Q:
What is the conference like for adults?
A: The most important person in your family that should attend the conference is you. If you cannot afford to bring your family, attend alone or with another adult friend to share expenses. You will be able to immerse yourself, expand and grow in ways you never imagined, giving you renewed enthusiasm and myriad new tools to take home and share with your family.
Every hour of every day at RE is filled with multiple options for intelligent discussion and thoughtful examination of the components that make up a self-designed, empowered and freedom-filled life. In addition, you will have many options for yoga, dance, art and music to round out your electric experience at RE.
Q: W
hat about transportation to and from the airport?
A: The Sheraton offers complimentary transportation to and from DFW Airport.
Q: W
hat about transportation around the area?
A: The Sheraton offers complimentary transportation to and from locations in the area such as restaurants, movie theaters and shopping within a few mile radius.
Q:
My son who will be 12 is interested to know if there will be kids around his age and a little older or will be it just be lots of younger kids and teens?
A: There are hundreds of kids and teens and young adults of all ages at RE every year.
Q:
Are kids free to go to the pool or other hotel locations without an attending adult?
A: All kids of all ages will have the freedom to use all of the hotel facilities on their own terms, provided they do so respectfully of both others and the Sheraton property. This includes the pool, Cyber Cafe, game room with pool tables, shuffleboard table and foosball.
The Sheraton requires that an adult be present at the pool whenever children are using it. You must take the responsibility for communicating this with your child and, when they do wish to use the pool, you are either with them or have chosen a designated adult to oversee their swimming. Kids aged 12 and over may swim without an adult present.
Q:
Can my kids come to sessions? Or come get me during sessions?
A: Your children are welcome in all adult-oriented sessions. We expect them to come in and out as they wish. You are encouraged to have your nursing baby or young toddler with you as well. Feel free to bring toys or blankets for them. You may choose to find a place on the floor in any meeting room to lay with your child or play quietly with them. We ask that, should your child become noisy - whether happy or upset, that you leave the room with them and return when they are quiet.
Q:
Will my kids need money if they're not with me? (for food, games, etc.)
A: Kids can purchase food and drink in the hotel on their own all weekend. You can either purchase vouchers for them to use as payment or they can sign the food charge to their room or they can use cash. All other activities at the conference are included in the cost of registration and no additional charges will incur for anything with the one exception being the Rockclimbing Sleepovers which require advance registration.
Q:
What should we bring?
A: Sweater or jacket for chilly meeting rooms, swim suits, clothes for hot weather, lap tops (there is complimentary WiFi throughout the Sheraton), good energy, openness to fresh ways of thinking and being in the world, high expectations for yourself and your unique experience.
Q:
Are pets allowed?
A: The Sheraton is pet friendly. Bring your small pet if you wish. A $25 nonrefundable deposit will be required.
Q:
How should we prepare our family for RE?
A: Talk about the flow of 5 full days of big space, gobs of fun stuff to do and think about, new friends, connecting with kindred spirits from far and wide. Strategize together on how you will decide what to do when, how you will connect with each other, plan meal and snack times, bed times. Impress upon each person attending how critical it will be at RE to be FULLY RESPONSIBLE for oneself and each other. We encourage your expressions of free-to-be at RE, and with this freedom comes responsibility. Be certain your children and teens understand this.
RE has established an online discussion group to dissect and clarify the meanings of freedom and responsibility. Please join the list, check out the archives, and ask your questions or help others answer theirs. No question is off limits. Click here to join the discussion group.
The more children are trusted, the more they trust in themselves.
Matthew Appleton
Q:
Is coming to RE a good way for grandparents to be introduced to unschooling?
A: Many grandparents attend RE, some of whom are fully supportive and others who are in various stages of being uncomfortable and/or resistant. RE offers facilitated discussion groups just for grandparents and most will find ample opportunities all weekend to ask questions of concern in the myriad sessions they have to choose from. Many grandparents attend just to spend quality time with their grandchildren and others are there to jump in and learn as much as they can about everything offered.
Q: C
an we camp/RV on premises?
A: There is RV parking available but no camping is permitted. It is possible to camp at Grapevine Lake and Lewisville Lake.
Q:
Is there a curfew for kids and teens?
A: There is no curfew for anyone of any age at RE. It is most important that family members have established open lines of communication with each other so that they all know how and where to find each other. It is equally important that parents know what their kids and teens are doing at all times of day or night and that their actions are respectful of self, others and property. If, as a parent, you are unsure about how your child or teen will handle themself in the space of freedom-to-be, be sure to either bring a dedicated overseer to the conference with you or leave the child or teen at home and attend alone or with other adults to learn as much as you can about how to establish communication that ensures both freedom and responsibility at all times.
Q:
This is a common question from my relatives and non-unschooling friends: "Barb, your kids are all grown and you're not even unschooling anymore. Why do you keep doing this conference?"
A: In my decades of rethinking everything, welcoming change and creating a haven for freedom and self-design for my children, I have come to believe that there is nothing more important or worthwhile than the unconditional nurturing of children. If we can face our psychological baggage, let go of all we have been conditioned to believe is true about how the world works, and move toward trusting the drive present in each of us, no matter what age, that guides us to a fully alive, fully engaged state of being, then we are powerfully transforming not only ourselves but those we love and, in fact, that great big world out there - which is desperately in need of fresh ideas from those who have grown up under the life-sustaining umbrella of free-to-be, unconditional love and support.
Well, besides that, my three grown children still consider their participation in the conference as one of the highlights of their year and wouldn't miss it, no matter how far they have to travel to get there!
The best years of your life
are the ones in which you decide
your problems are your own.
You do not blame them on your mother,
the ecology, or the president.
You realize that you control your own destiny.
Albert Ellis
whew! if you have other questions,
email Barb
!
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