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Unschooling Advocate
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My children have been homeschooled their entire lives, but we adopted unschooling/self-directed learning when my oldest son was 8 years old. I noticed he was bored with schoolwork and the monotony of doing worksheet after worksheet. It wasn’t challenging at all for him, so I had to make some quick changes. I started researching unschooling, and it felt like the right thing to do for our family. I presented it to my husband, and he said he was open to trying it out. It’s roughly been about 8 years of living the unschooling lifestyle, and we haven’t looked back! Because I’ve been at this for so long, I definitely feel like I should share some things I wish I knew before I started to help other families on this journey.
Deschooling Is Difficult
Deschooling is the process that homeschoolers go through once they decide that the self-directed learning path is for them. It involves removing all of the thoughts you had of what education is, and was, and adopting a new way of thinking. If you’ve thought that traditional school was the way to go all of your life, deschooling is going to feel strange and uncomfortable. That’s okay, just lean into it! Some days it may feel like or look like your children aren’t learning, but that is a big part of the process. It takes time for you and your children to relax into what self directed learning looks like for your family. Honestly it took my family a few years to fully deschool. Now I see the beauty in what my children are doing and learning every single day.
Don’t Make Comparisons
Your unschooled children will not look like children in traditional school or even other homeschoolers and that’s okay! Initially it will feel like you’re doing it all wrong. Seeing other kids reach milestones set by traditional curriculum, and wondering if your children are measuring up. You have to remind yourself that there is no ahead or behind in unschooling! Your children are on their own unique educational path and journey. They may excel in one area, and another area that they aren’t so interested in may not be their strong suit. It doesn’t take away from how intelligent they are.
Trust The Process
Unschooling will more than likely be one of the hardest choices we will make for our children because we want to make sure we are making the best possible decisions for their future. Trust that your children will learn, and it’s all about exploring their passions so that they can do what they love in the future. There is learning to be found in everything and everyday. Just keep going and you’ll certainly see your children blossom as their minds expand.
The unschooling journey is so unique from one family to the next, but it creates free thinkers and children who are sure about what they want for their futures.
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Ashley Marshall-Seward
Ashley is a millennial unschooling mom of three, wife, and award winning blogger & content creator at MommyWeek.com. Ashley’s children have been homeschooled their entire lives and adopted unschooling ten years ago. Ashley believes in allowing her children to explore their passions and encourages them to do what they love everyday. Ashley’s blog MommyWeek is a one stop shop for mom’s and she believes in sharing life’s real moments. Ashley is passionate about self-care for women and lives by the motto "You can't be good to others if you aren't good to yourself." She is currently residing in her hometown of Chicago where she enjoys long walks & meditation on the lakefront when she takes a break from motherhood & unschool life.
