I just saw a question asking how unschool has changed you (the parent). Unschooling is more than a way to homeschool your children, it is a way of life. Being open to new experiences, eager to learn and grow. It’s not relegating learning to something you do from the ages of 5 to 18 between the hours of 8:30 and 2:30.
I used to work at a place that taught computer applications. We’d occasionally sit in on each others classes. It always amazed me that so many instructors would say Do X. Not how or why, but just do it. In a beginning computer class, telling people to click the close button doesn’t do much good. Telling them to left click on the close button – the one in the upper right corner of the window that looks like an ‘x’ – to close the window is going to tell them how to do it, why their are doing it and hopefully allow them to understand enough to do it again. I guess I see parenting the same way.
How many of us whip our heads left and right before stomping across the street holding a little person’s hand to keep them safe? Well they don’t see the quick look in each directions. They’re thigh or hip or waist high and looking straight ahead. They see mommy or daddy just walk across the street. We stop at the curb – even if no one is coming – having everyone looking left and right, decide if it’s safe and then cross. It takes a lot more time to live life this way but hopefully they’re learning something. We don’t sit them down and tell them it’s time for Crossing the Street, lesson 1. It’s just pointing out what’s going on around you. It’s remembering not to make assumptions. It’s living life out loud.
It’s also learning yourself. Being willing to learn something knew and admitting you don’t know. A generation ago many parents wouldn’t admit they didn’t know the answer (difficult to be the all knowing adult that way) but we try not to see it as us vs them and we always have to be right. We’re all just growing together. Get kohlrabi in your csa box? Tell the kids you’ve never eaten it or cooked with it and look it up. What nutrients does it have? Where’s it from? What do you make with it? We’re redoing all our flooring ourselves. Did we know how to put in laminate flooring? Nope. Read the directions and worked through it. The kids are impressed and I think it’s a good lesson. Just because you don’t know how to do something, doesn’t mean that you can’t.
So we’re all in this together. Hanging out, getting curious, figuring stuff out. Learning, growing, living.
Unschooling just completely rocks. I couldn’t imagine living any other way! :)
It really is a way of living more than a method of teaching. I can’t imagine living any other way either. My kids are in the front with dad right now having decided on their own to have a lemonaide stand: made lemonaide, found cups, got an old cardboard box to use as a stand and drew pictures of lemons for a sign. There’s something to be said for living life as the ideas come to you!