2 Common Questions about Unschooling Teens

What if all they’re doing is playing videogames? 

I’ll probably do an entire (separate) podcast on this (I've actually done several!), but the short answer is that unschoolers are playing a long game. We don’t know what is happening in their brains as they do this. But as we learn more about unschooling - and learn to trust that children will move in the direction they need to go - we can ease up a little. Your next step as an unschooling parent is to focus on partnering, get your fears in check, and keep communication open, learn more about what they're doing with technology.

How on earth would I make a transcript from their daily life - something that a college would accept?!

Subjects weave throughout our daily activities. We simply have to set our fear aside and examine what’s happening. If we’ve had a chance to do this with our younger kids, we’ll be more able to see it with our teens.

Here’s an example from a recent coaching call:

The family decided to plant some trees in the backyard. So, let's talk about all the learning that happens in this simple activity.

• Research is required to see what trees do well in the area. Comparing and contrasting tree types or species is necessary.  (Language arts, math, science)
•  Figuring out how much they’ll grow and then knowing how far apart to plant them, how tall they will get,  (math & science)
•  Looking at the “lay of the land” to assess the sunlight and rainfall - and maybe factoring in how that changes with the seasons. (Geography, Earth Science)
• Will we need soil amendments?  (Chemistry, geography)
• Price comparisons, estimates, budgeting  (math)

All these little life experiences and projects - like planting a few trees - are full of learning opportunities. They add up! We have to notice them though. We don’t have to write everything out like this. I’m simply trying to help you reframe how you  see learning. And remind you that everything counts!