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Thursday, October 2

Frugal Living

With this whole unschooling thing, I think I might be learning as much as the children. Often they will be reading something and come and ask me what a new word means. Sometimes I can explain it OK but other times I know how to use the word and instinctively know its meaning from reading and saying it but I can't define it precisely for them. So out comes the trusty dictionary. I love dictionaries. Bizzare I know. I could read the dictionary for hours if I ever had hours of spare time. (you might think I'd be a better speller with this strange affliction but alas it isn't so.) I love finding new words to use and wierd sounding words and I love knowing where a word originated. For example I found out recently that the word vagina derives from Roman slang. It was a word which meant a sheath in which you put your sword. And here I was being a feminist not wanting to use slang names for body parts! It really seems to help the kids with spelling and reading when they know a couple of word roots. Like tri- meaning three and bi-meaning two. All of a sudden it clicks that all the words with that in have similar meanings.
I've used the word frugal a bit lately and then thought I'd better look it up in the dictionary because I couldn't quiet define it. According to Collin ( of Collin's English dictionary fame) it means; practising economy; living without waste; thrifty.
So I can breathe a sigh of relief. Ahhh... I haven't made a fool of myself using it in the wrong context.
We have a new experiment in frugal living coming up. I actually read it in a magazine awhile ago and then my Dad mentioned it again to me. It's based on doing without something each day. So one day will be TV free, one will be spending-free etc. Perhaps it will save us money, perhaps it'll be an interesting experiment in how much we use and waste. The kids are all willing to try it. I won't lie and say they are really keen but they are willing. Zan is most resistant to TV free days. Rain to junk food free days, and even Peace isn't too keen on riding his bike to work on car free day. We plan to start Monday so I'll keep you updated.

2 comments:

Bella Beach Babe said...

i just started unschooling my kids and just like you i am learning a bunch. things i never learned in public school.

Ariad said...

I love the learning but I'm finding the un-learning hard. I don't know if it's just me but I have to hold my words in all the time. I'm always wanting to suggest that they do this or not do that. I think I'll get better at it as time passes

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