The answer to my previous question is YES according to dictionary.com:


teach P Pronunciation Key (tch)
v. taught, (tôt) teach·ing, teach·es
v. tr.
To impart knowledge or skill to: teaches children.
To provide knowledge of; instruct in: teaches French.
To condition to a certain action or frame of mind: teaching youngsters to be self-reliant.
To cause to learn by example or experience: an accident that taught me a valuable lesson.
To advocate or preach: teaches racial and religious tolerance.
To carry on instruction on a regular basis in: taught high school for many years.


Fascinating and eye opening for me.
I carried a pre-conceived *idea* about what teaching was.
It was like a little red *warning* flag was raised in my mind whenever I came accross it.
There is also a pre-conceived *idea/belief* that teaching is something that can only happen by a TEACHER in a SCHOOL.
I did not carry that notion, but I have come across others who do.
The conversation is always interesting.

"To impart knowledge or skill to...To provide knowledge of; instruct in..."
hhhmmmm...instruct...
According to dictionary.com instruct is defined as:

v. tr.
To provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. See Synonyms at teach.
To give orders to; direct.

v. intr.
To serve as an instructor.

Wow.
"To provide with knowledge"
I LOVE this!
Think of this in regards to TELEVISION, VIDEO GAMES, and COMIC BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!!!!
For me t.v., video games, and comic books are all *ways* to LEARN and are all FABULOUS ways of learning.
T.V. in and of itself is not a bad thing!
It's some of the CONTENT that's maybe not so *good*.
That's where another unschooling line gets fuzzy for some people,
what is *good* what is *bad* and WHOSE determination of what defines *good* and *bad* is adhered to???
And that is where remembering that you are in a partnership WITH your kids, not OVER your kids is helpful.

Once again, I head to dictionary.com to see what it says about partnership:

part·ner·ship P Pronunciation Key (pärtnr-shp)
n.
The state of being a partner.
A legal contract entered into by two or more persons in which each agrees to furnish a part of the capital and labor for a business enterprise, and by which each shares a fixed proportion of profits and losses.
The persons bound by such a contract.
A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal: Neighborhood groups formed a partnership to fight crime.


and this about partner:

part·ner P Pronunciation Key (pärtnr)
n.
One that is united or associated with another or others in an activity or a sphere of common interest, especially:
A member of a business partnership.
A spouse.
A domestic partner. See Usage Note at domestic partner.
Either of two persons dancing together.
One of a pair or team in a sport or game, such as tennis or bridge.
Nautical. A wooden framework used to strengthen a ship's deck at the point where a mast or other structure passes through it. Often used in the plural.

v. part·nered, part·ner·ing, part·ners
v. tr.
To make a partner of.
To bring together as partners.
To be the partner of.

v. intr.
To work or perform as a partner or partners.


For us the *specified goal* is harmony, happiness, trust.
HUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am realizing that
we have
never
actually VERBALIZED or AGREED
on what our *specified goal* is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The above that i mentioned are what MINE for the family are!!!!!!

Well duh on me.

*off to ask for a family meeting*

:)

Is answering a question *teaching*?
Is demonstrating *how* to do something teaching?
Is there a difference between *showing* and *teaching*?
Can one exist without the other?
Do people NEED to be *taught*?

That's what unschooling mostly is for me right now,
it's figuring out the logistics and the details of *what* it IS exactly-
what it is to ME,
how I define it
so that I/we can truly LIVE it.

I have a lot of questions about coercion and using *distracting* as parenting/unschooling *methods*.
there seems to be a bit of coercion lurking in other unschooling families and it surprises me.
I'm not sure about using *distraction* as a parenting technique, and it's a technique I hear a lot.
I'm not a co-counselor or an RC person but I do think that maybe there is something to NOT *distracting* kids/people from their feelings
but instead *allowing* them to actually experience them so they can get rid of them. Let them goooooooooooooo.
Looks like it's time for me to bust out some reading material.

Be who/what you believe in.
Be sincere, genuine, authentic.
Move from pleasure, joy, heart, soul, happiness, love.
Don't have alterior motives or agendas.
Take care of yourself.
Live what you believe
Be what you believe
and
still honor your kids' choice to be who THEY are,
whether that falls in line with you or not.

I've been realizing that a lot of the unschooling I do
is in my HEAD and
that I NEED to *take* it OUT and do something about
it/with it.

That's what a lot of unschooling is to me, right now
anyway,
it's really how the PARENT looks at and approaches
everything
but everyone benefits from it.
It's mindful parenting, it's realizing that your kids
are PEOPLE-
that they may be with you but they are not YOURS
that we do not have ownership over them
that we can not MAKE them or GET them to do anything,
that anything and everything they do is THEIR own
CHOICE and that their choice may be different from
OURS.
It's understanding what your own definition of
parenting and what a parent is, and what love is,
and making that REAL.
It's understanding our own triggers and things that
spiral us and
figuring out HOW to DEAL with those things without
disrespecting another person
or having our *shit* become THEIRS.
It's not about being perfect, it's not about not
making mistakes,
it's allowing yourself the SPACE to make mistakes and
also allowing yourself to LEARN from them and to not
carry them with you.
It's about understanding the connection between
PEOPLE, between yourself and your kids, your
husband/wife, your family
and honoring that even when your first inclination is
to "loose" it in some way.
Today my cell phone was ringing and it was in my bag
in one of 2 side pockets, in our kitchen.
I was in the living room nursing my youngest, Georgie,
and my oldest, Sett, was in the playroom.
I asked Sett to get it for me and told him where it
was.
He ran quickly into the kitchen, found my bag but
could not figure out which pocket the side pocket was.
Normally my heart would have been POUNDING from the
pressure I felt about answering the phone before it
stopped ringing,
my head would feel like it was about to explode out of
frustration and pure disbelief at his *inability* (my
perception) to find whatever it is he is trying to
find.
Instead of "loosing" it, today I heard my voice in my
head tell me "Do not get mad at him. He's doing the
best he can. He doesn't KNOW which pocket it is and
where they even are, it's YOUR bag not his. You can
look at the caller ID and CALL THAT PERSON BACK." The
phone stopped ringing.
I remained quiet, I took a deep breath, and thought
that he could bring the whole bag to me.
I waited to see what he needed from me, his energy was
good, not hurried or stressed or worried, but focused
and he asked me if he could just bring the whole bag
to me.
He brought it to me and I thanked him and showed him
where the pockets are, which one is the front and
which 2 are the side ones. He nodded and went back to
playing his computer game.
This VERY EASILY could have been a DISASTER. In the
past, it HAS been.
I was surprised to hear my voice tell me something
rational during a moment where I felt physically like
I was about to swirl out of control.
I'm not sure why it happened, maybe because I've been
*thinking* about stuff like this, about *shifting* my
perspective,
I've been reading about stuff like this and somewhere
along the line I decided to make it *real*.
I've been noticing how often I recognize that I am
feeling one way and I need to do __________ because of
it but how I actually do everything BUT_____________.
This is another part of unschooling, a really REALLY
important part.
Do not expect your kids to do things that you YOURSELF
don't even do.
Expect them to do what you ARE doing, cause HELL YEAH
they will.
If you do not brush your teeth 2 times, 3
times/whatever a day, DON'T EXPECT THEM TO. THEY
WON'T.
If it really is THAT important-why aren't YOU doing it
yourself???
If you are tired and the opportunity presents itself
for you to be able to go to bed and to go to SLEEP and
you do NOT but instead remain awake and grumpy or
unhappy don't expect THEM to honor their body signals
either.

Right now I am tired. Really, really tired.
I WANT to stay awake and keep working on this but I
KNOW we will ALL pay for it tomorrow if I don't listen
to my body.
I'll post more later :)
Bye for now :)