Summer Doesn't Have to End
The “Back to School” season usually indicates that it’s time for Fall. For the school kids, the calendar DOES shift to a School Calendar...no more leisurely afternoons, no snoozing later into the morning or last minute sleepovers.
But for unschoolers, we don’t have to make any shift at all. Our calendars are still flexible. We can plan our days based on our own curiosities, explorations and experiences. We don’t have to squeeze our stuff into those hectic hours between 4 and 7 - prioritizing homework, baths, and laying out clothes for school the next day.
Many of us remember it well.
And what’s interesting, it’s also so artificial.
Summer isn’t REALLY ending - heck, it’s still a blazing 106 as I'm writing this! 🔥
Tell the kids:
"Good News! Summer isn’t Over for Us!!!"
Pull out the Brainstorming Guide!
What’s happening this month in your local community?
Grab the Strewing Calendar!
See what's happening this month!
If Unschooling is new to you, try these things:
👍
Say “Yes” more..
or what part of their request CAN you say “Yes” to?
(Instead of leading with the “No.”)
🎲
Refresh the Game Closet/Shelf. Plan a Family Game Night this week! I have a blogpost of a bunch of games that other unschoolers said have been fun at their houses.
And some
Pinterest boards FULL of ideas.
🍿 Maybe Movies are more your speed...Pop some popcorn, lower the lights, grab the pillows and make it an event! Then talk about it afterwards - was it realistic? Did they see those actors in other things? What did it make them think about? Remember, it’s all about your connection with them. All these conversations are going to give you glimpses of what they need rom you.
Pinterest:
Family Fun Nights
Pinterest:
Unschooly Movies
📸
Take a lot of pictures. Even if they roll their eyes. This will help them remember fun things that happened or that they did. Photos of them on the tablet on the couch. Photos of everyone huddled around a board game. Photos at the pool. Whatever you’re doing together. And be sure to be IN them too. We have so many photos without Mom or Dad (whoever is the photographer). Trust me, you may not like how you look in photos, but 10 or 20 years from now, you’ll WISH you looked that good! Plus it’s modeling for the kids - we are who we are - and we are good enough. They need to see you EMBRACE that message too.
💡 Your Turn to Learn
While you’re playing with the kids, take a little time to read more about how unschooling works. Over at the website or through this podcast. Listen to one a day. Keep immersing yourself in unschooling ideas - it will help when you get pushback from everyone else about going to school. The more you read and listen, the less impact that will have on you.
...Even though the rest of the world seems to embrace this artificial notion that NOW Fall is here.
...Even though Target and Kohl’s are already adorned with cozy autumn displays and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere seems to think that now that schools are open, Autumn has arrived.
We know better.
We can look out and see that Nature doesn’t really agree with this idea yet. 🌞😎
So as unschoolers, we can continue on with summer...until it’s not.
Actually not.
Not just because School doesn’t want kids to realize that summer isn’t over yet.🙄
Yes, I’ll still go to to my coffee shop drive-thru to get my Pumpkin Spice Latte -
even though I’ll be confronted with a gust of oven-heat through the window!
🔥 💨
I’m shifting my perspective...
Pumpkin spice will hereby be considered an End-of-Summer thing, instead of a Start-of-Autumn thing!
The rest of my life will still be deeply immersed in continuing with Summertime!
