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Starting Unschool

© Teri Brown

Maybe you've just pulled your children out of public or private school, or are becoming burned out by a school at home routine. Whatever the case, you have come to the conclusion that your family needs a change. You've read everything you can get your hands on about unschooling and you're excited to give it a shot. Now, how do you start?

Perhaps the best way to start unschooling is by doing nothing. That's right, nothing. No plans, no agendas, no nothing. For some of you this will be the hardest step to take. It's hard to do nothing if you're addicted to a planner. Think of it as a vacation. Tell your kids that until further notice you're all on vacation from school. Then see what happens. Some people like to limit TV and video games during this time, but you don't have to. It's up to you. Without fail at some point, after lounging and seemingly doing nothing, your children will perk up and begin to take an interest in the world around them. How long this takes depends on the child and how long they've had their days and learning scheduled. But it will happen.

After you begin to see this openness on the part of your child, you're ready to start being the unschooling mom. How do you do that? Believe it or not one of the best ways to begin is by finding yourself a hobby or an interest. Model for your family a love of learning and curiosity. Let them see you learning something new. If you don't place value on learning, chances are that your children won't either.

If your child seems to want to get involved in something but is having a hard time figuring out what to do, you can give him a hand by making a list. Ask some questions, what are you interested in learning about.... then write down the answers. This isn't an assignment, avoid giving your child that feeling, but sometimes it helps jump start some ideas.

The library should be your next stop. You can take your list if you want but allow everyone time to wander freely. Sometimes the most interesting books are the ones you run into by accident. We go to the library on a weekly basis. Sometimes we have an agenda, other times it's just for fun. No matter, it's always educational.

Plan trips to places that you have always wanted to check out. Ask the kids where they would like to go. Spend some time at the zoo or museum. Check out antique shops and parts of your town or city that you're not familiar with. All experiences are valuable when it comes to learning and you never know when you are going to run across something that clicks with a child.

The copyright of the article Starting Unschool in Unschooling is owned by Teri Brown. Permission to republish Starting Unschool in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.