How Unschooling is About Being Connected With Our Kids
Some parenting ideas seem to make a lot of sense. For example, children have far less life experience than parents, so we are in a better position than them when it comes to decision making. If we give our kids too much freedom, they might make poor choices. Some mistakes might not be significant, but what about those that affect their futures? Surely, a responsible parent will tell her kids what they should be doing? And many parents do exactly that because they love their kids, care about them, and want to do their best for them.
But, of course, if we are unschooling, we don’t tell our kids what to do. Instead, we trust. We trust they will make the right choices. We trust they will learn what they need to know. We trust they will get where they want to go. Are we irresponsible, side-stepping our parental duty?
We might be if we just step back and say, “Do what you like. I trust you will make the right choices.” There is more to unschooling than that. We can’t be uninvolved. Our kids need our guidance and help.
In this week’s podcast, episode 91, I talk about how we need to be connected with our kids if we want to pass on such things as our values, our sense of right and wrong. We need to be connected with them if we’d like them to listen to us. We need to be connected so we know when to offer help and how to do that in the best way. But how do we become connected?
I also discuss the following questions:
Why am I reluctant to ask people to review my children’s novels?
Do parents have to be perfect or is there something more important than perfection?
What is a family?
Is my new podcast series idea a good one? Perhaps it’s ridiculous!
I tell lots of stories along the way:
Why did I regret crying during a school film?
Did my husband Andy become a singing superstar with his very own backing group?
Did I used to be a good surgical assistant or did I quake in my boots every time I was asked to help?
Blog Posts
Sheep, Surgery, and Confident Sons
Podcasts
Episode 7: Unschooling Children, a School Teacher Father, and Tea
Episode 10: Should a Child Be Given the Freedom to Choose
Episode 21: Being Honest, Talking About Mistakes and Perfection
Article
How Children Learn Right From Wrong by Dr Laura Markham
So I’m wondering… Do you share an interest with each of your children? Do you ever tell them stories of your experiences, including your mistakes? And what do you think of Elvis Presley? Perhaps like me, you don’t actually know much about his music!