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Learning from hobbies; moving to jobs

 
Edited

I came across a good discussion elsewhere, and had the urge to share this (with an update below).? When I wrote it, my oldest, Kirby, was 21.

_________________

Kirby learned to read ALL maps from the map of the first Mario Brothers game.

Kirby learned to read ALL indexes from the index to Nintendo Power Magazine, which he bought with his own money before he could even read fluently, and would ask me to help him look things up. Understanding 15:32 in a magazine index enables one to look things up in the Bible or Shakespeare or anywhere.

Fifteen years later / today (11/16/2007):
Kirby called me a couple of hours ago, while he was walking to work
at his video-game-company job in Austin. He's very happy where he
is, and he had uploaded some photos for an article I'm working on.
He told me he loved me.

it's not an "end result," but it's a life-point filled with data.

Sandra

_____________________

On the 29th of this month, Kirby turns 35.? He moved back to Albuquerque to relieve his wife-to-be and her young daughter of awkward and rough connections/situations.? They have two more daughters, now, and live within half a mile of me.? Kirby works for a local company that provides computer support for businesses without their own tech guys.?

For a while, he was contracted out to a company that arranged and provided services for homeless and indigent people, and one of the employees there was Carol Rice, one of my first La Leche League Leaders, and someone who knew Kirby from his infancy through his mid teens.? She didn't recognize his face, nor he hers.? Years had passed. But when she heard his name, and they both realized the situation, I heard about it from both of them within the next day or two. :-)? That was very sweet.

I'm glad I let him play games, and that we bought him players' guides and Nintendo Power magazines (which are still here, in magazine boxes, in order, with the two indexes he bought with his own money).? Things were different then. :-)

What is not different, though, is the way people learn, and the value of trusting that learning happens even when it looks like "just playing," and that parents can't know what connections, opportunities, connections and such will come about in the future.

?

Best wishes to all who see this; Learn Nothing Day is impending.? July 24.? Try to avoid and prevent learning for as long as you can, just that one day.? If you succeed, please come and tell us how you did it!

?

Sandra
 

开云体育

Thank you, Sandra, and to Marty, Kirby and Holly, for continuing to share about their lives as they've grown up, and now become parents themselves in two cases! It has been a huge help to my own deschooling and confidence to read what adventures they've been getting up to over the years.

As my own teen now transitions into the workplace, I'm also seeing how all those childhood hobbies and passions translate into work skills, and how a childhood of choices means he's still continuing to be happy to choose to set his alarm, and do things that challenge him, rather than being resentful when asked to do new jobs and tasks... and I am so grateful for the path you helped us choose these past 12 years ??

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...>
Sent: 22 July 2021 15:09
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Learning from hobbies; moving to jobs
?

I came across a good discussion elsewhere, and had the urge to share this (with an update below).? When I wrote it, my oldest, Kirby, was 21.

_________________

Kirby learned to read ALL maps from the map of the first Mario Brothers game.

Kirby learned to read ALL indexes from the index to Nintendo Power Magazine, which he bought with his own money before he could even read fluently, and would ask me to help him look things up. Understanding 15:32 in a magazine index enables one to look things up in the Bible or Shakespeare or anywhere.

Fifteen years later / today (11/16/2007):
Kirby called me a couple of hours ago, while he was walking to work
at his video-game-company job in Austin. He's very happy where he
is, and he had uploaded some photos for an article I'm working on.
He told me he loved me.

it's not an "end result," but it's a life-point filled with data.

Sandra

_____________________

On the 29th of this month, Kirby turns 35.? He moved back to Albuquerque to relieve his wife-to-be and her young daughter of awkward and rough connections/situations.? They have two more daughters, now, and live within half a mile of me.? Kirby works for a local company that provides computer support for businesses without their own tech guys.?

For a while, he was contracted out for a while to a company that arranged and provided services for homeless and indigent people, and one of the employees there was Carol Rice, one of my first La Leche League Leaders, and someone who knew Kirby from his infancy through his mid teens.? She didn't recognize his face, nor he hers.? Years had passed. But when she heard his name, and they both realized the situation, I heard about it from both of them within the next day or two. :-)? That was very sweet.

I'm glad I let his play games, and that we bought him players' guides and Nintendo Power magazines (which are still here, in magazine boxes, in order, with the two indexes he bought with his own money).? Things were different then. :-)

What is not different, though, is the way people learn, and the value of trusting that learning happens even when it looks like "just playing," and that parents can't know what connections, opportunities, connections and such will come about in the future.

?

Best wishes to all who see this; Learn Nothing Day is impending.? July 24.? Try to avoid and prevent learning for as long as you can, just that one day.? If you succeed, please come and tell us how you did it!

?

Sandra
 

-=-I'm also seeing how all those childhood hobbies and passions translate into work skills,-=-

Thanks, Jo.? I love those stories, especially when the work skill came from something that is considered fluff or trivia, or bad, or wrong.??

If the goal is to encourage interests, there's a disadvantage for the parent to think they can judge which are the good ones and which aren't.? The surprising parts are the good parts!? ?:-)

ALSO!? Marty always liked maps.? I wrote something about it one time.? He's on his second map-heavy job.? He worked (through a contract company) on Siri's direction maps for as long as that contract could last, beginning in just New Mexico, but eventually covering several states—checking for errors, keeping up with new roads, changed intersections, current construction or problems.? He used to be afraid of making phone calls, but he ended up talking to very interesting people while checking in with various counties and towns and highway?commissions.? ?

Now he's working for the police department, creating the statistics on crimes and problems (not moving-auto stuff, but businesses, houses, cars in driveways, I think, maybe).? Because he's brave and creative, about doing things, and he didn't replace someone else, but was a new idea, first on the job, they've asked him to research or report various other little particular problems.? It sounds fun—like Marty's kind of fun!? Puzzles?and patterns.? ?

Sandra


On Thu, Jul 22, 2021 at 6:12 PM Jo Isaac <joanneisaac@...> wrote:
Thank you, Sandra, and to Marty, Kirby and Holly, for continuing to share about their lives as they've grown up, and now become parents themselves in two cases! It has been a huge help to my own deschooling and confidence to read what adventures they've been getting up to over the years.

As my own teen now transitions into the workplace, I'm also seeing how all those childhood hobbies and passions translate into work skills, and how a childhood of choices means he's still continuing to be happy to choose to set his alarm, and do things that challenge him, rather than being resentful when asked to do new jobs and tasks... and I am so grateful for the path you helped us choose these past 12 years ??

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...>
Sent: 22 July 2021 15:09
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Learning from hobbies; moving to jobs
?

I came across a good discussion elsewhere, and had the urge to share this (with an update below).? When I wrote it, my oldest, Kirby, was 21.

_________________

Kirby learned to read ALL maps from the map of the first Mario Brothers game.

Kirby learned to read ALL indexes from the index to Nintendo Power Magazine, which he bought with his own money before he could even read fluently, and would ask me to help him look things up. Understanding 15:32 in a magazine index enables one to look things up in the Bible or Shakespeare or anywhere.

Fifteen years later / today (11/16/2007):
Kirby called me a couple of hours ago, while he was walking to work
at his video-game-company job in Austin. He's very happy where he
is, and he had uploaded some photos for an article I'm working on.
He told me he loved me.

it's not an "end result," but it's a life-point filled with data.

Sandra

_____________________

On the 29th of this month, Kirby turns 35.? He moved back to Albuquerque to relieve his wife-to-be and her young daughter of awkward and rough connections/situations.? They have two more daughters, now, and live within half a mile of me.? Kirby works for a local company that provides computer support for businesses without their own tech guys.?

For a while, he was contracted out for a while to a company that arranged and provided services for homeless and indigent people, and one of the employees there was Carol Rice, one of my first La Leche League Leaders, and someone who knew Kirby from his infancy through his mid teens.? She didn't recognize his face, nor he hers.? Years had passed. But when she heard his name, and they both realized the situation, I heard about it from both of them within the next day or two. :-)? That was very sweet.

I'm glad I let his play games, and that we bought him players' guides and Nintendo Power magazines (which are still here, in magazine boxes, in order, with the two indexes he bought with his own money).? Things were different then. :-)

What is not different, though, is the way people learn, and the value of trusting that learning happens even when it looks like "just playing," and that parents can't know what connections, opportunities, connections and such will come about in the future.

?

Best wishes to all who see this; Learn Nothing Day is impending.? July 24.? Try to avoid and prevent learning for as long as you can, just that one day.? If you succeed, please come and tell us how you did it!

?

Sandra


--
(If this doesn't look like Sandra Dodd's e-mail, it is one.? "AElflaed" is my medieval-studies/SCA name.)
 

开云体育

==ALSO!? Marty always liked maps.==

So many of the video games Kai's played over the years have been map heavy! From Minecraft to ARK and most things in between! And yes, he too is using his map skills at work - he uses the GPSs to navigate, make waypoints, determine topography. I'm pretty sure he was making waypoints in Minecraft many years ago!

And, unlike many of the new graduates we get at work, he seems genuinely undaunted and unphased by any new technology thrown at him - including the GPS, and a water quality monitor device that has 5 different water quality readings you need to scroll through and read. I think kids who have grown up around technology aren't scared of it like those of us who didn't, or those who were restricted, are? He's quite confident to play around and figure it out.

He's also having a lot of fun working out how much he's going to earn for however many hours he's worked every week!

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...>
Sent: 23 July 2021 13:16
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Learning from hobbies; moving to jobs
?
-=-I'm also seeing how all those childhood hobbies and passions translate into work skills,-=-

Thanks, Jo.? I love those stories, especially when the work skill came from something that is considered fluff or trivia, or bad, or wrong.??

If the goal is to encourage interests, there's a disadvantage for the parent to think they can judge which are the good ones and which aren't.? The surprising parts are the good parts!? ?:-)

ALSO!? Marty always liked maps.? I wrote something about it one time.? He's on his second map-heavy job.? He worked (through a contract company) on Siri's direction maps for as long as that contract could last, beginning in just New Mexico, but eventually covering several states—checking for errors, keeping up with new roads, changed intersections, current construction or problems.? He used to be afraid of making phone calls, but he ended up talking to very interesting people while checking in with various counties and towns and highway?commissions.? ?

Now he's working for the police department, creating the statistics on crimes and problems (not moving-auto stuff, but businesses, houses, cars in driveways, I think, maybe).? Because he's brave and creative, about doing things, and he didn't replace someone else, but was a new idea, first on the job, they've asked him to research or report various other little particular problems.? It sounds fun—like Marty's kind of fun!? Puzzles?and patterns.? ?

Sandra

On Thu, Jul 22, 2021 at 6:12 PM Jo Isaac <joanneisaac@...> wrote:
Thank you, Sandra, and to Marty, Kirby and Holly, for continuing to share about their lives as they've grown up, and now become parents themselves in two cases! It has been a huge help to my own deschooling and confidence to read what adventures they've been getting up to over the years.

As my own teen now transitions into the workplace, I'm also seeing how all those childhood hobbies and passions translate into work skills, and how a childhood of choices means he's still continuing to be happy to choose to set his alarm, and do things that challenge him, rather than being resentful when asked to do new jobs and tasks... and I am so grateful for the path you helped us choose these past 12 years ??

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...>
Sent: 22 July 2021 15:09
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Learning from hobbies; moving to jobs
?

I came across a good discussion elsewhere, and had the urge to share this (with an update below).? When I wrote it, my oldest, Kirby, was 21.

_________________

Kirby learned to read ALL maps from the map of the first Mario Brothers game.

Kirby learned to read ALL indexes from the index to Nintendo Power Magazine, which he bought with his own money before he could even read fluently, and would ask me to help him look things up. Understanding 15:32 in a magazine index enables one to look things up in the Bible or Shakespeare or anywhere.

Fifteen years later / today (11/16/2007):
Kirby called me a couple of hours ago, while he was walking to work
at his video-game-company job in Austin. He's very happy where he
is, and he had uploaded some photos for an article I'm working on.
He told me he loved me.

it's not an "end result," but it's a life-point filled with data.

Sandra

_____________________

On the 29th of this month, Kirby turns 35.? He moved back to Albuquerque to relieve his wife-to-be and her young daughter of awkward and rough connections/situations.? They have two more daughters, now, and live within half a mile of me.? Kirby works for a local company that provides computer support for businesses without their own tech guys.?

For a while, he was contracted out for a while to a company that arranged and provided services for homeless and indigent people, and one of the employees there was Carol Rice, one of my first La Leche League Leaders, and someone who knew Kirby from his infancy through his mid teens.? She didn't recognize his face, nor he hers.? Years had passed. But when she heard his name, and they both realized the situation, I heard about it from both of them within the next day or two. :-)? That was very sweet.

I'm glad I let his play games, and that we bought him players' guides and Nintendo Power magazines (which are still here, in magazine boxes, in order, with the two indexes he bought with his own money).? Things were different then. :-)

What is not different, though, is the way people learn, and the value of trusting that learning happens even when it looks like "just playing," and that parents can't know what connections, opportunities, connections and such will come about in the future.

?

Best wishes to all who see this; Learn Nothing Day is impending.? July 24.? Try to avoid and prevent learning for as long as you can, just that one day.? If you succeed, please come and tell us how you did it!

?

Sandra


--
(If this doesn't look like Sandra Dodd's e-mail, it is one.? "AElflaed" is my medieval-studies/SCA name.)

 

I forgot to include the link to the writing about Marty and maps, from when he was? fifteen?or so.


--
(If this doesn't look like Sandra Dodd's e-mail, it is one.? "AElflaed" is my medieval-studies/SCA name.)
 

I am in the midst of seeing hobbies transition to work with my oldest, who is now 16. They started stringing seed beads at 3 and slowly learned more complicated patterns until they began selling from a sandwich board at local markets at 7 (everyone wants to support a cute kid in pigtails!). Flash forward to now and they are an accomplished lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business-- they will be featured in an article in the biggest lapidary arts magazine I know of (okay, it's the *only* one I know of...) next month! I have no idea if this will be their eventual career path or a pretty amazing stepping stone, but none of it would have been possible if their interests were not taken seriously and supported along the way.

jenny


On Fri, Jul 23, 2021 at 8:46 AM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
I forgot to include the link to the writing about Marty and maps, from when he was? fifteen?or so.


--
(If this doesn't look like Sandra Dodd's e-mail, it is one.? "AElflaed" is my medieval-studies/SCA name.)

 

On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 09:57 PM, hamsder clan wrote:
lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business

Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now.? I have no objection to a link to a webpage or etsy or whatever, either.

Also, when that article comes out, if there's a link so we can see, please bring that.? Success stories of unschooled kids are probably the most popular info of all unschooling time.? (And by "success" I just mean a good moment or a happy story, not defining anyone's whole life.)

Sandra
 

And here I was carefully avoiding anything that felt like promotion. ;)

Larkin's website is , and there's a Facebook page that we keep pretty current at

I don't know if a photo will come through, but I tried to attach a recent piece. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon from an applegate jade stone our family found and wrapped it in argentium silver. If the picture does come through, that's a slab of the raw stone in the background.

Figuring out how to support what started as a hobby has been a wild ride-- Larkin's dad and I don't even wear jewelry, let alone know anything about making it!


On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 10:00 PM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 09:57 PM, hamsder clan wrote:
lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business

Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now.? I have no objection to a link to a webpage or etsy or whatever, either.

Also, when that article comes out, if there's a link so we can see, please bring that.? Success stories of unschooled kids are probably the most popular info of all unschooling time.? (And by "success" I just mean a good moment or a happy story, not defining anyone's whole life.)

Sandra

SKU0041-slab.1500.jpg

 
Edited

WOW. That is gorgeous.? How old is the artist now?
?
I especially liked your comment about trying to support while having so little knowledge. "Not even wearing jewelry" is telling. Clearly you neither "taught" nor "decided for her" to develop such skills.
?
Vicki
P.S. I don't wear jewelry often but I do like to collect it. I need to visit her site.? I think the jade design is incredible.

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021, 9:36 AM hamsder clan <hamsder@...> wrote:

And here I was carefully avoiding anything that felt like promotion. ;)
?
Larkin's website is , and there's a Facebook page that we keep pretty current at
?
I don't know if a photo will come through, but I tried to attach a recent piece. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon from an applegate jade stone our family found and wrapped it in argentium silver. If the picture does come through, that's a slab of the raw stone in the background.

Figuring out how to support what started as a hobby has been a wild ride-- Larkin's dad and I don't even wear jewelry, let alone know anything about making it!

On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 10:00 PM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 09:57 PM, hamsder clan wrote:
lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business

Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now.? I have no objection to a link to a webpage or etsy or whatever, either.

Also, when that article comes out, if there's a link so we can see, please bring that.? Success stories of unschooled kids are probably the most popular info of all unschooling time.? (And by "success" I just mean a good moment or a happy story, not defining anyone's whole life.)

Sandra

?

?

?

?
 

-=-I especially liked your comment about trying to support while having so little knowledge. "Not even wearing jewelry" is telling.-=-

My favorite aspect, too, was that.

A family I knew years ago adopted a boy and knew nothing about? his parents except that they were musicians.? The adoptive parents were non-musical, but the boy was VERY musical.? They asked me for ideas, when they decided to unschool, when he was about 12, and I said follow his lead.? If he asks for music, get it (recordings, in those days, we were thinking), or instruments.? I didn't recommend jumping straight to lessons unless the kid asked for that.

He ended up learning guitar and piano, writing music, and just gradually without a grand plan grew up to be a professional musician.

My daughter was interested in fashion and make-up and Barbies.? I'm not that sort of person, but I had two mom-friends who had daughters who were NOT interested in fashion and make-up, so I asked each of them, when there were easy opportunities, if they would take Holly to go shopping.? I was spared the bafflement of going into the MAC shop (which I had confused with the Apple Store, as they're on the same short street here), and Holly got the thrill of being with a woman who loved her questions.

Sometimes, if you can afford to, you can give another adult enough money for an outing and send your child off with "a tutor" without it being that, really.? Off for an adventure with a mentor.

Sandra

--
(If this doesn't look like Sandra Dodd's e-mail, it is one.? "AElflaed" is my medieval-studies/SCA name.)
 

At the risk of needlessly spamming the group, I have to say that is amazing.? I looked at the website: it is clean and well-organized, and the jewelry is stunning.? And I loved the biography and photo of the artist: clearly a passion and labor of love.??

You must be so happy.? ??


On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 10:56 AM Vicki Dennis <vicki@...> wrote:
WOW. That is gorgeous.? How old is she now?

I especially liked your comment about trying to support while having so little knowledge. "Not even wearing jewelry" is telling. Clearly you neither "taught" nor "decided for her" to develop such skills.

Vicki
P.S. I don't wear jewelry often but I do like to collect it. I need to visit her site.? I think the jade design is incredible.

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021, 9:36 AM hamsder clan <hamsder@...> wrote:
And here I was carefully avoiding anything that felt like promotion. ;)

Larkin's website is , and there's a Facebook page that we keep pretty current at

I don't know if a photo will come through, but I tried to attach a recent piece. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon from an applegate jade stone our family found and wrapped it in argentium silver. If the picture does come through, that's a slab of the raw stone in the background.

Figuring out how to support what started as a hobby has been a wild ride-- Larkin's dad and I don't even wear jewelry, let alone know anything about making it!

On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 10:00 PM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 09:57 PM, hamsder clan wrote:
lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business

Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now.? I have no objection to a link to a webpage or etsy or whatever, either.

Also, when that article comes out, if there's a link so we can see, please bring that.? Success stories of unschooled kids are probably the most popular info of all unschooling time.? (And by "success" I just mean a good moment or a happy story, not defining anyone's whole life.)

Sandra
 

Clarification and question:

-=-Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now. -=-

I wrote that and probably should explain.? This group is old enough that e-mails could take a long time to load, and some people's programs or computers couldn't get attachments (text attachments), and yahoogroups couldn't handle photos at all.? Twenty years have passed, though. :-)

We didn't allow attachments before because it was technologically unwieldy.? So by "this group allows" I meant now on this platform in these days, it will work.

?

QUESTION:

How did the artist at your house learn to create a webpage???

(It's possible everyone born in the 21st century who has access to a computer can easily figure out such things, but tell us, if you can, because some parents are newer to unschooling and technologically hesitant, perhaps. :-) )

?

Sandra
 

WOAH! How stunning!! They are so talented. Everything about that picture is gorgeous! I would love a piece like that as part of a chain to hang in my window with sun catchers!?

?
 

My husband and I are both science/math geeks, and he is a computer programmer so Larkin has lots of in-house tech support. :) The website is on squarespace, so was actually really easy to throw together in a drag-and-drop kind of way. I have built websites before writing directly in HTML so it was a bit of a revelation! I did most of the initial set up, but now it's easy for Larkin to add/delete/edit listings. That said, I'm still doing most of the computer work so Larkin can focus on the artistic work that really lights them up.

I'm also Larkin's product photographer, and that has had much more of a learning curve for me than the computer end of things! I can't believe how good phone cameras are these days, but trying to photograph domed, highly polished stones without tons of reflection is quite a challenge.

Thanks for the kind words, y'all-- I am so thankful we have had the words of seasoned unchoolers bouncing around in our heads as our kids have grown.

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 8:22 AM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
QUESTION:

How did the artist at your house learn to create a webpage???

(It's possible everyone born in the 21st century who has access to a computer can easily figure out such things, but tell us, if you can, because some parents are newer to unschooling and technologically hesitant, perhaps. :-) )

?

Sandra
 

My now adult always unschooled kid has at various times pursued hobbies of sewing, beading, painting, costumes, ceramics, sculpture, glasswork, guitar, and martial arts.? She now has a full-time job building giant, 20 foot high puppets, and performing in shows with audiences of a 1000 people.? This job uses ALL of these skills that she spent years honing or dabbling or coming back around to or diving deeply in.? We joke "you've been training for this moment your whole life!" but it isn't a joke, it's completely true. She is a highly valued member of the studio, regularly being given high-profile puppets to build, and they've just offered to train her in stilt walking for upcoming performances.? She started out volunteering when she was 15 and has worked really hard at it.? It makes her so happy!? I've been reading AlwaysUnschooling since the early 2000s, when she was a toddler.? I can not overstate how much this list has positively influenced my parenting of this amazing person.
Maya
 

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 02:00 PM, <mayalass@...> wrote:
We joke "you've been training for this moment your whole life!" but it isn't a joke, it's completely true.


?I wanted to let that come back in again, because those moments are kind of wonderful.? There are probably some of the adult/parent readers here with similar "comings together," though, too.? I've told mine a time or three, but I'll tell it again to get things started (hoping others might share, if applicable).

From first grade I wanted to be a teacher, and spent LOTS of energy and time paying attention to what teachers did and why (if I could tell) and how various other kinds of kids reacted and responded.? ?

When I was twelve or so, I was big into church and thought I should be a missionary.? That lasted me a few years.? There were three of us at our church.? I still have the Bible they gave me with my name on it, on the special day to discuss missions.? I was over that within just a few years, but I figured it would involve teaching and music.

By high school, I wanted to write, for sure, and maybe magazine articles, I thought.

When I was first teaching, I thought it might be a thing for me to help other teachers—not through colleges of education, but some more direct sort of exchanges like lesson ideas or pamphlets about fun things to do.

?

Looking at those things—helping others help OTHERS to learn, and writing, and missionary work....? After I finished the "be a teacher" phase of my life (when I was 27 :-), younger than my youngest is now), then I helped other moms not to have cesareans, and helped other moms nurse babies, and be brave about choices.

In the rearview mirror, I see all those aspects come together in the things I did, wrote, gathered up and provided, about unschooling.

It's not that I knew where I wanted to go, but I knew what appealed to me, and I managed to work a lot of that energy into my life.

The rearview mirror imagery seems pretty useful to unschooling.? I've collected them, for Just Add Light and Stir. :-)

Sandra

?
 

Thanks, Vicki! Larkin is 16 now. I wear very little jewelry but keep thinking I'm going to claim one of Larkin's pieces as my own, but then each piece is my new favorite so I haven't committed to one yet! I never would have predicted I would be raising a jeweler. The idea of focusing on the children you have, not the ones you imagined is one that really resonated with me when I was reading on unschooling groups like this when my kids were younger.

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 7:56 AM Vicki Dennis <vicki@...> wrote:
WOW. That is gorgeous.? How old is she now?

I especially liked your comment about trying to support while having so little knowledge. "Not even wearing jewelry" is telling. Clearly you neither "taught" nor "decided for her" to develop such skills.

Vicki
P.S. I don't wear jewelry often but I do like to collect it. I need to visit her site.? I think the jade design is incredible.
 

Roya is one of my grown-up unschooled kids. She runs a successful series of online bazaars and Larkin has been one of her vendors. Roya offers one or two young people the chance to participate in the bazaar with her support and mentoring. Larkin has been one of her young entrepreneurs. I have been overjoyed to watch her running a business but, at the same time, supporting the dreams of young people. And I own some of Larkin’s wire work and I absolutely love it!

Pam

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 7:56 AM Vicki Dennis <vicki@...> wrote:
WOW. That is gorgeous.? How old is she now?

I especially liked your comment about trying to support while having so little knowledge. "Not even wearing jewelry" is telling. Clearly you neither "taught" nor "decided for her" to develop such skills.

Vicki
P.S. I don't wear jewelry often but I do like to collect it. I need to visit her site.? I think the jade design is incredible.

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021, 9:36 AM hamsder clan <hamsder@...> wrote:
And here I was carefully avoiding anything that felt like promotion. ;)

Larkin's website is , and there's a Facebook page that we keep pretty current at

I don't know if a photo will come through, but I tried to attach a recent piece. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon from an applegate jade stone our family found and wrapped it in argentium silver. If the picture does come through, that's a slab of the raw stone in the background.

Figuring out how to support what started as a hobby has been a wild ride-- Larkin's dad and I don't even wear jewelry, let alone know anything about making it!

On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 10:00 PM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 09:57 PM, hamsder clan wrote:
lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business

Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now.? I have no objection to a link to a webpage or etsy or whatever, either.

Also, when that article comes out, if there's a link so we can see, please bring that.? Success stories of unschooled kids are probably the most popular info of all unschooling time.? (And by "success" I just mean a good moment or a happy story, not defining anyone's whole life.)

Sandra
 

I am grateful?for this group. I am in the process of deschooling (since March of 2020) and find these offerings incredibly nourishing to the process. Thank you!


On Fri, Aug 6, 2021 at 12:39 AM Pam Sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...> wrote:
Roya is one of my grown-up unschooled kids. She runs a successful series of online bazaars and Larkin has been one of her vendors. Roya offers one or two young people the chance to participate in the bazaar with her support and mentoring. Larkin has been one of her young entrepreneurs. I have been overjoyed to watch her running a business but, at the same time, supporting the dreams of young people. And I own some of Larkin’s wire work and I absolutely love it!

Pam

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 7:56 AM Vicki Dennis <vicki@...> wrote:
WOW. That is gorgeous.? How old is she now?

I especially liked your comment about trying to support while having so little knowledge. "Not even wearing jewelry" is telling. Clearly you neither "taught" nor "decided for her" to develop such skills.

Vicki
P.S. I don't wear jewelry often but I do like to collect it. I need to visit her site.? I think the jade design is incredible.

On Thu, Aug 5, 2021, 9:36 AM hamsder clan <hamsder@...> wrote:
And here I was carefully avoiding anything that felt like promotion. ;)

Larkin's website is , and there's a Facebook page that we keep pretty current at

I don't know if a photo will come through, but I tried to attach a recent piece. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon from an applegate jade stone our family found and wrapped it in argentium silver. If the picture does come through, that's a slab of the raw stone in the background.

Figuring out how to support what started as a hobby has been a wild ride-- Larkin's dad and I don't even wear jewelry, let alone know anything about making it!

On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 10:00 PM Sandra Dodd <aelflaed@...> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 09:57 PM, hamsder clan wrote:
lapidary artist and wire worker with an extremely successful business

Jenny if you want to send photos, I'm pretty sure this group allows for that now.? I have no objection to a link to a webpage or etsy or whatever, either.

Also, when that article comes out, if there's a link so we can see, please bring that.? Success stories of unschooled kids are probably the most popular info of all unschooling time.? (And by "success" I just mean a good moment or a happy story, not defining anyone's whole life.)

Sandra
 

Sandra wrote:

It's not that I knew where I wanted to go, but I knew what appealed to me, and I managed to work a lot of that energy into my life.
I like this!

It reminds me of a thing I sometimes say about "steering by a compass rather than by a map". Heading towards something, and even if I never actually get where I thought I was going, it ends up taking me through interesting territory :-)

Jennifer

--
www.uncharted-worlds.org/blog/
www.single-bass.co.uk/what-is-single-bass
www.single-bass.co.uk/songs

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