Having the kids able to help out with our everyday lives has been one of the huge perks of unschooling. Rather than being off somewhere discussing life skills, or practicing life skills, or doing homework on life skills, the unschooling kid s here are out using their life skills as they develop them. Lately, as the gang have been out and about, living their lives, they've also been able to help me out. The 8, 6, and 4 year-old here have learned how to do shopping without me. We started out with them collecting items in the same grocery store I was in to save time. Now, we’re splitting up to hit different stores, and then meeting back at the bus stop. The latest advantage I received from unschooling though had to do with my airport commute in LA.
First, I was surprised to find out public transit works in LA! I"d heard the rumors that LA is a driving-only town, but they're just not true. There aren’t as many routes as there are in our hometown of San Francisco, but they get the job done. Over the years, I’ve worked out a serviceable set of routes between the airport, my hotel, and my work. While I suspected there might be better routes, the adult in me had squelched any attempts to find out. I’d think of heading to the airport a different way, but wind up mired in ‘what ifs’. “What if the new route was actually slower?” “What if there wasn’t a walking path where Goole Maps sad there was?” (It happens.) The route I had was doable. Sure, it took 45 minutes or so. Sure, sometimes I wound up marooned outside a train station for a stretch of time, but it worked.
Which is why I’m really happy to announce that I’m now a mere 15 minutes from airport to work, and only 25 minutes from airport to hotel thanks to the gang, 8 year-ol No. One, 6 year-old No. Two, and four year-old No. Three!
A few weeks ago, said gang and their nanny, (Director of Tactical Operation), traveled to LA with me. When One and I attended a technical conference of mine, (where she also presented in the junior track), a few months ago, she made a few buddies who live in LA. Luckily, the kids’ DTO grew up in LA, so for the cost of a few free plane tickets, we were all able to travel to LA, maintaining our usual schedule. We visited with One’s friends, and now Two and Three have friends in LA also!
One of the biggest perks of the trip, for me anyway, came on the last day. The kids and their DTO checked out the map from the hotel to the airport, found a faster looking route, and had the veracity to try it. Having a day to kill, and plenty of time to make mistakes, they all figured why not?
I’m happy to say the route worked like a champ! It did in fact cut half an hour off my airport commute this morning, and I never would have tried it if the kids hadn’t scouted it out for me first! For us unschooling isn't just about kids learning a different way, it's about them being out in their community not only benefitting from it, but also contributing back. It was really nice to be the beneficiary this time!
It’s good to have kids that live in the same world as me where I can benefit from their discoveries!
First, I was surprised to find out public transit works in LA! I"d heard the rumors that LA is a driving-only town, but they're just not true. There aren’t as many routes as there are in our hometown of San Francisco, but they get the job done. Over the years, I’ve worked out a serviceable set of routes between the airport, my hotel, and my work. While I suspected there might be better routes, the adult in me had squelched any attempts to find out. I’d think of heading to the airport a different way, but wind up mired in ‘what ifs’. “What if the new route was actually slower?” “What if there wasn’t a walking path where Goole Maps sad there was?” (It happens.) The route I had was doable. Sure, it took 45 minutes or so. Sure, sometimes I wound up marooned outside a train station for a stretch of time, but it worked.
Which is why I’m really happy to announce that I’m now a mere 15 minutes from airport to work, and only 25 minutes from airport to hotel thanks to the gang, 8 year-ol No. One, 6 year-old No. Two, and four year-old No. Three!
A few weeks ago, said gang and their nanny, (Director of Tactical Operation), traveled to LA with me. When One and I attended a technical conference of mine, (where she also presented in the junior track), a few months ago, she made a few buddies who live in LA. Luckily, the kids’ DTO grew up in LA, so for the cost of a few free plane tickets, we were all able to travel to LA, maintaining our usual schedule. We visited with One’s friends, and now Two and Three have friends in LA also!
One of the biggest perks of the trip, for me anyway, came on the last day. The kids and their DTO checked out the map from the hotel to the airport, found a faster looking route, and had the veracity to try it. Having a day to kill, and plenty of time to make mistakes, they all figured why not?
I’m happy to say the route worked like a champ! It did in fact cut half an hour off my airport commute this morning, and I never would have tried it if the kids hadn’t scouted it out for me first! For us unschooling isn't just about kids learning a different way, it's about them being out in their community not only benefitting from it, but also contributing back. It was really nice to be the beneficiary this time!
It’s good to have kids that live in the same world as me where I can benefit from their discoveries!
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