Welcome to the overview and introduction to Parenting and Working.
In recent years, more and more parents have become disillusioned with the traditional schooling system. From standardized testing and rigid curricula to the stress of crowded classrooms and the increasing pressure to conform, many parents are seeking alternative paths to education that align more closely with their values and their children's needs and for our rapidly changing world. For some, this journey leads them to homeschooling—or, more specifically, unschooling—a child-led approach to learning that prioritizes curiosity, creativity, and self-directed education. But for parents who are also juggling careers, self-employment, and the challenges of work-life balance, homeschooling and unschooling can feel like a delicate balancing act.
In this article, we’ll explore the role of self-directed learning, the flexibility of working from home or being self-employed, and the challenges of juggling full-time work with the responsibilities of teaching and guiding your children’s education. Ultimately, we’ll discuss how unschooling can offer an alternative that not only empowers children but also helps parents redefine their approach to both work, parenting and ultimately life.
The Traditional Schooling System: A Growing Disconnect
Many parents have turned to homeschooling or unschooling because they are dissatisfied with traditional education. The one-size-fits-all approach, the emphasis on memorization and standardized testing, and the pressure to fit into a predetermined mold rarely aligns with a child's natural interests or learning pace. For parents, watching their children struggle in an environment that doesn’t honor their individuality and seeing the fire of curiosity go out in a child's eye, can be heartbreaking. It is this that can lead to parents seeking alternatives that offer more flexibility, customization and ultimately much more fun.
Homeschooling, in particular, offers the opportunity to tailor the curriculum to each child's unique learning style, pace, and interests. However, this is not the approach we took as the prospect of becoming the primary educator can be overwhelming, and what child wants their parent to become their teacher, that is a tricky dynamic. We did not do that as we noticed that children really thrive when they begin to direct their own learning. Navigating this way of life can be especially tricky as it is counter to everything we have all learnt about how young people learn. We were those young people and the majority of us went through the traditional schooling system, so no wonder it is a jolt to the system, as we are being asked to rethink everything.
Many parents are balancing full-time jobs, have part-time work, or are entrepreneurs. So finding a way to maintain a livelihood while creating a rich, educational experience for your children can be tricky but it is possible. It may well be the biggest gift that you will ever give to your child and yourself.
Self-Directed Learning: Empowering Children to Take Charge of Their Education
At the core of autonomous learning and unschooling is the principle of self-directed learning. In traditional school systems, children are often passive recipients of information—following a set curriculum, completing assignments, and being tested on what they've learned. They learn things that statistically over time they will forget, they learn, essentially to pass exams well. In contrast, self-directed learning encourages children to take ownership of their education. They choose what they want to learn, explore topics that excite them, and engage with materials in a way that suits their learning style and when they choose what, when and how they are learning, the learning goes in deeply and sticks. They themselves have chosen what fires them up and are not being dictated to. Nor are they having to learn something under a time pressure, the clock is not ticking.
This method fosters independence, critical thinking, and creativity, as children are not simply taught “what” to think but are encouraged to explore "how" to think. Self-directed learning can be deeply satisfying, as it allows children to pursue their natural curiosities and develop a love for learning rather than viewing it as a chore or something imposed upon them.
For parents, the shift to self-directed learning can feel both liberating and intimidating. While it takes some pressure off of them to act as a traditional teacher, which is a huge relief, it requires a big shift in mindset—letting go of control and trusting that children can direct their own learning journeys, this can take time as a parent to learn and is ultimately one of the biggest challenges.
The Flexibility of Self-Employment and Working from Home
One of the main advantages of homeschooling or unschooling, particularly for parents who work from home or are self-employed, is the flexibility it offers. In a traditional job, parents are bound by the rigid schedules of their workplace. But when you're self-employed or working from home, you can set your own hours, choose when and where you work, and adjust your day based on the needs of your family.
For parents who value time freedom, this setup can be a game-changer. Whether you're running a small business, working as a freelancer, or involved in creative endeavors, being able to integrate your work and your children's learning creates a rhythm that works for everyone. This doesn't mean that there aren't challenges—juggling client deadlines, project management, and the constant demands of running a household requires careful planning and time management. But the payoff can be significant: you get to be present for your child's learning and ultimately their life while also pursuing your professional passions.
Full-Time Employment and Finding a Balance
For parents with full-time jobs, the prospect of homeschooling or unschooling can be daunting. It's one thing to have flexibility in your work schedule when you're your own boss, but quite another when you’re managing the demands of an employer. Parents in full-time employment often feel pulled in multiple directions: trying to meet work expectations while also ensuring their children are learning and thriving at home.
In this scenario, it’s vital to find a balance. Some families choose to homeschool or unschool part-time, focusing on evenings and weekends or during school holidays. Others outsource certain aspects of the education, such as hiring tutors or using online learning resources that align with their child's interests. A growing number of parents opt for "unschooling pods" or co-ops—informal groups of homeschooling families who share resources, teaching responsibilities, and social activities, easing the burden on individual parents. We were in one such pod at one point and it was an amazing experience as at one point there were up to 26 children of all different ages interacting and learning from and with each other. That was magical and great for the children and the parents to watch them run in a tribe. There are unschooling hubs around the world and it is a great oppurtunity for your children and family to join one, if your work and financial situation allows it. Many people that we met on our travels were working online and this has huge advantages. But being in a group does allow for more flexibilty and sharing, I would say this way of raising children is more akin to the way hunter gatherers raised children, I don’t think that we were ever designed to go it alone.
The key to managing full-time employment alongside having learners at home is flexibility, this may mean that parents/carers have to juggle who is the main carer. I have met many single parents who are the sole carers of children that raise self directed learners. This is not neccesarily an easy choice for a parent but I do believe that the people that I have met, who are in essence going it alone as parents, chose this lifestyle as a way for their children to expand and grow as learners and as people. But as I have mention above being in community makes this job a whole lot easier.
Many unschooling families practice "learning as life"—viewing the process of education as an ongoing, organic part of everyday life rather than a series of formal lessons. This approach reduces the pressure to structure every moment of the day around traditional school hours, creating a more relaxed and enjoyable environment for both parents and children. With this approach play is an integral part of a child’s day, the longer the child can play the happier the child, the happier the child the more they will learn.
The Challenges of Work-Life Balance and Homeschooling
The reality of homeschooling—especially unschooling—often includes long hours, a lot of flexibility, and, at times, a great deal of uncertainty. Parents must manage their time effectively to meet both work and family obligations while fostering a positive, enriching learning environment. Whether it’s navigating a tight work deadline while helping your child with a project or finding time for yourself amidst the chaos, the struggle to maintain a work-life balance is real, we talk about all of this on our courses and on our blog.
Some parents (I will include us in this) find that being present for their children’s learning—seeing their curiosity spark and their confidence grow and being there for their childhood—helps them feel more fulfilled in both their professional and personal lives. Others may struggle with the constant pull between career and family, leading to burnout. Some parents dip in and out of unschooling, and put their children in the schooling system for a while then mix it up and have them back at home again. Some parents cannot afford, timewise, or financially to have their children at home but they foster the philosophy or unschooling principles at home. This may sound counter intuitive but we have some parents on our unschooling calls whose children are in schools. We support them as parents that want to foster the principles of unschooling at home, as these principles are fundamental to having good close relationships with your children. We are aware that our approach to raising our children outside of the system cannot work for every family but the principles can.
Many parents though who do choose the path outside of the schooling system also find that their perspectives shift as they travel away from schooling, to homeschooling and start to embrace the unschooling lifestyle. They realize that the work-life balance isn’t just about dividing time between work and family but about creating a lifestyle that feels aligned with their values. For some, that means embracing the idea that their children’s education doesn’t need to fit into a specific box or follow a set schedule—it’s about growing, exploring, and learning in a way that’s fluid and natural. As parents, as the children go about their day and are learning, it is also a huge lesson in knowing when to step in (sometimes) and when to step back (often). We talk about this alot.
The Joy of Finding Balance
Finding the right balance between work, homeschooling, and personal fulfillment is a unique journey for every family. For some, especially us, unschooling is a way to reclaim and retain our children's natural sense of wonder and love for learning, while also creating a more flexible lifestyle. For others, it’s a process of rethinking the way they work, parent, and structure their days.
At its best, homeschooling and unschooling offer parents the chance to be deeply involved in their children’s education without sacrificing their own career goals or personal passions. With self-directed learning, self-employment, and the flexibility of working from home, many parents find that they can create a lifestyle that nurtures both their family’s needs and their own sense of purpose. It’s not without its challenges, but for those who choose this path, it’s often a deeply rewarding one—creating a life that’s more balanced, fulfilling, and authentic to who they are as individuals and as a family. This lifestyle also lets parents and children really get to know each other on a level that is not possible when children spend the majority of their time at school.
In the UK, you will get on average thirty two hours back with your children per week. So if I do the maths, over a 38 week period, which is the usual length of time children are at school, that is 1,216 hours. Now times that by 14 years, think about that for a moment, that is a lot of time. That precious time is the unspoken gift of having your learners at home. That fact could go either way in your head, but to me that is exciting.
In the end, the goal of homeschooling or unschooling isn't just to teach children facts and figures and to cram them full of knowledge—it is for them to realize and understand how to be autonomous learners, how to critically think for themselves, how to listen, how to be listened to, how to embrace whatever sets their mind’s on fire and how to remember to be playful and to not lose that spark of curiosity. How ultimately to live a life of meaning, of caring about others, of passion and purpose.
By embracing this philosophy, parents are not only shaping their children's futures but are also totally and utterly reshaping and transforming their own.