personality type are you and how does your personality inform the choices you make for your children’s education?

The path less traveled

webmaster — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 05:38:52 +0000

How did we get here?
http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201203/what-leads-families-unschool-their-children-report-ii