I found this article I had written for Live Free Learn Free Magazine in 2007 while unpacking recently. The ideas still resonate with me now and make me want to continue to experience and model my personal learning processes for myself and for my children.
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Who does not want a second chance in life? A second chance to experience joyous passionate pursuits and live and learn the way you want to? What better way to achieve that than through unschooling your children? People who do not unschool/homeschool may consider the choice to do so as a sacrifice on the part of the parent~I do not see it that way. Through the experience of unschooling your children, you start to recognize your own dreams and realize that you can achieve them through the same autonomous and self-directed learning style that you are promoting on a daily basis with your children.
This is our children's time to thrive, grow and discover, but it is our time too. These are the moments when we can model the exploration of our interests for our children so that they see the possibilities of life in action. They can watch us researching on the Internet, in community, with mentors and at the library. They can listen to our conversations sharing knowledge, challenges and personal endeavors. They can feel the weight of our ups and downs and see the results of our hard work. If they so choose, they can share in the processes that lead to our ultimate successes.
When we began this journey, I could not have anticipated the unfolding of my personal avocation as a by-product of our choice as parents to unschool our children. Who knew I would apply this 'alternative' form of education to myself? Who knew that I would discover my passion for photography, art and writing? Who knew that I would generate and implement my own personal 'curriculum' design to suit my dreams, skills and talents? Who knew that I would be successful and 'filled-up' by activities and awareness that I have discovered twelve years after I finished University! Who knew that by doing all of this now, I would set an impactful example for our children...an example that will show them that when we are free to be who we are, anything really is possible! Furthermore, that we do not require formalized education on a 'set' developmental or societal schedule to be genuinely happy and successful in life... If we have an opportunity to spend time focusing on doing what we love, we tend to intrinsically want to work hard at it, spend time on it, obsess about it, master it and be creative about it.
As parents, if we can truly free ourselves as we have freed our children through unschooling, we can show them that by being in charge of our own life learning, our dreams can become a reality, no matter what age we are.
