The Turn of the Strew {How NOT To Strew}

How can you get your kids to be leery of your intentions and never touch what you strew for them?  Take the advice in this post!

Yes, there are a few things that you should not do when strewing.

Join me on the journey through The Art of Strewing.

Strew Only Boring, Schooly Things

Unless your kids are really into textbooks and asking you for curriculum, stay away from schooly-type items, especially at the beginning of your journey.

If you want to share amazing math and science resources, but you don’t know of any except what comes in homeschool catalogs, then you need to do some more deschooling!

I’m not saying that homeschool catalogs don’t have things you can strew.  They have great science experiments, art supplies, audio books, and more.  However, if you feel the urge to start putting more emphasis on the “school” part of unschooling then strewing can go sour real quick.

Remember, we are not strewing specifically to get them to learn their times tables. Although -if they are interested in that then strew away!  We are strewing to open up possibilities, not focus on academics.

There are some things that I believe my children should know how to do by the time they are adults.  Those things I bring up to my child, explaining my logic behind them.  You don’t use strewing for that, you use democratic parenting and a trust in your child’s sense of reasoning.

Strewing Too Much At Once

Strewing sounds messy, and it is messy in that it is organic, but if you start to strew too much it can just create chaos.

We do want a focus while strewing.  If your children will never look at a poster on the wall or check their email, then it makes no sense to strew there.

And if you overload them on too many things in the home or in your relationship, everything gets cluttered and nothing really gets paid attention to.

Strew a few things.  Then if any of those spark their interest and they seem to be open to information, strew a little more.

Strew:

• selectively (picking out a few instead of strewing everything)
• organically (let it come naturally, don’t force anything) and
• progressively (if they show interest, add more – don’t keep drumming up the same topic if they don’t like it)

Expecting A Reaction Or Outcome To Your Strewing

I am totally guilty of this one.  I put so much anticipation, money, or effort into something that when my kids don’t notice or like what I’ve strewn I become upset.

Kids can smell ulterior motive from a mile away.

Like I said before, don’t strew to be sneaky.  If you want your kids to really consider something important, talk to them about it.

Let strewing be for suggestions, not commands.

You have to be ok with the fact that your kids might not care one tiddly wink about what you have worked so hard to acquire.

And they may walk right by something, pass on a suggestion, or ignore a conversation.

This is why strewing is an art and not a science.  We can’t predict what our kids are going to like, how they are going to react, or what will be produced from our strewing.

Never Relate To Them Or Their Interests

Don’t just strew and walk away.

Unschooling is about relationships.  It is more than child-led or interest-led or any other method.  It transcends education, learning, and parenting.

If we know our children so intimately that we know when and what to strew for them, we have no excuse NOT to engage them in those ideas, things, and moments.

Strewing doesn’t involve throwing stuff at their feet and leaving them on their own.

We strew to get involved, to relate to them, and to join them on this grand adventure!

Join me next week as we continue to talk about strewing!

 Giveaway!

Win a set of Science Talk Conversation Cards!  Great for strewing ideas and topics at the dinner table!

You must live in the US or Canada (or military address) and be 18 to enter.  Simply leave a comment and then enter in the Rafflecopter widget below!

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This post is part of the iHomeschool Network Hopscotch – go check out some of the other series that are being featured (and check out the giveaways that are being hosted there)!

Here are the lovely ladies that are participating in the Autumn 2012 Hopscotch: