So many times, I get asked, "How can he (my 11yo son) learn if he doesn't go to school?" My parents have settled their minds to the concept that we homeschool. I've explained time and time again, that we do not do school at home. We don't do school at all! My son has the freedom to do as he pleases, read what he likes, explore what he chooses. You should see the expression on peoples' faces when I tell them this! Many of them just can't grasp what living in freedom, unschooling, means.
"You give your child freedom?" "You don't make him do anything?" "He gets to sleep in?" "He gets to try everything he wants to try?" "He has no limits?" "How does he learn?" and my favorite "How did he get so smart if he doesn't go to school?"
The answer is simple! Kids love to learn! They are designed to learn, to create, explore, observe, experiment, play,..etc.. In unschooling, parents just make the possiblities available. We play with our kids. We explore with our kids. Many unschooling parents (and homeschooling parents, too) will tell you that they are learning right along with their children.
I love when people who are considered educated share veiw points that prove learning is not mandated to the forced learning of schools. There's a great post over at Learning in Freedom
about what a few Noble Prize Winners feel/felt about school. It's worth the read!
3 comments:
AH, freedom. :)
Thanks for the link about the Nobel Prize Winners and their thoughts about school. That was a really good read!!
What I think is funny is when folks look horrified when I tell them that I play with my kids all day, every day and that I enjoy it. Laundry is playing (especially when we can hang it on the line), vacuuming is playing, board games--you name it--it's playing. We eat meals with our kids regularly (meaning, every day, all day) as well and I just get a kick out of the looks on faces--some folks just can't imagine a world where their kids would be treated just as other people--courteously, with care.
Of course, lots of people don't do that for other adults, so why am I not surprised that it doesn't happen for their kids?
Thanks for the link--I'm a'goin' to check 'er out now!
Whenever I hear that sort of question, I think "Here we go again!" And the people who ask seem as if the whole thing is totally outlandish and bizarre, as you say.
Those opinions of Nobel prizewinners were an interesting read. Probably worth bookmarking and referring others to.
Thanks,
Paula
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