Experiencing unschooling

Raising a child who has never attended any formal schooling, social conditioning or structure, is both a challenge and an amazing journey.

My youngest daughter is six years old and has never been to any day care, kindergarten nor has she started school along with her friends and peers in September.

The decision to not school (or condition) her in any way, on any level was not one that I made after “careful thinking” or long term planning. It was more an intuitive decision, one that came very naturally, according to our way of living based on my values.

Unschooling; not as unknown a concept as we're led to believe

Unschooling means you don't "have to" do anything. You just follow your heart. Then each day becomes a whole new experience, everything you do matters and you exist in cooperation with life.

Learning is about discovering life through yourself and your environment. It is not about being programmed how and what to think, do or be.

Learning cannot be separated from fun, experiment, error and experience.

There is no “normal” or fixed pace to learning. Each must follow their own rhythm.

Learning is closely related to freedom as each individual takes steps into the unknown.

Unschooling

There will be many articles on unschooling in the near future, as it is a huge subject, mostly still unknown.

Unschooling is much more than choosing not to send my child to school (public or private). Schooling in its broader meaning is everything that has to do with our social and cultural conditioning.

Whether we are aware or not of the extent that this continuous conditioning, it nevertheless shapes - without our conscious consent - who we are. There is not an area in our lives where this subconscious conditioning has not and is not affecting. It could not therefore, leave our roles as parents and educators unaffected.

That which concerns me the most is the ignorant, irresponsible way in which we are bringing up and tutoring our children. This is not about blame or guilt. It is about taking responsibility of being aware who we are and who we want to be.