Unschooling?

Have you heard of Unschooling? The first fifty times I heard they word it made me cringe. Education is very important to me. Knowledge about the world around us and the past seems necessary for understanding ourselves and our place in the universe. For me, the words “school” and “education” are so entwined that the sound of the word “unschooling” repulsed me.

Luckily, the word also made me curious. What is this unschooling thing? Well, I’m still just starting starting to learn about it, so don’t take my word for tiit’s a method of educating children where the interests of the child dictate what they do. It looks play. Builds confidence. Families that live the unschooling lifestyle report better relationships with their children, better relationships between their children, more peaceful homes.

Well, that was enough to make my ears perk up. I immediately started imagining how I would implement that in our family. After about a month, I was convinced that a) I could do it and b) it would be the best thing for my kids. So, I wrote a 31 page proposal and gave it to my husband.

I started listening to podcasts and reading about learning and unschooling. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. :)

My confidence about my ability to unschool our children rose when I noticed that a lot of what I had proposed was recommended by the experienced unschoolers. No limit to the amount to time they spend on screens. No strict bedtime. Provide materials for creative efforts. Take them out into the world to see and experience things first hand.

I’m convinced. What do I do now? Well, I have to convince my husband.

In my proposal, I explained my plan for the summer. We enroll in a charter school homeschool program and I will journal each day about what we did. What did we do? Where did we go? What was each children interested in? How can I offer follow up opportunities?

I want my kids to grow up happy. I want them to grow up to be happy. And I want them to have the confidence to follow their passions.

Unschooling sure sounds like the way to go, but it is so far off the beaten path. I have often been a rogue, am I brave enough to do this for my kids?