Why am I doing it? I didn’t plan to be an unschooling parent, I was the one who said “I wouldn’t have the patience to unschool my kids, I am not that parent.” We are doing it, from my perspective because I believe that learning is not linear and that intelligence, creativity and curiosity are all interlinked and because I believe that the world is changing faster than school systems are.  I also want my children to be able to look an adult in the eye and not feel undermined, ashamed or in the wrong. I believe strongly that childhood is precious, important and so painfully quick and that the imprint of a childhood on a life is so massive that if there is a chance to offer a great, exciting, curious, (sometimes boring) and playful childhood and I can do that, then why wouldn’t I? If this small piece of time does play such a huge role in the make-up of the rest of my children’s life then I am happy to be there and support them in this magical thing that is called childhood.

Amari “What is Unschooling to you?”

“Where kids learn the meaning of life and creatively learn things they need to survive, good, goodbye I have to carry on with what I am doing.”

Me “What are you doing?”

“My times table!”

Me “Really?’”

She is out the door.

“Olive what is unschooling to you?”

“This better be good I am busy”

“Erm, um,” (lies down think about it, wiggles, looks at me) “Can I say it’s fun..?”

Me “Yes, if you like”

Olive “It is fun, bye”

Out the door.

“Jahli, in a sentence what is unschooling to you?”

“What is a sentence?”

Me “Erm, well something you say, a bunch of words, like this, I have just said a sentence…”

“Oh”

“So Jahli can you describe to me…. in a sentence…. what unschooling is to you?”

“I would describe it as fun and that is it. Bye”

Whoosh out of the door.

I think that children have so much to offer and are leaps and bounds ahead of the system in many ways. I want to unclip our kid’s wings and let them fly in to the future, full of curiosity, wonder, confidence and excitement. I cannot guarantee that I am doing the right thing, and I would be a scary person to be 100% certain of my ability to know that my decision is the right decision, who knows? But I do know strongly in my heart that our kids are much happier learning when out of the schooling system rather than being in it and that to me is why I unschool the kids.