Ellen Rowland's Blog, page 34

Math vs. Maths and the Wonder of Pi

Depending on where you were born, you will identity with either the singular or plural abbreviation of the word mathematics. As an American, I grew up with the word “MATH”, a giant creature under whose opaque wings lurked all the mind-bending formulas which tortured me as a child. Math was a monster, and it had … Continue reading Math vs. Maths and the Wonder of Pi

My Kids Don’t Go to School. Get Over it.

I’m considering using this as the title for the book I’m writing about unschooling. It came to me as we were travelling across France with our children so they could discover the origins of half their gene pool. This trip happened to coincide with “la rentrée,” that time of year when French parents, teachers, and … Continue reading My Kids Don’t Go to School. Get Over it.

The Learning Buffet

  I was having coffee the other day with another mom while our kids were practicing Judo. She wanted to know more about how my children learned without school and asked several questions about covering certain basic subjects like math and reading. Although she’s become increasingly frustrated and concerned about her child’s school education, she couldn’t fathom taking the … Continue reading The Learning Buffet

Through the Back Door: Parenting Choices and Unschooling

    I often read testimony from parents who unschool their children that their choice was a natural progression from the principles of attachment parenting–breast feeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, etc. This makes a lot of sense to me. Both are based on nurturing children’s emotional and physical needs while fostering shared trust in a safe … Continue reading Through the Back Door: Parenting Choices and Unschooling

Learning in the Negative Space

  I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of negative space and the beauty that can be found there. Artists and photographers often make use of negative space to starkly highlight what is represented in the image or create subtle second images receding in positive space. Take this illustration for example, entitled, “The Philosopher,”  by graphic illustrator Tang Yau … Continue reading Learning in the Negative Space

A True Mother: On Breaking the Transgenerational Parenting Cycle

“Shadows of the past churn and turn towards the light asking us to pay attention to unexpected feelings of ambivalence, comparison, and inadequacy in parenting. Unearthing, and addressing these feelings when they arise unwinds shame and is an essential key to healing our transgenerational attachment legacies” -Dr. Arielle Schwartz I was not always a gentle … Continue reading A True Mother: On Breaking the Transgenerational Parenting Cycle

Your Unschooling Story is Extraordinary

Our family just spent several days on a small nature reserve close to the Senegal/Gambia border with about fifteen people we didn’t know. As there were no distractions at night , our evenings were spent eating communally and sitting around a blazing camp fire talking and singing under a dome of stars. The subject of our children’s education came up … Continue reading Your Unschooling Story is Extraordinary

Taking Stock and Making Space in Our Unschooling Lives

We recently made the decision as a family to paint our house inside and out, which  meant emptying each room, going through every single thing in it, and deciding which items really meant something to us and which things we were ready to let go of. This simplification process isn’t always easy. It can be very emotional, … Continue reading Taking Stock and Making Space in Our Unschooling Lives