Summer School for unschoolers?

Shocking that I’d say that, right? But I don’t mean the kids - I mean you! 

Maybe it’s time for YOU to take a little Unschooling 101 this summer?

If you finished last year feeling defeated, worn out, and wishing it had all gone differently…

If you worried that you didn’t do enough or create enough opportunities for the kids..

If you spent WAY too much money on curriculum that either everyone said you needed or that you THOUGHT would work…

Or maybe you’re noticing that the kids are not enjoying learning and everything seems like a power struggle…

Then stop what you’ve been doing and learn a new approach.

It maybe be that you THOUGHT you understood unschooling but you’re actually missing a few key components. 

Or you’ve kind of liked the idea of unschooling, but it’s so frowned upon in your area, you don’t see how you could do it. 

Or maybe you even have some wrong information floating around about it.

I want to tell you how to get started with Unschooling. And I have a special deal for you, that I’ll tell you in a minute. 

But if you’re new to the Unschooling Mom2Mom podcast - hello!
Welcome! I’m Sue Patterson, the human behind all this. I help parents like you - all at various points on this path. Some just starting out, some who’ve been at it for a while but know they need a little more encouragement. Parenting is like that,right? We’re doing great - until we’re not. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to there, reminding you to continue to be the parent you want to be, brainstorming with you, offering solutions. I have created a lot of ways to do this - all over at the Unschooling Mom2Mom.com website. 

Sue's Simple 5-Step Summer School Mini-Course

Step 1 - Plan for 1 Week

At the start of the week, Sunday or Monday, look at the week ahead. Only 1 week. Don’t get caught up in planning it out for weeks on end. Sometimes we do that as a way to procrastinate from living in the moment. And that’s where unschooling is happening - in the here and now. Plus, staying in the present allows you to see what changes need to happen - all based on that child right there in front of you. They really are your best resource for creating your own plan.

So you’re going to look at this week - what’s the weather going to be?
Anything unique about this week?
Anything already on the schedule?
Plug all those things in first.
Maybe even brainstorm with the kids - what would they like the week to look like?

If you’re looking for some ideas for brainstorming - I have an awesome Unschooling Guide called Brainstorm time. This is really helpful at pulling things to the front of your mind!

Step 2 - Learn more about Unschooling & Deschooling

What are you going to do to learn more about Unschooling and Deschooling?

Put yourself on a daily Workout plan. Maybe just 15 minutes - or a half hour.

A little everyday. Pair it with something you already do, so it’s easier to remember.

For Example: If you listen to podcasts while you drink your coffee every morning. Or mid-afternoon when the kids are immersed in something else. Whether it’s podcasts or videos, reading blogposts or Unshcooling Guides on particular topics. A little bit of focus and self-discipline can help you move toward feeling more confident, less second-guessing. Especially if you’re facing a neighborhood full of people excited about the back to school season.
Not a Podcast Person? Try the Deschooling Toolkit

Step 3 - Connect with the Kids

Maybe the most important of all. Connecting with your kids. 

Life can get busy and we may need to think ahead of time about touching base periodically. Do you have a movie night all set up? Maybe you’re watching the olympics together or the World Cup?

Think of it as points of connection throughout the day.

Even little things like, filling their water bottle and bringing it to them while they’re playing their game.
A quick little shoulder rub and a smile. 

Or a mid-afternoon dice game, if they like something quick.
Think of various points of connection throughout the day.

One of the suggestions that came up in my private community was “Special Time.”
How this works: For 10-20 minutes, the child gets to completely choose the activity to do with you. Uninterrupted. Not-directed by you at all. Up to them. And you’re 100% focused on it with them. They don’t usually want more than that, but it’s more likely they’ll jump at a daily Special Time moments - when they’re the one in charge.

Step 4 - Get Support from Unschooling Community

Make sure you have people in your life who support you on this unconventional path.
Maybe it’s me, here on this podcast! I have a lot of them for you to binge on. Podcasts have a way of connecting us and helping you avoid feeling isolated - especially if you’re the only unschooler or almost-unschooler in your community. It’s really easy to fall back to the familiar schoolish ways, when you’re surrounded by more traditional homeschoolers or people who send their kids to school. You need a support system of some kind.

I have a membership community that does that for each other - all sorts of ways to connect with other unschoolers. I’ll leave a link in the shownotes for you to tap into that. Maybe you just need to do it for a few months as you get past this Back-to-School season. Or maybe you’ll love it and stick around - it really helps to know you’re not alone!