why we chose unschooling (or it chose us)

we have decided that we won't be sending our girls to school. it is a very personal decision, not necessarily for everyone, but one we feel is right for us as a family. our 5 yr old daughter is a highly sensitive child + we feel being at home with us is the best option for her. she + her sister are best friends + love being together (with the occasional disagreement!)
i really wanted to stay home with our girls + my DH is very happy + supportive of me doing so. after much research before i had them (largely due to my younger sister) we decided that we would homeschool, then unschool, which is child led learning + doesn't involve structured lessons. the great thing about unschooling or freeschooling as some call it, is that you can take aspects from all different methods + choose whichever parts suit your children best.
i like aspects of montessori, they suggest scaling items down to child size so they can do things themselves (which little ones love), organizing their toys + things so they can find + play with them easily.
waldorf has some lovely practices, celebrating the seasons, going out + collecting items to make a nature table, using natural, organic materials + making things yourself, embracing a simplicity of living.
unschooling isn't about curriculums + structure, it's about giving your child the freedom to discover for themselves. letting them decide what they are interested in + providing the resources or access to resources, whether it be books, the internet, field trips or tv (yes, i said tv!). my girls have learnt so many things already from the shows they watch + we don't police how much they watch, they choose. i do keep an eye on content but they are free to watch when they want to. this may frighten you but i've found they don't watch a huge amount, it's more of a wind down or rest thing for them.
they spend most of their time outside, playing, painting + making things. trusting them + their natural ability to learn, without coersion is the hardest thing for many of us, as we have grown up going to school + thinking we have to control + set boundaries in every aspect of our children's lives because that is how we were brought up.
we have had to learn to unschool our way of thinking, realise that our little ones are people too + deserve choice in everything they do, including how, what + when they learn. they choose their own pace + their own unique way + learning with them, is a journey to be looked forward to. our girls already know so many things + it has been learnt entirely on their own!
there are some fabulous blogs out there, many of which i read +
it's so encouraging to read of other families who have embraced this way of life + the joy they experience, living in tune with + learning along with their children.
here are some of my favourites + from them, you can follow links to THEIR favourite blogs : )
thesparklingmartins.blogspot.com
themagiconions.blogspot.com
sandradodd.com
soulemama.typepad.com
lifelearningmagazine.com

what am i doing?

well,hi there : )
some beloved people close to me think i should start actually writing on this blog page i created!are they crazy?i have nothing interesting to write,do i??but then again,i read many blogs,written by everyday mama's,who probably think the same thing+i love them.
so maybe,just maybe,i might give it a go.can't hurt can it?
i can't promise i won't talk about random things or some sparkly thing that catches my eye!but hopefully i won't bore you too much+if you come back,i guess i'm doing something right,right?
so here it is,my first post,if it can be counted as that.
+if you want to do something kind+selfless,click on the donate button to help a dear friend get a much needed water tank.
thanks lovelies xx

why i have a donate button

hi my lovelies, i just wanted to let you know why i have a 'donate' button on my blog.
i have a very dear friend who lives on a farm with her DH + two little girls. 
through no fault of their own, times have been hard + they need an additional water tank so they have enough water for them, their animals + their vege garden, as they try to be as self-sufficient as possible. she is one of the hardest working + most generous people i know + i wish i could just buy it myself but we lead a life pretty much the same as they do. her DH works away to support them so she spends a lot of time on her own with her little ones. so if you would like to help a deserving SAHMama + her little family, be a love, click on the donate button + go from there.  
every little bit counts.
thank you so much for your generosity : )