Being the stay-at-home parent can sound lovely… especially if you were working outside the home before. But now that you’re home in ISOLATION with the kids, it’s not quite like what we had envisioned. Homeschooling and unschooling parents have had their lives turned upside down as well, with no community activities available and everyone suddenly Read More
Category: Parenting
Unschoolers parent differently from the mainstream. Find out more.
Reluctant Spouses
You love the idea of unschooling, but your spouse isn’t convinced it’s the best option. Maybe you’ve been joining groups and reading blogs and you’re SOO onboard – it makes total sense. But he (though it’s not always the “he”) isn’t interested in really reading much about it. After all, he’s working extra hours so Read More
Typical Unschooling Day
Do you wonder if you’re doing enough? Do you wonder what other unschoolers’ days look like? Is there even such a thing as “typical?” This is one of the most common questions people who are just starting out ask – and the hardest to answer. Every unschooling family’s day looks different – different locations with Read More
Redo This Reality Check
Why is it that some parents feel they need to be so harsh? I guess they’re afraid their kids (or someone else’s) are going to catch a break or take advantage of them or something. But these parents are really glass-is-half-empty people, aren’t they? Is anyone going to be surprised when the parents who Read More
Resist the Urge to Compare
We’ve all read enough parenting books to know that comparing children is a bad thing. Maybe we’ve even been the victim of this kind of parenting ourselves? So when it comes to unschooling our kids, why do we continue to make comparisons between our children and other people’s children? My son isn’t reading at the Read More
Mom! I’m bored!
People write a lot about the benefits of letting kids be bored. And while that may give kids the opportunity to figure things out, I tend to want to help them when they are uncomfortable. My family was an average suburban middle class family. In the beginning, my kids went to school just like everyone else. Read More
Unschooling is NOT Unparenting
Let’s put this concept that Unschooling equals Unparenting to rest once and for all. Ok? People have been saying this for decades. And those same people usually have no first-hand knowledge about unschooling. Or perhaps they’ve witnessed one family having a rough time. Let’s try to remember a few things: Do people parent differently? Of course. Do Read More
Building an Unschooling Nest
December is a cozy time of year! Instead of stressing about the holiday gifts and get-togethers, let’s lean into the idea of building a lovely nest for our families. Nest-building can happen any time of the year! And for those who choose to unschool, having a wonderful place to return to may be exactly what Read More
Dealing with Naysayers
Here we are in the holiday season celebrating with friends and family, some of whom we haven’t seen in a while. While that’s exciting, it can also be a little nerve-wracking. No one can push our buttons like family, right? When your sister asks why your 9-year-old isn’t reading yet or your uncle wants to Read More
The Myth of Structure
Structure is another one of those words that gets misused. People say that kids need structure – and then take it too far. Kids don’t need their whole lives structured. There’s no room for curiosity or following an interest if you do that. They don’t need their learning structured for exactly that same reason. It’s Read More
When People Quiz Your Kids
We don’t live in an unschooling bubble, do we? Our kiddos have to get out there in the community and brush up with people who have no idea what we’re trying to do. And while that’s a good thing, in general, it can be tough when they’re faced with An Interrogator. Maybe it’s Aunt Jeannie Read More
Heroes in Training
Guest Blogger, Michael Patterson, shares how to weave community service into the lives of children and teens
Unschooling Teens & Sleep
Years ago, your child was up at 6 a.m., peeling eyelids back, ready for you to help him greet the day. But not so with your teen. Maybe you’ve been up puttering around all morning, fixing yourself some lunch when you notice your teen is still snoozing. What the heck is going on here? It Read More
What Really Matters
Unschooling is one of those terms that people love or hate. Or at least, the vocal people seem to shout from the far ends of the continuum, and then everyone reacts. It’s been the same arguments for years now. I don’t mind the term at all anymore. I used to avoid it, because I Read More
Are You Listening to Me?
Unschoolers spend lots of time together – and for the most part, it’s an exciting fun adventure! Yet sometimes, even the best unschooling mom can get tired or distracted. Consider these scenarios… When I was little… I was one of those children who talked a lot and LOUDLY. I can remember my cousin actually turning Read More