There are some very interesting comments here... so it isn't just me that feels things are a little different.
I did carefully consider before I asked if the forum was quiet as I am more of a fringe dweller.
I had thought that as school has resumed in the States this could be an explanation but usually that stimulates conversation. I then reread this post and realised that the Facebook site had commenced.
I have seen this happen before in a an American forum I frequented when my children were young and in an Australian forum I visit... I don't visit many.
The need for validation and affirmation of our homeschool direction and philosophy usually plateaus, in my experience, around the Y8 level with a first child. Often by then one has it together!!! Well more or less
I suppose I am missing the challenging philosophical questions and discussions. I have learnt of ideas I had never considered and been introduced to authors from a totally different perspective. This has helped me to grow as a home schooling parent and a person. My 2 younger children are benefiting from a richer perspective than my graduate.
Another thought was that perhaps at the conference people met in real life and there has been a change in the dynamic of relationships... so a facebook encounter is easier.
I think I must be mourning and it is only a subtle change!!
Sometimes it is daunting to post here, people surprisingly aren't mind readers, and it is difficult to perhaps express ones perspective if it doesn't align with the accepted philosophy.
Nevertheless this is always a very stimulating and interesting place.
I am looking forward to the book discussions.
I did carefully consider before I asked if the forum was quiet as I am more of a fringe dweller.
I had thought that as school has resumed in the States this could be an explanation but usually that stimulates conversation. I then reread this post and realised that the Facebook site had commenced.
I have seen this happen before in a an American forum I frequented when my children were young and in an Australian forum I visit... I don't visit many.
(10-31-2015, 03:58 AM)Primeperiwinkle Wrote: I've given this a lot of thought and I *think* the most active users on the forum have all moved on to a level of understanding that doesn't require constant discussion and/or seeking like we did a few years ago. It's hard to explain but a while back we all, it seemed to me, making these intense connections and leaps and forays into new areas of study all together. So if the AA is the alumni of CM, most of the forum users are juniors or seniors who are actually quite busy preparing.
Now this is a total global perspective generalization coming up but bear with me.
The most active users on the forum have almost always been composed by people who have time. Women with only one kid or women with high school kids. Once the newbies become competent enough to utilize what we know we tend to, gasp, start using it. So then we're too busy to discuss as much. The thing is... I know we're all still deepening our roots at a great pace but we're not doing it all the same way. To keep the forum thriving the onus really is on us though. We need to be continually honest, vulnerable, seeking, and pursuing answers among this community. We also need to lovingly encourage newbies to ask questions that we've already answered 4,657 times before because otherwise they won't open up and share what's going on in their life.
AO really does have the same dynamic as a church body. It worries me a little because I wonder how we will (as a community) go to the next level of growth. In church terms, that's when we start making new churches. So, the advent of CM retreats and meetings, schools, books and everything is the fruit from those years and years that so many different Moms were working towards.
Sorry this is me typing crazy fast trying to make lots of points. I personally think the Mothers Educational Course or training courses in general are going to be the next big thing we're all working together to create. I can see that but I don't know how to get there... And I'm a just a little part. Sigh
The need for validation and affirmation of our homeschool direction and philosophy usually plateaus, in my experience, around the Y8 level with a first child. Often by then one has it together!!! Well more or less
I suppose I am missing the challenging philosophical questions and discussions. I have learnt of ideas I had never considered and been introduced to authors from a totally different perspective. This has helped me to grow as a home schooling parent and a person. My 2 younger children are benefiting from a richer perspective than my graduate.
Another thought was that perhaps at the conference people met in real life and there has been a change in the dynamic of relationships... so a facebook encounter is easier.
I think I must be mourning and it is only a subtle change!!
Sometimes it is daunting to post here, people surprisingly aren't mind readers, and it is difficult to perhaps express ones perspective if it doesn't align with the accepted philosophy.
Nevertheless this is always a very stimulating and interesting place.
I am looking forward to the book discussions.