60 minutes story on Sunday- unschooling

[Ginger]

This should be interesting 😊

[Artechim]

I like the idea. I found over the summer holidays that DS started to regain his curiosity and was theorising how things worked again - something that I didn't notice had disappeared during the school year. He would be ideal for unschooling because of his innate drive to know everything. However, he is also very intense and having him at school is better for family life so school it is

[Heaven]

I think so. I like hearing about how other people raise their kids.

[Jellyfish]

Okay, I'll bite. Deep breathe.

For a family where control and arbitrary limits have always been used it can seem terrifying because releasing the pressure there would be like letting go on a catepault. Nobody is ever advised to dive into unschooling from that position, it must be a gradual release. And in a family where there have always been an absence of control and arbitrary limits it is a very slow and gradual process too in which a child explores and tests the world around them. One where they have the very active guidance and support of loving parents and usually also a community of others. Everything is centered around connections and relationships.

The story is going to be sensational, it's 60minutes. Nothing about unschooling is letting children run wild or having them do whatever they want. I don't know any unschooling family where violence is tolerated for example. It is that there are no arbitrary limits, there are principles with meaning and purpose, there is personal autonomy but respect for the fact we are all members of a family, of a community too. No person is more or less important, all needs are considered and to the best of the available ability met.

Authoritative parenting has the parents in charge, permissive is the child in charge. Unschooling is neither of those, it is a partnership, there are no winners or losers because there is no child vs parent power plays. They navigate the world together, on the same side. This is why the relationship is so important because the mutual trust and respect is what allows this to happen.

That's the parenting side of unschooling (often termed radical unschooling). The learning is much simpler to explain. Think of the 5 years before school and all the things a child learns by exploring the world around them and the things and people in it, it's just a continuation of that. Children learn within contexts that are meaningful to them, they are motivated internally by need or curiosity and they are supported by being introduced and exposed to lots of varied and interesting concepts, things, places and people (which is often referred to as strewing) and assisted in whatever capacity is required. I like to think of it as a child being led to water but they aren't forced to drink (or drown which can be the case when a child is expected to learn things they are not ready to), they drink when they are thirsty. People are by nature very thirsty

It is honestly really difficult to describe what unschooling is easily to those outside of it because it is a mindset shift, it is a lifestyle. If anybody is genuinely curious I can give you a window into my family by showing you what our days might look like and answering any questions. If people just want to judge and pull apart something, then I suggest one begins in their own backyard as it will be far more useful and beneficial to them and their family then wasting time attacking something that really does not impact them at all, I am not interested in debating with those who are not in a place to gain anything from the discussion.

Unschooling is completely legal in all Australian states and territories.

[Ginger]

Are your children unschooled, jellyfish?

[wysiwyg]

I am a bit perplexed by your post JF, has there been another post in this thread deleted?

Unschooling does interest me but I am not sure if a 60 minutes show on unschooling would be that informative - (based on the very few 60 mins shows I have seen before).

[Ginger]

Nah, no posts have been removed. She's just mega defensive about her choices.

[beansbeans!]

To be honest I love the idea of unschooling. I love that education is created from natural interests and learning is natural rather than time stamped and formalised. I would love to homeschool, or unschool, but for many reasons this just isn't possible at this time and place.
As much as I would like to watch the 60min story on it, it won't reflect reality. It's aim is to get attention on the program, there website, twitter and fb to name a few. All it does is bring out the trolls and give them 5secs of fame.

[LimeSlice]

Nah, no posts have been removed. She's just mega defensive about her choices.

Probably worth considering that the tone of your initial post is not clear, and whatever smilie/gif you have used to help convey that tone, is not being displayed.

[Ginger]

We unschool outside of school hours. My kids' natural interests are pursued.

[beansbeans!]

We unschool outside of school hours. My kids' natural interests are pursued.

That we do, but I consider to be under the parenting hat anyway, the possibility of unschooling only really develops during school holidays.

[Jellyfish]

Just to explain quickly; you can't unschool out of school hours. It doesn't work like that; it is an all in thing. You also can't use a curriculum for math and english but unschool other subjects. Unschooling doesn't involve school or subjects, it is the active rejection of those. There is a different word for those (perfectly valid) choices, it isn't unschooling though; in home education it is called eclectic, whilst utilizing school it would be called being an active and involved parent.

Ginger and I have discussed homeschooling in the past on the forums. She was fairly vocal about how she believed I was making the wrong choice for my children, it does seem odd to me that she would now be making a thread in regards to a form of it but maybe she has changed her perspective, maybe not. My main motivation for posting was to share information about unschooling for anyone interested that wouldn't be tarred by the 60minutes brush -- I've watched the preview and read the blurb and seen the social media response to it so my post was developed with those things in mind.

ETA: I forgot to state specifically; yes we are an unschooling family.

[Ginger]

Nah, haven't changed my perspective. Still think it's outrageously unfair on your kids and that one day you'll regret it.

[Heaven]

Nah, haven't changed my perspective. Still think it's outrageously unfair on your kids and that one day you'll regret it.

So the point of this thread was...? To bag out other parents decisions? Thought so but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Yeah, I'm for respecting people's choices so I'll bypass this one from now on.

[Ginger]

Ok, bye. Namaste.

[LimeSlice]

Why do you think the 60 Minutes report will be interesting, Ginger?
If you have so vehemently made up your mind on the topic, why would it be of any interest at all?

[Ginger]

It's still interesting to watch. Even though I don't agree with it. I like watching the 'real housewives of Melbourne' even though I don't share their lifestyle.

[onthefly]

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