Unschooling: Putting my money where my mouth is

When Chana went away in August, she left me dangling in the middle of Camus' The Stranger, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and in the middle of Biology and Physics.  I have really missed learning with her every day.  I miss banging my head against biology.  (Physics is not going as well as I'd like and I think I need to search for a better book.)

So Chana has been back for almost a week.  I spent the first bunch of days dealing with scheduling her year next year, arranging appointments and transportation and lessons.

She has not asked to resume our daily work.  And I really want to.  I'm curious about the cell and about what happens next in the books we are reading.  I miss learning with her.  I'd love to read the next perek in Shmuel with her.

But Chana is not showing any inclination to pick up her learning time with me.  She would probably be amenable enough and schedule it in if I ask her to.

I'm thinking about the gains.  What is the benefit of asking her to start learning with me?  What is the benefit of waiting until she asks me to learn with her?

If I ask her to learn with me, we learn more information.  We cover more ground.

If I wait until she wants to learn, she desires it.  She feels the want.  She is motivated.  She is pushing me instead of the other way around.

So it seems like the more long term gain to wait.

Sometimes waiting when I feel anxiety kind of backfires on me... I've been known to hold my tongue and then the feelings are still there and when I do express my feelings it ends up not being straightforward and informative, but angry and intense.

But in theory, I will wait.  I'll keep you posted...