A True Radical Unschooling Moment

Something funny and interesting happened at Out of This World yesterday. I often get a coffee since they have this really cool coffee bar with do it yourself syrups and flavored creamers, but I decided not to this time. If I have paid for a coffee, I figure it is no big deal if Orion takes a few creamers, but I didn't feel right about taking several we weren't "due". So I went to the front and asked if I could give them a buck to cover some, and they were happy to. So I told him to go to town and was really curious to see what would happen.

Now I am totally on board with letting him monitor his food, but I still struggle sometimes with wondering what other people think. Even after paying for them, I wondered if the staff thought I was crazy as he scooped out a huge handful and carried them back to our table. Not to mention the weird looks I was getting from other parents. Not my unschooling friends that were there though! Orion proceeded to open one after another and down them like shots. I started wondering at some point if I should offer them more than $1.00! I pointed out what was going on to my friend Jessica, and she just gazed at him with the understanding way she has and said, "And look how happy he is." Yes, this is what it is all about.

So what was the consumption with me TOTALLY staying out of it? (OK, so I hauled the empties off to the trash a couple times to prevent the table looking entirely full of empty mini buckets). I think about 20 creamers. Not that much when you consider how small they are. At one point, he was putting a couple in his pocket to run around with LOL, then all of a sudden, he realized he had his fill. He took those out and even carried them back to the coffee bar along with the few full ones still on the table. All done. No struggles. Just joy.