tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817664550206033721.post1602588929752867105..comments2023-05-18T06:00:59.171-07:00Comments on feminist & a single mom in North Dakota: unschooling, deschooling our kids?Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744489951863422941noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817664550206033721.post-36249345747253977232010-06-27T17:41:04.614-07:002010-06-27T17:41:04.614-07:00You are awesome. Keep writing.You are awesome. Keep writing.Carol Stoltehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04428688157065219414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817664550206033721.post-85698596019463190412010-06-13T12:40:02.602-07:002010-06-13T12:40:02.602-07:00Hello! I found your blog while googling "uns...Hello! I found your blog while googling "unschooling feminist blog" while I was taking a break to eat my lunch - I look forward to reading more :).<br /><br />I did however, want to respond to what seems to be your most basic question and frustration - how on earth do families manage to unschool and live in the real world without being independently wealthy? Or are they all? <br /><br />First I wanted to thank you for actually asking the question. In progressive circles I find that I'm much more likely to be "accused" of setting back the womyn's movement by subjugating myself to my husband (I am in a heterosexual marriage) and of being hopelessly elitist and privileged, without the accuser having any knowledge of my or other home/unschoolers actual situations.<br /><br />Now back to answering the question -- the way this works for any individual family is as unique as the family itself. In my own household we have had a variety of configuration. Sometimes my husband is the sole financial supporter (this has been maybe 3 yrs out of our 13 yr marriage). Often times I am working part-time evenings/weekends in a tag-team arrangement. Now that my children are older and I can leave them at home alone I am working early in the morning while they are sleeping/ getting up and around, usually getting home by 10am. My husband was also laid-off from his job about 14 months ago and has not found full-time work. So he is often at home, though doing contract work so isn't available-available. I am also a graduate student - having gone back to school in 2006 and have taken out extra student loans to pull us through during this time. <br /><br />We are part of a large unschool/secular homeschool network that includes a number of single parent families (including lgb families), families in which both parents bring in some income (including lgb) families, and families where one parents is the sole source of income (also including lgb families). Again the way this works varies. Some share care with other families, some take their children to jobs with them (one good friend of mine who is a single lesbian mom took her four young children with her to clean houses for years until they were old enough to stay home alone), some depend on government assistance, student loans, etc. Many are also extremely frugal getting the majority of their clothes through thrift stores/hand-me-downs, growing their own food, being a one car family, etc <br /><br />Statistically speaking the average homeschooling family is below the median income of their area - primarily because they do give up some level of income-earning power in order to have the time to homeschool, but it also means they aren't particularly privileged, income-wise.<br /><br />The lack of ethnic diversity is an on-going issue and one where I personally see the issue of privilege being most evident. In my unpacking of the issue what I think I see going on is that those of us who are part of the macro-culture feel less of a need to "prove" ourselves to that culture and therefor feel more free to thumb our noses at its institutions. Its seems that being part of a minority group (and this also may include LGBTQ families) leaves one feeling more in need to "prove" their acceptableness to the macro-culture and one fundamental way of doing that is through their children's school success. I also see this in my birth-work and families choosing to have out-of-hospital experiences. <br /><br />I would be more than happy to answer specific questions that you might have on the issue. One of my goals as a homeschooler is to help unschooling/homeschooling to seem and to actually be more accessible to a wider audience. And for those children who will continue to need non-parental/family/friend care I also think it is vital that we to tear down the current institutional structure of schooling and to replace it with a more liberatory model (per Freire, Illich, Gatto and others)jessicahttp://www.insteadofinstitutions.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com