my name is EVERYWHERE!

I keep forgetting that with unschooled people, you have to teach them things that often seem like common sense. The latest of this is J---. She was filling an answer in her workbook and didn’t have enough room on the line, so she chose to write the rest of the answer above the original portion and to the left. There was plenty of space below the line to continue writing her answer. At first, I was confused, but then realized what she’d done. I explained to her a better way to do it, telling her it’s easier, because we read from l-r, top-bottom, and so she should but the rest of the answer below and to the right.
The other thing we worked on learning today was number families or using multiplication to divide. She is ok with her multiplication tables, not super fast, but just looks at division like she’s going to die. When I explained she could use her multiplication skills to come up with the answers she looked at me like I was crazy. Hopefully she’s getting it.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that children, if not trained to respect property, will write on anything around them!!! I was in the kitchen eating lunch with a book I’d borrowed a few feet away. My daughter M—19, picked it up and with the intention to write in the front cover of it!!!! She didn’t even know to who it belonged. I asked her, “Is that yours?” No. “Do you know who it belongs to?” No. (and it didn’t seem to bother her at this point.) Then I chimed, “I’M reading it, but it’s NOT EVEN MINE. I’m borrowing it. Why would you write in something that ISN’T yours?” That was when she apologized profusely and put it back down. I have a sneaky feeling that if I would have told her it belonged to any number of other people she would have begun her graffiti. Everything she owns has her name on it, and sometimes her friends names on it, which I always attributed to the desire to claim property in a big household, but now I’m not so sure. With how much she loves her own name, she doesn’t know the name of the boy that likes her, even though he’s been to our house several times now. I’ve decided to talk to him next time he’s here, make-up or no!

(Hey, Hannah, it's all about your b-day today. Not mine.)