the network for radical unschooling families

But the journey has already begun!

I'm new to this site. I joined yesterday. I have to say I'm still not 100% convinced about all aspects of unschooling, but the more I read the more I come around to the idea. I first heard of unschooling on a program called 'extreme parenting' that I saw by chance on TV a few months ago. A couple on there were unschooling their two children. It didn't seem right to me to give your children such freedom, and I rejected the idea immediately. There were also a couple on there who were 'attachment parenting', and that was something I did immediately cling to and it changed my life, but that's a whole other story.

But as time went by I softened. Looking at the dire schools in the poor town I live, and remembering my own experiences of school, I eventually decided I would like to home-school my daughter. It's not that I didn't enjoy school. I did. And I was a good student getting brilliant grades. But I always felt held back by my peers and smothered by the system. I wanted my daughter to be free to study at her own pace the things she has interest in.

And that's when the idea of unschooling started to creep into my mind. The more I read the more I saw that this would be the life I want for my daughter. I soon found this website and as I said joined yesterday.

The thing that threw me was the question on my profile of how long I have been unschooling. After giving some thought to when I would start, thinking around the time of when kids generally start school, it suddenly dawned that I'm already unschooling! There will be no day when I say 'right today we're unschooling'! It's what I've done from the day I saw that program on 'extreme parenting'. The day I finally let go of how children SHOULD be raised and what parents SHOULD do and started following my daughter's lead. The day I accepted she isn't like other babies and won't sleep in a cot or accept a bottle. The day I saw her, not other people's 'ideal' babies.

From that day I followed my instincts and let go of all my preconceptions. I started to take my cues from my daughter and her needs and wants. And since then she has blossomed! We do what she wants when she wants (within reason!). She explores her environment the way she wants to, and I help her along the way. She wanted to stand all the time when she was 3 months old, so I held her up and let her stomp her feet, shrieking with laughter. She wanted to walk, so I held her hands and guided her around the room, ignoring my back ache. She took her first steps unassisted at a little under 9 months old, and now at 10 months she can run and chases me around the room. She likes to climb, so I put boxes together and stand ready to catch her if she falls. And she's slowly honing her balance and climbing skills. She loves to sit and read books together. But there are plenty of things she has no interest in, like blocks and toys with buttons. And that's ok. I'll follow her lead and allow her to be the person she is.

So how long have I been unschooling? I'm not sure exactly, but I do know I've already begun the journey. And it's fun and exciting and rewarding. My daughter is a happy baby who loves to learn. And I'm a happy mummy who will help her every step of the way. :)

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Comment by Robyn on August 2, 2011 at 9:27pm: Stories like this is why I joined this group. :)

Comment by Linni on July 18, 2011 at 11:20pm: Thanks for sharing everyone. :) I'm so excited about the journey I've started.

Comment by Meredith on June 30, 2011 at 2:23pm: I have one kid who went through the mill - home schooling and then public school and finally unschooling, while the younger I could say was unschooled "from the start". Even though I was entirely "sold" on unschooling by the time my younger was technically "school age" I had a big blast of deschooling to do right around that time - mostly triggered by everyone suddenly asking "when does she start school?" as if I hadn't been telling them "homeschool" for several years!

Comment by Ester Siroky on June 26, 2011 at 11:23am: Isn't that liberating! What a feeling, to realise that one can think for themselves - I found that really liberating myself and still do!

We realised that we did not have to do what felt unnatural to us, when our eldest child was already 9 years old, through meeting people who already found that liberation. I am so grateful, that we met the people we met - wish it happened earlier!

At the moment I am reading Sandra Dodd's 'Moving a Puddle' - and recommend it to any, who wish to live their life in a more meaningful way - I find reading books and articles about unschooling inspirational!

Thank you for sharing!

Comment by Meaghan Jackson on June 25, 2011 at 12:06pm: Oh that is totally how I felt too. I used to be a school teacher and just thought I'd do things the same way as everyone else. My two young boys have taught me a lot. They do not wish to do anything the "conventional" way, even as babies. So we are learning to follow their lead. I figure we've been unschooling since birth without really putting a lable to it. I just joined yesterday too! Looking forward to continuing the jouney with you.