Unschooling: An Open Road to Learning

As you know from a previous post, my 5 year old was in public school. While that was all working out fine for the moment, life has changed and it's no longer worked. At first I was very upset with the turn of events that led to her coming back home. It wasn't that I didn't want her home but that the school system basically caused me to break a promise to her.

First, I am amazed that 90 days of school can so quickly "mold" a child into certain expectations of school. While Lorelai was fine to be home (in fact, she hated going to school), the first few days were surprisingly frustrating. She fully expected to school all day with breaks for lunch and potty and such. That Saturday and Sunday she was angry and frustrated because she was sure that my lack of doing school work on the weekend would cause her to "not learn anything".

Wow.

It's been a few weeks now. It took a week of de-schooling but she's adapted and is happy. I am very happy too. I'm glad things went wrong (for once!). Because she's at home and permitted to live and learn as a person should live and learn... naturally without constrictions of the body and mind. It's a good thing. I love the freedom.

Today:

• I worked a morning shift (I work at home)
• The girls did some reading and vocabulary.
• We went out to lunch together.
• We went to the library where the girls grabbed handfuls of felt pictures and created impromptu stories on the felt board. Lorelai's stories made us belly laugh!
• Then we went to the playground where we climbed, ran and cracked up at one another's silly-ness.
• We walked through a sensory garden.
• We walked the exercise course and did the exercises!
• We shopped at walmart for more Littlest Pets for their collection, food and some organizational supplies for home office and school.
• We had pizza made with bagels at home followed by italian ice.

What did they experience today?

Reading, vocabulary, socialization, physical exercise, nature, organizing skills, play time, creative performance, freedom to learn from life.. and all of it as mother and daughters.