the network for radical unschooling families

Christine Yablonski 45, Female Asheville, NC United States: Like

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Cackalacky

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ETUSC - East Tennessee U…

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Living the Unschooling Life aka Christine Yablonski & Phil Biegler

Started this discussion. Last reply by Christine Yablonski Nov 11, 2010. 3 Replies 0 Likes

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Christine Yablonski replied to Sean Sullivan's discussion My child would greatly benefit from unschooling, but...

"Hi Sean, Laura contacted me & told me about your questions. Homeschooling in Massachusetts is managed at the local level, meaning you must report to the Stoughton school department. Here is a link for guidelines via AHEM (Advocates for…"

Jan 6, 2012

Christine Yablonski commented on Sally Lopez's group Cackalacky

"My family & I just moved to Asheville NC from MA 3 weeks ago. Hi to everyone, especially the newcomers (like me!). We're loving Asheville in part because there are several unschooling families here that we already know, which really helps…"

Nov 9, 2011

Christine Yablonski joined Sally Lopez's group

Cackalacky

Unschoolers in North Carolina and South Carolina and surrounding areas. Welcome!See More

Aug 23, 2011

44 Comments 2 Likes

Sierra and Christine Yablonski are now friends

Jun 26, 2011

BetteAnne commented on Christine Yablonski's blog post Parenting for Social Change - Book Review

"Since you recommended this book Christine, I will definately get it! Thanks! :o)"

Mar 27, 2011

Meredith commented on Christine Yablonski's blog post Parenting for Social Change - Book Review

"Thanks, Christine!"

Mar 9, 2011

Christine Yablonski posted a blog post

Parenting for Social Change - Book Review

Most parents want the best for their kids. Most parents want to see them grow up and become happy, successful, independent adults who can then raise their own children. Yet most parents use parenting methods that actually inhibit their children's ability to develop the life skills that lead to these goals.Teresa Graham Brett has written a book for parents who have the best intentions to develop a loving parenting style, yet…See More

Mar 7, 2011

2 Comments 0 Likes

Christine Yablonski replied to Stacie K's discussion Letting Go of My Son's Food Choices

"My son is a huge carnivore. When he was little (ages 5 - 10) he ate scrambled eggs every morning for breakfast. Now, at 13 & nearly 6' tall, he consumes huge amounts of protein every day. He's never been big on fruits or veggies, but…"

Nov 11, 2010

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what does "radical unschooling" mean to you?: First I'll describe "Unschooling", which is one of the ways to homeschool. Unschooling can be described as life-long self-determined learning. When someone learns something, in a way that is actually understood and retained, they need to be intrinsically engaged in that thing. When someone tells you "You need to learn this" when you are not interested in it, you may learn enough to pass their test, at least initially, but you will probably not retain it because it wasn't meaningful to you - your brain isn't working to create the strong connections to other things you already know because you aren't truly motivated to do so.

Kids are natural learners - I remember my daughter memorizing complex dinosaur names, not because I made her, but because she was interested in them. My son did the same thing with our solar system. It's when we, as parents or educators, get in their way & start telling them what they "should" know that we end up squelching true learning.

Unschooling doesn't mean one never uses more traditional methods of learning, such as going to classes, reading text books or studying something complex. It does mean that this doesn't have to be the only method of learning - in fact, it probably is only necessary for sophisticated material or specialized skill sets. My kids have learned some pretty amazing stuff from rather unexpected sources - & that is the beauty of unschooling - that learning opportunities are everywhere & that the love of learning can be life-long.

So where does the "Radical" part come in? "Radical Unschooling" means moving past the "schooling" aspect entirely. It's not just about how we home school but how we as a family live together, grow together & make our way in the world together. It's about being fully engaged in your children's lives. It's about helping them explore the world around them - not because they might "learn something" but because it makes life so much better. It's about honoring & trusting their abilities & passions, knowing that these will lead to a richer life.

It's not about "un-parenting", the anything-goes behaviors that unfortunately seem to haunt the image of radical unschoolers. In my family, there absolutely are consequences for each of our choices and behaviors. The key is that the consequences are logical and directly related to the behavior. Punishments are rarely logical - they are a form of external control. I want my kids to develop internal control, so that they will choose to do the right things even if I'm not there with them.

After unschooling for all these years, I've come to understand that for unschooling has to be "radical" - that simply unschooling for education, without the non-coercive parenting, without the honor, respect and trust in ALL aspects of a family's life, will not bring about the best results. Unschooling whole-heartedly, in all aspects of the parent-child relationship, is what we should all strive to achieve because that is creating strong, loving, connected relationships for life, not just for the "school-age years".

how long have you been unschooling or homeschooling?: Since 2004 - both came hand-in-hand after we attended the Live & Learn Conference in Peabody MA that year. Interestingly, we were living the radical unschooling principles with our children - we called ourselves "attachment parents" back then - we just didn't know that homeschooling could legally be done as unschoolers. What a joy it was when we discovered we could!

first names of children: Kimi - 17
Shaun - 15

a little about me: I've been happily married to my partner for life, Phil Biegler, since 1992. We've been parenting together since 1994. I'm one of those people who loves to dive deep into some new hobby or interest & thankfully Phil has always supported my explorations. Some of my favorites are: singing, acting, traveling, camping, cooking, cake decorating (I taught for a little while as a Wilton Cake Decorating Instructor & even made a little money making wedding, bar mitzvah & other special occasion cakes - advertising via word-of-mouth), watercolor painting, sketching, yoga, pilates, hiking, cycling, organic gardening, architectural design & writing.

Before becoming a parent, I earned my BA from Clark University (Psychology, with minors in education & philosophy) & my MA from Boston College (Counseling Psychology, with a focus on children & adolescents). I worked at residential treatment centers in MA & NYC.

Since becoming a parent of two very cool people, I've also had a habit of joining, & then "managing" in some way, various social & political groups. I've been a La Leche League Leader, Girl Scout Leader, RE teacher & committee member at UU churches, parent volunteer in classrooms, homeschool co-op study group leader, League of Women Voters board member, & Westford Chorus president.

I worked at Guard Up Family Swordsmanship, wearing a multitude of "hats", including being the Director of Human Resources, as well as the Parent Liaison & a camp counselor for their overnight summer camp, "Wizards and Warriors".

2010 brought some additional excitement to our lives - we were profiled on "Good Morning America" twice, the "Joy Behar Show" & Boston Channel 5 News, as well as interviewed on numerous radio programs as a Radical Unschooling family. This has led to Phil & I speaking at RU conferences & gatherings, which has been a wonderful experience, in part because we have been able to meet so many wonderful people from all over the country. Beginning in 2012 I am a contributing writer for Education Revolution, an e-zine published by AERO (Alternative Education Resource Organization).

We hope that our experiences can help other families in their unschooling journeys & that this community will continue to grow.

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christine.yablonski

blog: http://livingtheunschoolinglife.com/

flickr or other photo sharing page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13716536@N07/

website: http://https://www.facebook.com/Unschoollife

Phil & Shaun - Virginia Beach, Sept. '08

Christine Yablonski's Photos

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Christine Yablonski's Blog

Parenting for Social Change - Book Review

Posted on March 7, 2011 at 9:25am 2 Comments 0 Likes

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Celebrating the Holidays – – How Families Can Keep the Joy & Lose the Stress

Posted on October 24, 2010 at 12:13pm 1 Comment 0 Likes

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Labeling

Posted on October 18, 2010 at 1:46pm 0 Comments 1 Like

Labels are useful - they help us categorize & systemize. They allow for a quick understanding of what something is. When I go to the bookstore, I follow the labels to find the book I'm looking for. When I'm researching for something online, I use keywords, another form of labeling, to get to what I need quickly. Labels are…

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The Wonderful World of Books

Posted on March 4, 2009 at 12:43pm 1 Comment 0 Likes

I've been lurking in one of my unschooling yahoo groups during a discussion of books. The gist of the ideas shared was that all types of books, be they standard novels, graphic novels or comic books, have positive value & offer the reader wonderful ways of expressing ideas & stories.

This all triggered some memories for me.

I come from a family of book lovers. My great-grandmother, grandmother, & Mom all read voraciously & all of their homes were filled… Continue

Snow Days

Posted on March 2, 2009 at 10:30am 0 Comments 0 Likes

Wow - we got snow over night. Lots of snow - maybe a foot or more. The area schools & town offices announced closures yesterday in anticipation.

Kimi's friends from the neighboring towns got all excited - knowing that school was cancelled they quickly texted each other to try to get together at the mall, which is closer to where they live than to us. When Kimi came to us asking if we could drive her out there tomorrow (which is now today) we asked how everyone was going to get to… Continue

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At 6:59am on October 22, 2008, Rue's Husband, Jon said…: I like being 'Rue's Husband' - no need to be in the spotlight ALL the time, is there?

At 8:19pm on October 21, 2008, Rain Fordyce said…: Hi Christine,
thank you... yes, a beautiful gift to allow myself to grow back into myself!
BTW, I LOVE the picture of you and your husband at the ocean!
What a great reminder that sometimes we ARE alone with our sweeties!
LOL!
smiles

At 10:01pm on September 24, 2008, Wendy S said…: It was wonderful meeting you as well...and being your taxi service too. How was the journey home?

At 10:42pm on September 21, 2008, Austin Gavin said…: Hi Christine,
It all worked out...:) And sorry we missed you all. We had a great day - after visiting the Biltmore we walked around Ashville with the Kreams and others. We ended up at Alice's house for dinner. Our whole trip was really good. It was great getting to hang out with you and Phil - finally!

At 9:34pm on September 11, 2008, Keti Carazo Parker said…: Hi Christine!! I can't believe we didn't get the chance to chat ... amazing. We had a wonderful L&L experience. Looks like we'll see you in Nov?

At 8:45am on September 3, 2008, marcia simonds said…: Hi Christine!
Long time no see. Love your pic How is Shawn and Kim? I haven't had a get together in awhile, perhaps it's time, and you can join us again :)

At 1:39pm on August 28, 2008, diana (hahamommy) said…: We were just thinking about you guys!!! I had to call Kelli and ask "What's Kimmy's Mama's name again?"

At 7:50am on August 25, 2008, Mindy said…: Hey Chrisitne! We can't wait to see you guys at L&L! By the way, I didn't know you had a blog! Thanks for visiting mine and I'm off to check yours out...