I’ve decided to split this post into two so its easier to read.

We entered Ethan into school when he was just 4 and reception went smoothly for him. However after he went into year 1 we found he was really struggling with the pressure to achieve and still be a little kid. We got through 2 terms of year one and I made a decision to take him out of school forever. I had thought at first we could homeschool him and help him learn what he needed to at home but then I quickly realised I’d rather chew off my own arm than be the one to force him to learn.

Unschooling is wanting to do scuba diving

Our unschooling journey started on this day. I had no idea what I was doing but I made a decision on that day that it didn’t matter if he didn’t learn what he was supposed to, and that we were going to blaze our own path to victory.

So ever since then we have let our children decide what they want to learn and to do whatever makes them happy (except throat punching!)

Every day we do what we want to do which focuses around their freedom to play and our bank balance!

Unschooling is getting up at 6 am to see in the dawn

Unschooling is finding things that make our hearts sing (mine is photography)

But I have to tell you all; this journey has been a major uphill struggle for me to let go. To let go of all that I thought that learning was and how it ought to be done. I thought it was learning to read and write and do multiplications so they could be educated to get a job one day. I have discovered learning is all of that and more.

I continually have thoughts that I should be doing more so they learn what the other children are learning at school. I often wonder if they will come to regret my choices to let them not have the same education as others when it comes to job searching later in life. But I come full circle with the knowledge that they are blissfully happy right now and one day they won’t have the freedom to live their lives so extravagantly.

I am pleased to tell you – despite my lack of faith in my children and my own disbelief in my self – my children have learnt a ton of stuff over the last 3 years and we did nothing to make it happen except provide the time, equipment and presence. Both Aimee and Ethan have picked up the fundamentals of reading out of necessity to understand Minecraft. Ethan is exceptionally passionate about maths and just understands stuff like percentages and fractions with no understanding of a particular way to reach his answers.

Unschooling is making several attempts to build a lego raft that finally floated

Unschooling is taking an interest in this exceptionally large bettle that sounds like a miniature hover craft

Aside from them learning the fundamentals of what the world needs in terms of being educated, they have learnt all the cool stuff that has piqued their curiosity.

They have learnt how to use a microscope to look at insanely gross stuff, how to dive, how to identify insects and loads of other things I can not think to mention.

Unschooling is begging me to let him go diving only one month after learning how to swim without drowning
I thought it good to mention I am not all bashing people who send their children to school, and I acknowledge not everyone is able to financially afford to keep their children out of school. This is just my life and my story. Hope you all enjoyed reading.