What is substantially different?

People still look and sound the same before and after becoming unschoolers. The difference is in their beliefs and expectations, in their experiences and their positive attitudes.



from page 119 of The Big Book of Unschooling
photo by Sandra Dodd

Love Life

Pam Sorooshian wrote:

Unschoolers focus on living a rich and stimulating life together. Seriously, that's it. We do not "school," but, instead, we concentrate on living a life filled with opportunities and possibilities and experiences.
. . .
I think, most of all, we want them to love being alive—now and in their future.

—Pam Sorooshian

I Live, Therefore I Learn: Living an Unschooling Life
photo by Sandra Dodd

How many hours?

There are no hours of school, and there are no hours of not learning.

From a talk in Edinburgh (Q&A section of Unforeseen Benefits)
Sandra Dodd: Talks in Edinburgh on Saturday 21st May 2011
photo by Sandra Dodd, from a funhouse at a steam fair in England

Let him sleep

If a child is peacefully asleep and doesn't have to be somewhere at a certain time, let him sleep! If he stayed up late playing video games because it was the only time he could get a large block of uninterrupted access to the game, let him sleep as late as he needs to.

Going to sleep and waking up shouldn't be about the feeling of control the parent can gain from demanding and commanding.

from page 160 (or 178) of The Big Book of Unschooling
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Be where your child is.

For unschooling to work, parents need to stop looking into the future and live more in the moment with their real child. BEING with a child is being where the child is, emotionally and spiritually and physically and musically and artistically. Seeing where the child *is* rather than seeing a thousand or even a dozen places she is not.

SandraDodd.com/being
photo by Sandra Dodd

Twenty-five and twenty; tired and happy

I've been a mother for twenty-five years. I've just come to my room following Kirby's birthday party, which involved a ton of shopping, rearranging, cleaning, cooking, and then ten hours (so far; I clocked out at ten) of guests and activities. Rock Band is still going on in the den; Marty's there. In the library, Kirby is talking to friends. Holly has been asleep for a while. Keith's been asleep for five hours.

I'm in the quiet after the colorful, laughter-filled storm.

Twenty years ago this summer, we did not register our five year old for kindergarten; we registered him as a homeschooler. That's a long time. No wonder I'm tired!

The Big Book of Unschooling
photo by Sandra Dodd (click to enlarge)
That's Kirby in the red shirt on the left of the photo; Holly in shorts.

I think I'm positive!

"I think it's been the changes in my parenting that have really made our unschooling lifestyle so positive."

—Gail Higgins

SandraDodd.com/life
photo by Sandra Dodd