Two Canadian sisters, nine spectacular kids, no school.
If you're thinking of trying out unschooling for any of the following reasons, STOP right where you are and read this first. The worst reasons to try unschooling are as follows: Because you saw someone you admire doing it and it seems like a perfect lifestyle.Because it's the only good way to raise children.Because any... Continue Reading →
Hi folks! It's Amy here, I haven't made a post in many months because I was going through a transitional time in my life. 2020 has been a year for new self-knowledge for me, and I made a HUGE decision for my family: I decided to put all four of my kids into public school... Continue Reading →
As an unschooler with fourteen years of school-free parenting under my belt, I would like to share some comforting ideas with parents. I promise you'll feel less stressed after reading this.
I love it when someone asks me how I expect a child to learn without being taught and schooled. It's the easiest question because everyone already understands the answer from their own experience! I start by pointing out that kids really learn the same way older people do. They don't need special institutions to do... Continue Reading →
It's been over a month since I wrote about my oldest child starting public school for the first time, going into grade 8, so it's time for a little update on how that's going. The quick summary is this: school is approximately as stupid as I expected, but its been pretty OK anyway. On the... Continue Reading →
Today while the school kids are separated from real life by walls, rules, texts and abstractions, my unschooled kids are producing something real. The apples on our overgrown backyard tree are ready to go, so today after screen time was over and the sun had warmed things up, I sent the kids outside to gather... Continue Reading →
It's a big day today. I have two events happening: at 11:00 am it's the annual not-back-to-school picnic which I have coordinated, and at 9:20 am my beautiful oldest child starts her first day of grade 8 in public school. Yes, today is the day I turn my kid over to the state for corporate... Continue Reading →
This week my seven year old learned numbers. At least, numbers into the hundreds. She can identify any number up to 999 and say it correctly. I don't know how or when my three older kids learned to do this, but I do know how my seven year old did it: through a stupid video... Continue Reading →
Some of our "school" supplies.
Education happens anywhere and everywhere, and in our family it happens on the couch. We have a huge blue velvet sectional sofa that seats everyone and the dog comfortably with room to spare, and it's always a mess of books, drawing supplies, discarded socks, and cushions mashed into the shape of children's bodies. The couch... Continue Reading →
The Unschool Sisters 