Decision Time! NOT Back-to-School

Sue Patterson

This week is the first of a series of podcasts I want to do for you that’s all about NOT going back to school.
It can be one of the hardest time for families - whether you’re brand new or you’ve been at it for a while.

We’re really conditioned to do what everyone else is doing, so they all pile onto that school bus,
and we’re basically saying,

"No thanks...”
It can cause some anxiety.  You probably already know that, right?

I remember what that felt like! So I’m going to do a few extra Podcasts here in August - I think it will help you through this.
We’re already halfway through August and
I have a few podcasts from the years past, if you’re needing even more.


And we have our annual
NOT Back to School Webinar coming up on the 24th - so be sure to register for that.
I’ve linked to a few Unschooling Guides that might be good to get, so you can dive a little deeper. The Not-Back to School Guide, the Brainstorming Guide (which is great if you’re thinking, ok, now what do we do?) and the New to Unschooling Guide - another really goodGuide to help you as you start unschooling. And, at only $15 each… a good deal. They’re available over at the Webinar registration page, but also in the shop at Unshooling Mom2mom.com


OK, let’s dive in. 


 Transcript

You’ve decided.

You’re 99% sure.

That “Someday I’ll do this with the kids.” … is here.

While you may have felt pretty confident in June, now…. Well the second-guessing begins…. I have some ideas to help you.


You know the phrase 

This is where the rubber meets the road?  Here we are! 

But first, I want to acknowledge that I know how nervous you are.


I remember feeling so nervous - like I was on a roller coaster - one minute so excited - next minute TERRIFIED.


Did you ever play sports? You know that anxiety you have right until the game starts? That’s what this is. You’re in this limbo period - not going back to school but you haven’t really figured out what STARTING UNSCHOOLING will look like.

Here’s the thing. We’ve all been here. It’s that feeling scared and doing it anyway. I want to remind you that this is all a choice. Every day. It’s not carved in stone. It’s not going to ruin anyone’s future if you choose this and then change your mind… or choose this and stay with it? It really will all work out. 


I alway say that Unschooling Success come boils down to KNOWLEDGE and SUPPORT...getting the information you need and then finding the support that works for you. But there is one more piece... ACTION. You have to take action. 

It’s not like school where you just show up, sit in the seat, and then some teacher pours facts onto you.
Or homeschooling, where you blindly follow the curriculum that some company has decided is what your 5 (or 10 or 15 year old needs)


KNOWLEDGE + SUPPORT = UNSCHOOLING SUCCESS

       + Action on your part!!


You have to seek it out: information, resources, opportunities - for you and for your kids.
You have to have enough discipline to continue to learn yourself...about learning, about kids, about unschooling, about deschooling. 

Yes, you can drift. Because kids really are hardwired to learn.
They will if you provide the nurturing environment for them. 

But you have a lot of UNLEARNING to do.

What does that nurturing environment look like?
How do you provide support to your kids when you’re still needing support yourself?


That’s what I’m here for! I’m going to walk you through this. 

I had no idea what I was doing when we first started our own unschooling journey. I want to share what worked and what I wish I had done differently. If we haven’t met, my kids are grown. They’re 34, 32, and 29. All off on their own adventures, all happy with their unschooled childhoods. 


Unschooling is all about Individualizing. Like across the board. Individualizing for your kids - but also individualizing for you.
How do YOU Learn best?
Do you fall asleep as soon as you try to read and article or blogpost?
Do you prefer podcasts or videos but you forget to get back to them?


Maybe you still do that gathering (dare I say HOARDING) that we learned how to do in school - gather all you can with the INTENT to get back to it. But this real life parenting thing throws obstacles in your path and you may have a laptop full of pdfs you’ve never really had the chance to dive into yet! I know. I was that way too. So these are some new habits that you’re going to develop for yourself - so you can be successful with unschooling. I have a couple of free PDFs I want you to have. They’ll help you get started. I’ll explain more about these in a second. 


I just want to mention that some people - like me - do better when we have others around them that are finding their way through this new wilderness!  When I first started, we had park days and email lists where we connected with others on this unschooling journey. After the pandemic, the landscape looks a little different.  So  I created a private membership group where you can have access to me and to other parents who are doing this.  We have group coaching twice a week where you can bring your questions and the parents in the community - and me - we help you find resources or overcome fears. It’s so great to be in there with parents whose kids are all ages.

So they’re able to say, “Oh yeah! That happened to me too last year! Here’s what I did!” And I’m in there making resources and offering ideas I’ve seen work. It’s a great way to get the INFORMATION AND SUPPORT that you really need. All you have to do is participate - that’s your ACTION step.


Join the Creating Confidence Membership Group - 3 Options Available


This is a good month to join, because I’m waiving the sign up fee.
So you can hit the ground running for only about $12/week! I’ll put the link in the notes below.


But as you’re pondering that, let me give you THREE first steps to take.

  1. Learn a little more about unschooling. I have a PDF that I’ll link below to help you understand how it works. I’m including some additional links as resources to help you dive a little deeper. The PDF will help you see how Unschooling isn’t about the absence of education or neglecting a child's learning. It's a deliberate choice to base the child’s learning on their interests, passions, and curiosities. When we give them the freedom to explore topics that genuinely interest them, the learning is so much better. The PDF also talks your role as an unschooling parent… about the importance of communication and flexibility and trusting that all humans are hard-wired to learn. It’s a good starting place, so grab that. 


Unschooling Essentials - Free PDF

   2. Think about how YOU learn best. I made a PDF for my membership group, that I’ll share with you all. You may be so used to doing for others, and keeping everything going, you haven’t taken the time to look to see what YOU need or how YOU learn best. This could help you see… ah, yes… I’m not a miserable failure, I’m just better in the mornings. Or I learn better by watching a video. It’s all good data to start accumulating about your kids AND about yourself.


Know YOURSELF - Free PDF



   3. What's Your Why? The third thing is to make a list of all your reasons “Why” unschooling is a good idea for you, for your children, for your family. You dont really need a pdf for that.. Just start a note on your phone. Or something in a journal that you keep. Pulling these ideas to the front of your mind will really help you when someone says something that makes you doubt your choices. I have a podcast about it - #8 - or if you put “Why” in the search box at the website, it will pop up!


What's Your Why? Podcast/& transcript


So for next time, what would you like to talk about?


The people in your lives that are critical or skeptical about all of this?
I have a video called “Naysayers and Rude Relatives”... but maybe it’s time to revisit that.
Let me know if that’s a big issue for you in the comments.

Or if you’d rather talk about ways to dive into unschooling and finding cool things to learn. Let me know.

I have the webinar on August 24th, where we’re going to talk about creating NEW traditions for this time of year, and how to overcome some of the fear that holds us back. Mainly it’s an annual party for you to see that you’re not alone! 



Hopefully, you’re subscribed to the podcast, so you’ll be notified when I publish the next in our NOT Back to School series.
Our next topic is going to be dealing with those critics! Sometimes it’s just eyerolls, other times, they can be pretty pushy.
So I have some ideas for you - you don’t want to miss that. 


Leave a comment below and let me know how YOU’re doing during this time of year and if you have particular obstacles that are preventing you from the unschooling life you and the kids COULD be having. I’ll bet I have a resource that can help - all you have to do is ask! 


Happy Unschooling, enjoy the kids, And I’ll be back soon!


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