We have grown to love this new normal; I call it life without school.
We have been given an opportunity to raise our children in an environment in which they choose what to learn and how to learn it. Any information that is important to them is absorbed with a much deeper understanding because they are able to make personal connections with what they are learning. The information that doesn’t serve them gets left behind, perhaps for another time- or maybe forever.
Our kids are getting the rare chance to thrive in a world where academic standards and expectations take a back seat to creative endeavors and soul searching. They get to choose who they want to be, and they are developing an important skill that I never had as a kid- how to learn. They are able to find answers to questions and dive deeply into things that matter to them. They can switch from one interest to the next without a pause button in between. We do not stifle their experiences; we let them submerge themselves deeply in whatever brings them joy.
Since beginning our unschooling journey, we have noticed an extraordinary difference in our children. The way they live, the way they see themselves and the world around them, and the way that they view learning. I don’t know what the future holds, but the truth is- what matters most is the life we are living now. We are holding space for the children that we see in front of us and allowing them to fully embrace who they presently are.