Sitting Quietly: Unschool Bits and Pieces
Kids Sitting Quietly in Church
he other day, I was asked: How do you get young, unschooled children to sit quietly, without disturbing anyone, in church?
This was my reply:
When my kids were very small I didn’t expect them to sit quietly in church. Little children aren’t designed to sit still for long periods of time. So whenever my kids would get upset, I’d take them outside or I’d walk up and down at the back of the church with them. I sometimes got tired of doing this. There were days when I just wanted my kids to sit quietly and not fuss. People told me that my kids were getting into bad habits and they’d never learn to sit still, and on my tired days, I wondered if they were right. However, I kept on seeing to the needs of my kids and ignored what seemed like sensible advice.
And my children all sat still when they were physically ready to do this. They all followed the example of their older siblings and parents and wanted to be in the church and pay attention to the service. It didn’t happen all at once. They just stayed in the church for longer and longer periods of time until I no longer had to take them out. So even though I never insisted my kids sit still, they all learnt to do this.
Sitting in a church mustn’t make much sense to little kids. What are we doing? Why can’t they talk? I found it helpful to whisper to my kids about what was going on and to point out such things as the candles. Bring some meaning to everything on their level. I also brought along a bag of books, small toys and snacks. I was told that this was another bad habit to get into, but again I didn’t listen. The bag of goodies wasn’t needed forever. My kids outgrew it at their own pace.
Taking small children to church can be a very stressful experience. Parents are in the public eye and children naturally make a lot of noise and some people aren’t understanding and supportive. But I’m glad we always took our kids with us and allowed them to participate at their level and didn’t ask any more of them. They always thought of the church as a good place to go, somewhere they belonged and were accepted. They still feel that way!
So what do you think of my answer? Agree? Disagree? Do you have anything to add?
Another question I’m often asked is this one: Should unschooled kids be forced to go to church?
I wonder if this is the wrong question to ask when our kids protest about coming with us. Would it be better to ask, Why doesn’t my child want to go to church?
I shared some thoughts on this topic in episode 121 of my podcast: Kids, Needs and Church.
A Recommended Novel
You’ve probably read Anne of Green Gables, but have you read L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle? The other day, I wanted something to read and remembered we have a Kindle copy of this novel. I also remembered my daughter Imogen saying this is one of her favourite novels. So I was expecting a good read. And I did enjoy it!
Here’s the Amazon description:
Valancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. Then a shocking diagnosis from Dr. Trent prompts her to make a fresh start. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. One of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s only novels intended for an adult audience, The Blue Castle is filled with humour and romance.
You can buy a Kindle copy for only a few cents.
Now I’m planning to read L.M. Montgomery’s Emily series. Have you read these books? My girls tell me they are good!
An Upcoming Homeschooling Book
My friend Karla Marie Williams has written a homeschooling book: Homeschool Gone Wild.
Karla says:
This book is not just for homeschoolers or unschoolers. This book is for any parent who is interested in bringing out the best in their children, any parent who is interested in creating an atmosphere in their home that will bring forth ingenuity, and creativity, and learning and passion for the things God has called them to do…
Karla will be launching her book very soon. If you’d like more details, you could follow her on Youtube, Facebook or Instagram.
Unschooling, Curiosity and Homeschool Recordkeeping
Did you get a chance to listen to my latest podcast, episode 130: Are You a Curious Unschooler?
These are some of the things I talked about:
Is everyone curious?
Or can we lose our curiosity?
Do we have to be good examples of learning for our kids?
How can we unschool and also be registered homeschoolers?
The other day, I decided to make a video about unschooling and curiosity. It’s very short. Will you take a look?
The Extraordinary Ordinary Moments of Life
Our life is made up of many ordinary moments which together form an extraordinary unschooling life.
Each day, at the suggestion of my friend Jazzy Jack, I’ve been trying to capture a few of those ordinary moments in words. I just write what comes into my head. It doesn’t matter if I don’t say things perfectly. It’s the memory that’s important not the quality of my writing. Here’s a quick story that I scribbled down the other day:
Gemma-Rose and Charlotte and I had breakfast at the cafe where Sophie and Imogen work. The girls had crepes, ice cream, vanilla sauce and strawberries. Ice cream for breakfast!
Years ago, a shopping centre was being built next to the cafe. It was never finished. The abandoned building was a huge eyesore. We thought we were stuck with it forever. But earlier this year, the building was bought and is now being finished as a block of luxury apartments.
Sophie and Imogen know many of the men working on the site because they come to the cafe for coffee. They often order dozens of Polish donuts which is a Friday special. We like these donuts too. They are filled with homemade plum jam.
There’s a sign in the cafe that says that the donuts are available on all Fridays except for Fat Thursdays. I’m curious: Is Fat Thursday really a Friday? I keep meaning to do some googling!
Photos
Gemma-Rose is enjoying a breakfast hot chocolate.
Sophie is sliding some Polish donuts into a paper bag. I’d just bought a few for our morning tea!
One of the workmen (who likes Polish donuts!) is stopping the traffic while a truck enters the building site.
I’m wondering
Do you write about the ordinary things of your life? What moment have you written about recently? And how about ice cream for breakfast? Does that sound like a delicious idea?
That’s all my bits and pieces for another week!