There's a lot of buzz right now around children learning without school, and the different terms used can be confusing. I see the word unschooling pop up in different contexts and sometimes feel a bit flat when I see what it is describing. Not because someone else is doing it 'wrong', but because when this … Continue reading What is unschooling?
Category: deschooling
Is it fun or is it learning? Does it matter?
There are many things about living without school that continue to fascinate me. Although, when I see these things in action, what fascinates me even more is how I could have ever understood things differently. When you see life and learning flow together naturally and uncoerced, you have to wonder why we make it all … Continue reading Is it fun or is it learning? Does it matter?
Things I wish I had known
A friend asked me recently what I wish I had known when we began unschooling. It's an interesting question. There were lots of things that I didn't know, and there were others that, intellectually at least, I did know, but didn't quite believe. So, here's my list. All the things I wish I had known, … Continue reading Things I wish I had known
When it’s time to back off..
One of the things that still challenges me is sitting back when I think I know a way to help, even when my 'help' has already been refused. This is quite a learning edge for me and I've been guilty twice (at least) of this in the last couple of days. I should know better … Continue reading When it’s time to back off..
Nothing radical here
In the early days, when I would quietly admit that our children weren't at school, people would tell me that was radical. And I would agree. Radical indeed! Not many other people are doing it, so we must be out there on the fringes. But radical is a big label. I hadn't set out to … Continue reading Nothing radical here
Things I’ve let go of
Unschooling is sometimes also called child-directed learning or life-learning. Labels can be misleading as they tend to miss out more than they actually say. So, the accent in these particular labels seems to be the 'school/learning' bit. Yet, as anyone who identifies with any of them knows, that really isn't the defining part of the … Continue reading Things I’ve let go of
Passions for life
According to a Gallup poll published in 2017, 85% of adults worldwide hate their jobs. What a depressing statistic! All those years of school, exams and hard work, only to end up hating what you do. There's something up with our system, and stats like these make me happy that we're trying a different path … Continue reading Passions for life
Deschooling the parents
When a child leaves a traditional school environment to begin unschooling, the adjustment period is generally referred to as 'deschooling'. It's a time when, free from external expectations and pressure, they can rediscover their natural rhythms and who they are when no one expects them to be anything in particular. I keep coming across a … Continue reading Deschooling the parents
Thoughts from a 13-year-old gamer
One of the most challenging aspects of unschooling for me was letting go of conventional paradigms about gaming, and screen time in general. Paying attention to my children has allowed me to see how enriching much of this activity actually is. Each of the children engages differently with games and screens. E does some gaming, … Continue reading Thoughts from a 13-year-old gamer
Slow living
We came back to Spain a week ago, after visiting family for Christmas and New Year. I love to be with family and old friends in the UK, but it's good to be back here too. Barcelona in January always feels good for the soul. And, here on the hill, where we can watch the … Continue reading Slow living
