One of the most common questions I hear is, “How does unschooling work? I mean, on a day-to-day basis. Do you just let kids do whatever or…?” Well, Christian unschooling acknowledges that foolishness is wrapped up in the heart of a child. So, our unschooling looks a little different, but many of the same principles apply. But, rather than just take my word for it, I gathered some tips and advice from other veteran unschooling families. (Some of these may not be Christians, but the posts below don’t contradict my faith.) I wanted to provide you with a more complete picture of how it can look and I wanted to satisfy my own curiosity, too. These posts show how others set up their homes, give a glimpse into their daily lives, offer some tips for success, and more.
How does unschooling work? A collection of veteran tips
Setting up a learning home
These first few sites focus on setting up a learning home conducive to productive unschooling. Doing these things will help keep kids motivated and learning.
The parent’s role and daily life
So, what do the parents do if they’re not following a curriculum? When people ask how does unschooling work, they often follow up with this other question about the parent’s role. Well, parents certainly aren’t sitting around watching television!
Check out a day in the life of an unschoolish family to get more inspiration!
How does unschooling work without ideas, resources, and tips for new interests?
For unschooling to work, you need resources. This is also a common question. Well, here are some nice collections for you to help you inspire your kids.
And, a few other tips…
These posts give reasons why unschooling–or at least delight-directed–can provide many benefits to you and to your children. However, we do need to pay special attention to some areas of brain development that may go under-developed. See my notes below for more about that.
Plus, a warning
She also contends that unschoolers tend to go into the arts as adults because their brains aren’t used to the hard work of the sciences. They tend to do what comes easy–the art. It is true that this can often be the case. However, a person will do the hard things to attain a goal if they want it bad enough.
Therefore I contend that this point, too, is not necessarily true (although they do tend to be more artsy in general). My oldest daughter is training to be a nuclear medicine technologist, not really “artsy” at all. My oldest son got into Praxis because he was unschooled. If you are not familiar with Praxis, it is a business apprenticeship program. His initiative and unconventional schooling made him an ideal candidate. Again, not exactly easy.
I enjoyed this article and included it here because it makes valid points about weaknesses in unschooling. I want you to be aware of areas that may need your attention.
Well, there you have it. I hope this was helpful to you. Lots of great stuff here to encourage you, give you ideas, and even some warnings. Check out Christian unschooling for more information.
