Creating an Unschooling Home Isn’t as Hard as You Think!

Do you wonder how to set up your home so it's conducive to unschooling?

Let's think of it as creating a nurturing nest! 

Unschooling parents are tuned into their homes. Sometimes, it may be hard to see that, because, usually, it’s messy. That’s what the Lived-In Look is all about though! With each person in the household pursuing a variety of interests, and those interests being at various stages of exploration...well, you get the picture.

How DO you set up an unschooling home?

Creating an environment that supports unschooling will help you be successful. I’ve collected a few tips for you:

• No need for a “school room.” Learning weaves through daily activities. Trying to confine it to a particular space is artificial - and really missing a lot of opportunities.
• Noticing learning that is happening all over the house in all sorts of places will help you deschool. It will help you see how learning is everywhere.
• Better to create areas that support particular activities...
• Cozy places to read together or solo
• Keep trash cans near messy art
• Do science projects near a sink
• Whiteboard calendars are great to show how long the wait is until a much anticipated event - or look back and remember something that was fun.
• Post the Monthly Strewing Calendar on a wall to give fun ideas to explore
• Listen to the podcast if you're worried about the messiness of all of this.
• Read 10 Practical Suggestions for Busy Deschooling Moms.

Podcast Transcript:

Let's create a nurturing "nest" for your family!

Unschooling parents are tuned into their homes. Sometimes, it may be hard to see that, because, usually, it’s messy. That’s what the Lived-In Look is all about though!

With each person in the household pursuing a variety of interests, and those interests being at various stages of exploration... well, you get the picture.

If you grew up with the concept that keeping a tidy home is synonymous with being a good mother though, this may be particularly problematic for you.
It may take some inner exploration to be able to differentiate between the two roles: 
Keeper of the Home and Mother/Parent.

They are, in fact, very different. An unschooling parent typically prioritizes the relationships happening in the home, and places value on all those incomplete projects that a child is working on. Certainly much more than the dishes in the sink or the clutter in the room.

Sometimes the problem is the spouse who is away at work all day. Coming home to a peaceful, relaxed home may be what they've been yearning for all afternoon! It's not unheard of to do a quick clean-up before he (it's often "he" isn't it?) gets home.
It's ok to tell the kids,

"this really helps Dad relax... let's do this for him."

We all do things to help each other have nurtured experiences in the home.

And, it's also fine to shoot him a text saying,

"Hey, fair warning... the Lego project could not be moved from the dining room table. The dog tracked mud throughout the house just 10 minutes ago. And it's been rough with our time management today. Can you pick up some fried chicken - I'll clear a spot on the counter! See you soon! xo"

Being included in the mayhem may be what your spouse is needing. That's really do-able. Having conversations about the priorities and what you're seeing in the kids will help him be less likely to want to sweep in to fix it all. We all have habits we've become accustomed to, haven't we? Here are a few conversation topics that might need to happen:

• Exploration is messy - and that's ok.
• Learning comes when kids can follow their curiosities.
• Learning may not look like it does in school with grades, scores, and worksheets. It's often more process-oriented than product-based.
• You're focusing on creating trusting relationships with the kids where they can truly know that you value their ideas and opinions.
• Your relationship-building approach may be at the expense of a messy house.
• How can you help your spouse connect more with the kids?
• Do they need a quiet little corner of the house to get-away to?
  Do you?

The inevitable messiness seems to go hand-in-hand with building a cozy unschooling nest.

An Unschooling Home through The 5 Senses

Everyone's learning style is different, so some people set up their unschooling home focusing on sight, sound, taste, smell, touch.

What could you do to make your home - your nest - a wonderful place to connect with your kids, explore curiosities, recharge from the outer world? This may even change seasonally!

This video will walk you through an unschooling home, with the 5 senses in mind...

Remember that Unschooling works best when you can be flexible and meet everyone in the family where they are.

Your home doesn’t have to magazine-ready. It only needs to be a place where love, joy, and connection can thrive.