Sometimes being an unschooling parent is hard.
When Frank and I travel, we have this just-shy-of-desperate need to be busy, see as much as possible, seize the day. MJ and Chloe don't share it. Their more usual daily activities remain a big part of their days when we are traveling, and they aren't afraid to (ahem) sacrifice some sightseeing time in favor of keeping up with the usual.
For example, they started reading the Twilight series while we were in Italy and found it quite compelling. So, one fine day, I had to leave them in the hotel room while Frank and I went to explore Venezia. THIS WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME and I expect big, fat kudos for doing it.
Then there was the day in Dublin when they stayed in the B&B watching the first presidential debate while Frank and I went wandering down to Temple Bar and Grafton Street.
Then there was the day when MJ preferred sitting in the cottage alone with a book and a bad DVD to visiting the Waterford factory and the Dunbrody famine ship.
Then there was the day when Chloe was busy drawing and wouldn't get out of the car to explore the Burren.
I remember endless roadtrips when I was a kid when my boredom was addressed with the deathless advice, "Look out the window!" I tried to keep those moments in mind when the girls made these (ahem) bad choices, all the while hearing a little voice in my head chiming, "It's not at all the same thing!" But to them, it really is, even when what's out the window is one of the most famous sites in Europe.
And, hey, at least they are rarely bored.
This 9/11 Morning
5 days ago
7 comments:
Good Mommy, good Mommy! For me it's letting Liz go explore and dealing with my worry as quietly as possible : ) She'll never know how hard it really is for me sometmes.
Ronnie, I never thought that unschooling could be of this sort too....just allowing the girls what they felt they wanted to do.
Yeah for MOM! That would've been tough!!
Kelly, yeah, I have that one. MJ, at 16, is talking about taking a roadtrip to see some friends. Gulp!
In this case, I was worried about them missing Venice more than their safety. The worry was as intense, though.
Randi, that's a big part of what unschooling is. Trust, trust, trust.
Yay! Kudos to you.
That part is hard. And WOW, if I had started the Twilight series while in Italy I would have so been reading a LOT of the time *g* I stayed up really late one night last week finishing Twilight.
Oh, don't get me wrong, Kelli: all three of us had finished all four books before we came home! LOL But I had that "proper time and place" stuff in my head -- now we sightsee, later we read -- and all they had in their heads was excitement.
Well The Burren is especially meaningful to Craig and me, so I am sorry you missed it Chloe, but I love that the kids know their minds, that you grappled with yourself enough to let them go with it, and I am laughing at you complaining that your teenage kids would rather watch a political debate than sightsee!!! Ah the sweet sweet irony. Big loves to you all!
xo g
Gillian - I sense a Burren story in the offing. To clarify, though, Chloe saw a lot of the Burren. She just declined to get out of the car to go see the Dolman in the rain.
As for the debate, well, it's not like it was going to change any of our minds! :-) McCain's positions are WAY too far away from ours for any revelations on his part to make a difference. And, of course, there have been no revelations.
Loves backatcha!
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