A Day in Unschooling
I’m often asked about my schedule and about the choices my family has made in how we are raising our children. About how my partner and I arrange things. About how we work and parent and homeschool or, as it actually is, unschool. Lots of our days include long stretches on some trail or by a stream somewhere, playing, foraging, collecting rocks. But here’s a glimpse into a very typical day of unschooling at home during #covidtimes. (Why mention Covid? Because without it, the external support that would exist for our eight year old would make the day-to-day life look quite a bit different. Normally, he’s in outdoor school part of each week, e.g.)
A day in #unschooling during #covidtimes with an eight year old...
When the lad awoke, I was sitting outside on the porch nursing the almost two year old and getting my morning sunshine. He came out and sat with me and we watched the birds fly around the feeders. "Lessons" in wildlife and caretaking and health.
He looked through his coin collecting book while breakfast was being made, helped prepare his younger brother a plate and then lept up shortly afterward to check out the ears on the corn he's growing. He then watered the garden while I responded to a few texts. "Lessons" in currency, helping and growing food.
We played around a bit on the slack line and drank blended up watermelon with mint from the garden. Some animal charades occurred. "Lessons" in balance, proprioception, physics, creativity and deliciousness.
He checked out his found sea fossils from yesterday's hike but then the babe started pulling out the paints and the eight year old decided he wanted an art lesson. So we pulled up an Artventure online lesson and he painted while I did an exercise class and the babe wandered around and kept trying to get in the way. "Lessons" in history, geology, art and in setting boundaries.
We opted to head outside and make a mud bog for some toy cars. I quickly saw the opportunity to create a suuuuuper classy pool in a ditch with a tarp and we found a variety of games to play. "Lessons" in physics, geometry, engineering and keeping toddlers safe near water.
Moments later, I saw a giant non-venomous bull snake slithering near the "pool." We watched in awe as it went up and over a prickly pear and then to the base of a tree and then into a yucca, where a mouse ran out. "Lessons" in wildlife and awe.
Lunch time. I was heating up left-overs, but he wanted grits so he made grits. I suggested he halve the recipe. "Lessons" in measuring, math and cooking.
During lunch, I suggested we read up on snakes, so he grabbed his S-Sn encyclopedia and then spent the next hour and a half reading encyclopedias, during which I took the babe back for a nap. When I came back, he shared with me a variety of facts about snakes and we pretended to be snakes. "Lessons" in reading, snakes, creativity and whatever else he read about.
I asked for help in the kitchen and we washed the dishes together (he stacked the rinsed dishes) while listening to Johnny Cash. "Lessons" in cleaning, community, physics and good music.
It was time for me to head to work, so my husband and I switched off and who knows what the rest of the day will hold. "Lessons" in transitioning, flexibility and in both partners in a household meeting needs and having needs met.
My husband tends to be more strategic with planning. He’s the one to head to the library or plan a day fishing or study up on educational theory. Perhaps because some part of me is extremely dialed into baby life still, I tend to be more moment-to-moment.
When people ask, I always say that I have no idea if we’ll always take this approach. Maybe school will be the optimal path at some point. We are certainly feeling the absence of additional resources for learning right now with so much shut down. Beyond that, though, both my husband and I have limitations of capacity and knowledge and our son needs educational support that extends beyond us. Under normal times, that’s available to an unschooler. Maybe that will always be sufficient. Maybe not. I don’t really care.
What I do know is that, most of the time, this really, really, really works for our entire family. It keeps us free in myriad ways. And that’s what we’re always tracking. Does it work for me? Does it work for you? Does it work for them? If yes, we keep going. If no, we change course.
Unschooling? Homeschooling? Making a change due to Covid? I hope this helps you consider the value in everyday activities and to let yourself and your kiddos sink into life with a little more ease, a little more trust.
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