Is It Time to Unschool?

A new year. What’s ahead? More of the same? Or are you going to try a few new things in 2018? How about unschooling? If you’ve been sitting on the fence, thinking about it but not actually committing to this way of life, perhaps it’s the perfect time to let go and do it.

Jumping into unschooling might feel scary. Are you really prepared for what feels like a huge step? Perhaps you should read one more book or blog? Ask a few more questions? Think about it for a bit longer?

There is only so much reading, thinking and discussing we can do. Yes, we can learn a lot by sharing other people’s experiences. But this isn’t enough. If we really want to understand what unschooling is all about, we have to actually start unschooling.

But what if things don’t go smoothly? Maybe your kids won’t be as eager to learn as you hope. Or they might want to spend their time doing things you don’t value. Perhaps you’ll get impatient. You might not want to be accepting. Those close family connections I’m always talking about? You might wonder where they are. Will you end up saying, “This isn’t how I imagined unschooling!”?

Life won’t instantly become perfect just because you decide to unschool. (Life will never be perfect!) It takes time to let go of old thoughts and put new ones into action. Yes, you might hit a few problems. Just don’t give up. Instead, keep trying. Keep learning. Remember what’s important and why you wanted to unschool in the first place. Love and forgive and trust. If you go slowly and push through, you’ll get there. And it will be worth it.

Do something important this year. Be brave. Let go and unschool. If you do, when December arrives, you might say, “Hey, this has been an amazing year!”

So how about it? Is it time to unschool?

I might not be wondering if it’s time for us to unschool, but I have been pondering another question: Should I continue to blog this year? (I know, I know! I return to this question frequently!) And if I do blog, what shall I write about? Ideas have been going round and round inside my head.

I did say in one of my podcasts that the only thing I know enough to write about is unschooling. But that’s not true. I also know a lot about Evernote. Should I start a blog where I can share my Evernote tips? Or should I return to the beginning of my blogging adventure and write some new Catholic family stories? How about exploring Catholic unschooling? I pondered this idea some months ago, but it never went anywhere.

Going in a new direction is risky. What if I lose my audience who’d prefer more of the same? But I know I can’t stand still out of fear. (It’s a bit like being too afraid to begin unschooling.) If I’m to continue learning and sharing in a useful way, I have to be prepared to try new things.

Maybe you’re also making plans for the year ahead. If so, do you have any big goals? What are you going to try? What would you like to achieve in 2018?