tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.comments2023-07-09T01:33:24.556-07:00Old-Fashioned MotherhoodRachel Keppnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193834789450018423noreply@blogger.comBlogger1174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-58296510201775918382022-05-23T17:19:25.934-07:002022-05-23T17:19:25.934-07:00I stumbled upon this blog after a search for a nic...I stumbled upon this blog after a search for a nice unschooling image to post with a message of how proud I am that so many of the unschoolers who I know graduated from college (UVA, William & Mary, Lord Fairfax Community College with a degree in accounting and 4.0 GPA, and others) and high school (with honors!) this weekend. They chose these paths, just as many life long/self-directed learners will decide how they want to deepen their knowledge, accomplish their goals, and signal to others that they are ready to work in their chosen field.<br />Rachel states in another post that she was really stressed out so she decided to unschool. Unschooling is not the answer to stress. Unschooling takes immense time and energy to focus in on children's interests and to provide resources and opportunities for them to follow those interests. Parents also need to be on high alert for lack of confidence and/or skills to accomplish a goal. This is extremely important at the high school level. At 18, the young adult should be ready to take on the world, brightly signaling that they have the experience and knowledge to accomplish their goals. <br />The picture painted by the author is dismal indeed and not what most unschoolers I know have experienced, though there are some where the adults who did not meet their children's needs and the children suffered. <br />I also understand that unschooling can be too much and a parent-led approach is the only way to keep everyone sane.<br />I know all of this because:<br />1. I am parent to an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old who are confident amazing knowledgeable young adults who are unschooled. Both have had jobs and internships since they were 14 and have excellent references. The 18-year-old is living her best life working full-time with horses and will be traveling the country this summer to experience different places and how different barns are organized. Our neurodivergent 16-year-old recently finished 2 years of non-stop (every single day, even in summer and weekends) of spelling and writing work because when he filled out his job application at 14, it was abysmal and it's my job to help him. Now he can whip through a form with ease and communicate with style and he didn't need 11 years to figure it out, just 2.<br />2. I organized a homeschool resource center and free school for 9 years<br />3. I saw kids come out of public school/homeschooling with absolutely no direction or passion. They could only regurgitate and follow directions but had no clue what to do with themselves otherwise.<br />4. I have mentored and worked with young people to follow their passions to careers that they now love and are ready for wherever life takes them and wherever they decide to go.<br />For anyone who got this far in the comments, I hope that you will respond to my comment if you need help. I am happy to answer any questions and provide suggestions for a successful unschooling experience.<br />plannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11439310738564890103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-71862865635162994112022-03-20T11:59:32.981-07:002022-03-20T11:59:32.981-07:00I am a big fan of unschooling. It helps my studen...I am a big fan of unschooling. It helps my students take control of their own learning and leads to self thought. Self thought is IMPORTANT!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11332527155265484769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-61956999194505899412022-03-06T22:24:23.268-07:002022-03-06T22:24:23.268-07:00This was largely my experience. I think there is a...This was largely my experience. I think there is a specific personality type that it works fairly decently for but for most children it does not work well past a certain age. My kids did very well with self directed learning until about 8 but after that they really needed direction. I feel Charlotte Mason is a good level method for whole education that accomplishes what unschooling is supposedto (but doesn't) accomplish. It leaves plenty of time for free exploration and following ones passions and interests but provides a basic structure of living education, good havots and discipline. Without those things you really can't enjoy anything in life, even if you think you're always getting your own way!Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15563465829566768345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-82582864415755681682021-12-22T18:10:42.480-07:002021-12-22T18:10:42.480-07:00I love this idea-Like minded women should make wea...I love this idea-Like minded women should make wearing dresses a habit, at least most of the time. My husband always notices when I wear a pretty dress. I sew, so I think I will whip up some sturdy jumpers and casual dresses to wear on most days. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11191810877731041252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-60827977674436113332021-12-22T17:58:42.075-07:002021-12-22T17:58:42.075-07:00Love this page. I get to feeling that I am the onl...Love this page. I get to feeling that I am the only old fashioned woman left...<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11191810877731041252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-2396286363022298812021-10-08T13:52:06.470-07:002021-10-08T13:52:06.470-07:00Hey mama Rachel,
A friend of mine asked me if I us...Hey mama Rachel,<br />A friend of mine asked me if I use the unschooling approach and I haven't heard of it so I googled it.<br />I found your article (and the comments) very informative. I'm not sure if I fit in this category but I'll share my day in case a mamma (or Pappa) needs guidance. <br /><br />I have 3 boys, and have been homeschooling my first grader and 4 year old since the pandemic began, all while caring for my 9month old and running the household. It's a LOT. I have devised a schedule that works for us though we follow it very loosely. <br /><br />Last year, I read a book about an American mother who moved to Germany and her experience with the education system there. They call it self-directed learning. This is the philosophy I follow but my kids are accountable for reading/ writing/ math/ history/ bible study/ science/ art/ and music. <br /><br />I keep a portfolio of their work and read to them daily from chapter books that they are interested in. we do an educational YouTube video of their guided choice and discuss our favorite fact followed by coloring and writing. I use the classical curriculum by Bauer for our history. Handwriting without tears workbooks. I have lots of free resources that I rely on but by no means do I pay for a structured curriculum. No screen time before 2pm. Then they have (guided) free screen time because they have recently taking a liking to YouTube but I know there is a lot of inappropriate content on there so I monitor them while I tidy up/make dinner. <br /><br />In a perfect world I would fit in all our subjects daily but I just try to go with the flow while keeping a routine. If I get overwhelmed or stuck I can refer to my written schedule and guide them along our day with a philosophy of always nurturing them to have a passion for learning. <br /><br />I'd like to be able to send them to school next year. Hopefully the pandemic will let up and the school system can get back to teaching instead of focusing on health and safety.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05447223363835707785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-60625360680491296842021-09-03T07:09:32.012-07:002021-09-03T07:09:32.012-07:00Half an hour of video games on a Saturday. No TV. ...Half an hour of video games on a Saturday. No TV. Limited internet and social media. <br /><br />It's no wonder why your kids chose "personal entertainment" as their favourite "subject". It's because you wouldn't let them do it in their free time. <br /><br />I truly believe if you hadn't restricted them in that area then they would have branched out and found things they were actually interested in because the novelty of games and social media wears off eventually. I speak from experience, I do not limit my daughter's screen time or internet access. <br /><br />I'm no expert on homeschooling or unschooling, I've just started looking into it for my autistic daughter. She's 9 and already knows how to read and write from traditional schooling, but she's struggling now, because the difference between her and her peers is more apparent. She just doesn't quite fit in. <br /><br />I don't want her to compare herself to others her age and feel that she is inferior, because she's not, she's actually ahead of the curriculum in most areas. The issue is that she has Pathological Demand Avoidance and masks her difficulties so much that the school day is exhausting for her. She pushes herself too hard for the teachers and then is a mess at home. This is why I was considering an alternative with a more child-led focus. Any structure from me is a demand and results in stress response from her. I'll have to keep looking or something suitable I guess. <br /><br />I do thank you for letting me know what not to do. This blog was helpful to me for that reason. I thought unschooling was what you said it was, but it seems that is not the case.<br /><br />This blog (plus the comments) was still a helpful read for me so thanks for sharing. I hope I haven't offended you, I just want the idea of not doing the the tech restrictions thing to maybe help others. Jacinta. Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09399625515107007290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-80990316857846624482021-05-14T08:21:01.901-07:002021-05-14T08:21:01.901-07:00I think, then that there needs to be a distinction...I think, then that there needs to be a distinction made between unparenting/unteaching, and unschooling which are two very different things. Another thing I would note, if people are looking for academic/schooly accountability, then unschooling is not for them. Unschooling operates under the assumption that school-like accountability is neither necessary nor always desired. The outcomes won't be the same. In fact, studies have shown that unschoolers are less likely to get a college education, but far more likely to become entrepreneurs and seek learning and guidance in alternative ways. Though colleges are actually super accessable to unschooled if desired. There are so many ways to make it happen. Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-67034515007407043832021-05-13T15:22:03.286-07:002021-05-13T15:22:03.286-07:00Here’s the thing: We had family rules, and there w...Here’s the thing: We had family rules, and there was LOTS of parenting and other teaching happening— just not focused academics. We discussed and were surrounded with great ideas, history, science, literature, the arts constantly. But there was no academic accountability. Rachel Keppnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193834789450018423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-49280164143210719792021-05-13T13:00:58.403-07:002021-05-13T13:00:58.403-07:00For the last 25 years, our family's working us...For the last 25 years, our family's working use of "unschooling" is: doing things outside the expected boxes of brick-and-mortar school programs. <br /><br />So, we don't segregate or separate or rigidly restrict access. We lead by example. We guide through conversation and invitation and cooperative work. We walk beside our kids and mentor skills, social interactions, business, gospel living, hard work, and fun. <br /><br />We don't track by ages or grades. We use intrinsic motivations and rewards and assessment, versus extrinsic. We look for growth on their own timeline. We celebrate accomplishments *and* failures. We equip them to learn anything they want to learn, the same as adult autodidacts learn anything we want to learn. We help them formulate their own goals, and a pathway or five to get them there. <br /><br />We carry all that into parenting, too. <br /><br />It's UN-schooling only to separate it from the segregated Prussian production model that's fantastic at convincing those who came through that system that they are not capable of teaching others to navigate life and learning.<br /><br />However, there have been some really pervasive cults-of-personality within the membership of the church who served up a paid formula of "un" rules that very much preached a "don't do active teaching, and things will magically turn out"--and charged money for it. And church folks fell for that scheme pretty heavily, and still do... which is not awesome, and there are a lot of us actively mentoring against those schemes for a LONG time. It's dismaying that they still hold sway.<br />LizChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07955894540160374975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-32177939804913267632021-05-13T12:53:52.403-07:002021-05-13T12:53:52.403-07:00Unschooling isn't "no rules"--it'...Unschooling isn't "no rules"--it's a supportive family culture that creates routines and systems and rhythms that support the needs of the family members.<br /><br />Most young people go through phases of selfishness; family culture of inclusion and considerate collaborative work overcome those.<br /><br />Unschooling isn't "kids' whims over all"--it is simply stepping away from common brick-and-mortar school paradigms like rigid age cohort segregation, linear scope-and-sequence demands, extrinsic motivations, external assessments. It's working in collaboration with a learner to help them identify what their goals and interests are, and how to bring those to fuller development.<br />"Radical" unschooling takes all this into parenting choices beyond academic learning.<br /><br />At no point is everything revolving around just one person, and at no point is it "no rules"--it's just "not like brick-and-mortar school programs".<br /><br />Add in neurodivergence and learning at home may look even more radically different than what a kid would be expected to do in a brick-and-mortar school.<br /><br />And that's just fine! Exceptional needs require exceptional solutions.<br /><br />Our family have been Holt-style radical unschoolers for 25, with about 8 more to go... our experience is different from the author's experience, possibly due to the foundation behind our choice.<br /><br />I am second-generation in positive-agency parenting, so I'm not struggling with the same cognitive dissonance as my husband, who is an older generation and raised by authoritarians. His successes in parenting largely come from doing the opposite of how he was parented, but he still struggles to find those positives valid when weighed against ingrained patterns from his own raising. <br /><br />Without the time and space to unpack and really resolve why positive-agency in parenting and learning feels uncomfortable, it's not possible to sustain a really different paradigm long-term. It's easier for me, because I don't have the same internalized expectations of "how learning has to go". And it's VERY hard to be the path-changing generation. My grandparents did that work, so my parents could parent gently, and now I can grandparent and parent in similar "un" ways compared to the majority of society, without dissonance, because I've go the benefit of generations of different paths behind me. It's hard to be the change point. It's worth the struggle to resolve the grief, discomfort, and pain that comes in using different methods with our kids than were given to us as kids.LizChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07955894540160374975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-74684818996654798212021-05-13T06:52:09.655-07:002021-05-13T06:52:09.655-07:00Good authors to read on this topic:
John Holt
Ken ...Good authors to read on this topic:<br />John Holt<br />Ken Robinson<br />https://livingjoyfully.ca/<br />Charolotte Mason (who I think has an unschooling heart)<br />https://www.self-directed.org/sde/ (this describes how unschooling works for me)<br />https://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2017/02/eu057-ten-questions-with-akilah-s-richards/<br />https://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2017/11/eu099-book-chat-with-emma-marie-forde/<br /><br /><br />Unschooling is a growing movement and is always being debated :) It may be that the bullet points used here were what cultural defined unschooling a number of years ago, but there are many who definitely see it different. :) As a side note, I had a pretty good discussion with my 16 yo about this article and his thoughts about it. His insight and wisdom into things astounds me sometimes. Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-12723366036195191312021-05-13T06:50:42.748-07:002021-05-13T06:50:42.748-07:00Children should not be pushed or challenged academ...Children should not be pushed or challenged academically because it stifles their creativity and/or free spirits.<br /><br />I feel like I am constantly looking for ways to challenge them, thought does look different than school. Again, it's mostly based on discussions. I ask a lot of questions, I challenge them to find answers, when they get stuck on something they are working on, I provide support and resources to help them overcome a challenge. In fact, I think overcoming challenges together is a large part of what I do. It is what breeds creativity. Find a challenge, figure out ways to overcome it. I think maybe the difference with unschooling is I don't force challenges on kids.....they do a good job of finding them themselves with some guidance from me. Some examples, listening and asking questions while my 16 yo describes to me exactly how he figured out a complicated math problem. This was interesting for him, he could tell I wanted to understand, it forced him to go through the process of using language to describe something he does in my head. All hard things to do. On a younger level, this looks like my daughter trying to write a letter to her grandma. I both provide an example of how to do that, how to sound out words, gently correct if she has a word spelled wrong. At the end of it, she feels very accomplished doing something that really means a lot to her: communicating with her grandma. When her grandma writes her back, she receives positive feedback and will be more likely to continue to write things that are hard for her, because she has an invested interest. <br /><br />Parents are facilitators of learning, creating a learning atmosphere rather than teaching daily lessons.<br /><br />Ok, this I mostly agree with :) But being a facilitator goes way beyond just creating a learning atmosphere. Like I said, discussion plays a big role in this. You guide with questions, answer their questions, offer ideas, presenting projects or curriculum they may like or find interesting, discuss options, as they got into highschool it looked more like helping them to understand their options and the consequences of those options, and connecting them to groups, adults, and other avenues that would continue to help them explore their God given talents and abilities. <br /><br />When a child is ready to study and learn, they will take the initiative on their own. The parent just needs to make sure they have lots of time to study the things they want to study.<br /><br />When I child is interested, my experience is that they will take the initiative, but it's not always in what I think they should do and learn :) When I feel there is something they need, I go rely on discussion, compromise, finding ways to do it that they do find more interesting, explore other options, exploring the consequences of those options, ect. <br /><br />When a child is struggling with math or reading, don't worry about it. They will eventually figure it all out, and they can catch up later in a relatively short period of time.<br /><br />I do worry about it. I have a dyslexic child, so I get the struggle with this. But I also know kids do learn at their own rate. What I've found, is that kids will learn when they get something of value from it. This topic could take up a book in and of itself, so I'll just say that many unschoolers take a much more proactive approach to reading, writing, and math than this basic statement lets on. It just looks different than school (hence unschooling).<br /><br />Simply living life teaches a child all they will need to know to be successful.<br /><br />All children need a good environment, tools of the culture, nurturing adults to guide and teach, and a supportive community. Kids may learn things without these, but it is usually detrimental (I've seen the effect of this in my community). But I also think you have to truly look at how you define success....<br />Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-88477517048950785652021-05-13T06:50:08.472-07:002021-05-13T06:50:08.472-07:00So here's why I feel like none of the bullet p...So here's why I feel like none of the bullet points that the author provides line up with how I unschool :) I'm just trying to show a different viewpoint of unschooling, so others can see how it may (or may not) work for you in your home. <br /><br />-Curriculum is unnecessary, unneeded, and un-wanted. (Hence, UNschooling.)<br /><br />As defined by the pioneers in the unschooling movement, unschooling was just that...learning that that didn't look like school, and could take place anywhere. "This is because the school model for learning is just one way, and a very recent way in terms of how long humans have learned without such intensive, factory-like learning. It is more a matter of being kind and attentive to children's questions, helping them find the people, classes, books, experiences, or materials that might further their interest in those questions instead of pushing them through the school factory." (More info here: https://www.johnholtgws.com/the-foundations-of-unschooling).<br /><br />In our home, our children have used nature, family, educational materials(yes, even curriculum), co-ops, discussions, youth groups, community groups, and other adults to learn. I work hard to find all of these things that match more with their interests, abilities, and learning styles. <br /><br />An example curriculums we've used is khan academy, life of Fred, science curriculum, history books, workbooks, online math and writing courses. We've used lots. The main difference is we are very respectful of each other in the choice of curriculum. We discuss what might fit best for their goals, and mine, and the decision is jointly made. I actually never force them, but have some pretty lengthy discussions about why I value certain things or think they are important. They also talk to me about what they value and think is important. The most important curriculum for me, has been those discussions. I use them as a guiding post to help me know what curriculum may work, or as a way to understand them much better. <br /><br />-Parents planning daily subjects and lessons is frowned upon-- the child should lead all the learning.<br /><br />I do agree that child led learning is incredibly important, but I also know there are things they may need to learn that they may not gravitate towards. We work together on what would be a could way for them to learn these. Writing has mostly been learned through writing letters to family and friends, as well as pen pals they have. Storytelling is a big thing in our family, so they learn how to formulate ideas and thoughts that way. Basic reading and writing was taught by games they enjoyed. (Love the knew khan academy kids app for early learning). I use lots of manipulatives to play games with reading and writing. I have never just not provided resources for them to learn these things. <br /><br />Children should not be required to fulfill assignments given by the parents.<br /><br />My kids have lots of assignments. They have chores, they have to clean up after themselves, they have rules to follow. I agree I don't do what looks like school assignments, if that is what is meant by this. So there are no requirements for a certain number of worksheets done (though they do do those when desired), or a certain number of hours to read (but they are encouraged to read and given access to it. I also read a lot to them, and on my own). Most of their assignments have to do with taking care of themselves, respecting others in the home, contributing to the household and their community).<br /><br />Children should be able to study whatever they want to study, whenever they want to study it. <br /><br />This mostly works for me, but whatever they do, must show respect to both themselves, family members, and community. We also have lots of discussions about what they choose to study and why. If there is something I think is important, we work together on ways to do that so we both are satisfied.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-5598356177260213042021-05-13T05:38:50.707-07:002021-05-13T05:38:50.707-07:00Agreed thanks for this comment. Our way of unscho...Agreed thanks for this comment. Our way of unschooling looks very different than what this author described also. I have two older kids who now own their own businesses. One may still yet b go to college as he was offered a scholarship to do what he loves...graphic design and video editing. The main thing holding him back is the horrible experiences he had in the school system, which is why we unschool now. My other one took the GED, got a scholarship from the state to the community college, but says she makes more doing what she is doing now. I have two that made a choice to go to school in middle school and are thriving there( which I still consider unschooling, because my view in what it is, is very different from the author). I still lead, guide and walk beside them too. The other three I have at home unschool in a very different way than described in this article too. Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-57190883667249927592021-05-13T05:29:17.717-07:002021-05-13T05:29:17.717-07:00In fact all if her bullet points that she uses to ...In fact all if her bullet points that she uses to describe unschooling,ate not used in our completely unschooled home (kids 3-16, with two out of the home)). But one of the hard things about unschooling is definitions vary....on a very basic level it simply means exactly how it sounds...children are learning in a very different way than they are in school. This, unschooling. Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-28434660441507813562021-05-13T05:25:27.612-07:002021-05-13T05:25:27.612-07:00Yea...this article doesn't describe how I unsc...Yea...this article doesn't describe how I unschool either :). Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774138114705555836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-33997291361833059112021-05-10T09:09:46.304-07:002021-05-10T09:09:46.304-07:00Hi Britt: I would love to hear more about your def...Hi Britt: I would love to hear more about your definition of what unschooling is, because back when I was doing it, the process I described was the definition of unschooling. The very phrase UNschooling strongly implies that there is not teaching going on by an adult, but that the student does what they want for their learning process.Rachel Keppnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533034691537110991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-72794533823886233162021-05-06T13:03:36.021-07:002021-05-06T13:03:36.021-07:00Britt, I agree whole heartedly. Unschooling is no...Britt, I agree whole heartedly. Unschooling is not un-parenting. Thoreauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404694382504372113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-22953172930887929922021-04-17T20:46:10.913-07:002021-04-17T20:46:10.913-07:00Beautiful! Marriage and family is a true vocation....Beautiful! Marriage and family is a true vocation..a calling from God.My 5 are grown up now,but I truly loved being an old fashioned mother and wife.Gabriellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18272759740628639117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-22554591136727444922021-04-14T20:28:50.399-07:002021-04-14T20:28:50.399-07:00Thank you for giving an example on this page of wh...Thank you for giving an example on this page of what unschooling actually looks like, so hopefully not everyone who sees this blog first thinks it means not schooling at all. Or that it means their kids can't go to college, because any kid can go to college, from a knowledge standpoint. They may need to do some work on remedial classes that don't count toward a degree first, or even their GED, but anyone can go to college (finances not addressed in this statement).Britthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07234569640058088865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-87079494970114514232021-04-14T20:24:26.183-07:002021-04-14T20:24:26.183-07:00Exactly. Not schooling at all, which is illegal, i...Exactly. Not schooling at all, which is illegal, is very different from unscholing, which is not described here.Britthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07234569640058088865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-43049388816635265892021-04-14T20:20:20.958-07:002021-04-14T20:20:20.958-07:00Your graphic is misleading, and that view of "...Your graphic is misleading, and that view of "unschooling" seems quite extreme. As a new homeschooler who is doing research as I start a version of mostly unschooling, saying you "stopped unschooling" and started "teaching your children" is pretty crappy. It doesn't matter what's written after that, because the big, bold lettering in the colorful graphic is what is stuck in people's minds. Not to mention, people just don't read (which is its own problem). What you did (and apparently trained others to do) isn't unschooling; it's no schooling. Holy crap. I expected to read your blog and have some, "Oh, okay, I see why she thinks that's okay to say," but no. What you did is not unschooling at all. It's refusing to educate your kids. Also, the college thing? Blatantly false. The kid can take the entrance exams to a community college, and either take some skills courses to get up to where they need to be or, worst case, take GED classes first. They're not SOL forever just because you didn't teach them anything. You know, if you had said you made a mistake because you didn't do enough research on it and misunderstood it, or were too overwhelmed, or whatever... I get that. I get realizing after-the-fact that you made a mistake. But you're blaming unschooling as a whole for something that has nothing to do with unschooling, but rather your interpretation of it. So... yeah. This whole thing... I'm disappointed. I assumed I'd primarily be disappointed in your graphic, but it just got worse from there.Britthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07234569640058088865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-91183082589941254102021-03-20T19:15:41.627-07:002021-03-20T19:15:41.627-07:00Love the poem--I do have a clothes line for specia...Love the poem--I do have a clothes line for special things!! If you hang clothes carefully and fold them,too, you won't have to iron them either!!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06365305025077710995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144795012504114230.post-40784288381740315552021-01-24T08:30:47.331-07:002021-01-24T08:30:47.331-07:00Madeline, I really appreciate you sharing your per...Madeline, I really appreciate you sharing your perspective with us. Thank you for your thoughtful comment!Rachel Keppnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193834789450018423noreply@blogger.com