If you followed a bad link you might have meant to go to the Unauthorised Manual for Unschooling Mums for (still developing) Unschooling Dads. If so you can read it here… otherwise please read on…

“What children need is not new and better curricula but access to more and more of the real world; plenty of time and space to think over their experiences, and to use fantasy and play to make meaning out of them; and advice, road maps, guidebooks, to make it easier for them to get where they want to go (not where we think they ought to go), and to find out what they want to find out.”
—John Holt, Teach Your Own

Unschooling is a term which might mean different things to different people. In broad terms unschooling, follows principles of “natural learning” and is a form of homeschooling. It puts the child in control of her/ his own education. As unschoolers we see our roles as facilitators and fellow travelers in our children’s exploration of life and the world around them. We trust and assist our children to explore any area or topic that draws their curiosity.

Unschooling contrasts sharply with the “school at home” approach. There are no lesson plans, no set curriculum, no lesssons on maths or anything that children have to participate in.

Having said that, unschooling may or may not use textbooks or more structured instruction on occasion – the point is that it is based on child led interest and initiative. For us it is about supporting our children to live full lives that prioritise communication, play and curiousity. We are confident that with such trust and support they will learn “how to learn” and more importantly, how to live confident, empowered and passionate lives.

In our opinion an unschooling approach inherently incorporates a parenting style based on non coercive and respectful attitudes to our children and each other. In short it is about empowering rather than control.

Some of the principles behind our approach include:
- “power with” rather than “power over” children
- being child led – respecting, consulting and trusting the child
- using positive modeling (leading by example)
- exploring alternatives to external rewards & punishments
- non judgemental, non blaming communication and listening
- creating unstructured, safe and nurturing environments
- empowering ourselves and our children through participation, negotiation and win/ win outcomes
- being compassionate and non judgemental with our children, each other and ourselves

Beyond unschooling education and learning some parents, including us choose a path of “radical unschooling”. This involves unregulating all aspects of a childs life.

This is not a hands off process of throwing a child into complex situations with no boundaries. It is actually a very hands on process of becoming a facillitator/ guide/ friend to the child. Of letting go of rules and authority while focussing on principles and collaboration.

It involves giving the child total control over their life and pro actively supporting them as they navigate that freedom. At the end of the day radical unschooling is about trusting your child totally and focussing on developing a supportive, unconditional and loving relationship with them which involves no authority or power.

For more on what these terms mean and how our journey led us to this point feel free to read the following article An Unschooling Journey: from control to connection. You can also explore our archived blog entries on the category of unschooling, or view some related articles below.

We are excited and passionate about our unschooling journey, we hope some of the observations and information we have on our site might spark your curiousity more and/ or support you in your own unschooling and/ or parenting journey.

all the best
arun & anne

This page has the following sub pages.

• Conversations From the Future
• Nurturing a Love of Learning
• The Nature of Learning & Home Education
• Unauthorised Dad Handbook

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