It helped me think more clearly about unschooling when I realized unschooling isn’t something kids do. Unschooling is something parents do. Unschooling is *parents* creating a learning environment for kids to explore their interests in.
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Unschooled kids aren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. They’re merely doing what comes naturally. They’re doing what all animals with lengthy childhoods do. They learn by doing what interests them in an environment that gives them opportunities to explore.
Unschooling is parents doing something extraordinary. It’s deliberately creating an environment where kids are supported in pursuing their interests.
—Joyce Fetteroll
photo by Chrissy Florence |
This seemed to say something special to me as parent of fairly self contained, private teenagers. It can feel as if i'm not 'doing much', because i'm looking after our home, feeding people, making endless facilitating phone calls, researching things/opportunities, providing lifts and paying for stuff, and they are free to 'do their thing'. But only by me doing all the above would they be free to do that and its nice to be reminded that this ordinary is actually extraordinary. Thanks!!
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