Posted in My Homeschool FAQs

A few weeks ago I was talking to a homeschooling Mom and she said something to the effect of "I could just never unschool the way you do."  I was shocked!  Me, an unschooler?  NO WAY!!!!  I assured her I was NOT an unschooler, I buy a curriculum!  But, over the last few weeks I have been realizing that I am a closet unschooler!  I mean yes, I buy a curriculum.  For the most part I follow it...But then inevitably life gets in the way!  LOL  It seems that every time I get comfortable gliding along with our curriculum something happens.  A new baby, a move, death in the family, job transfer, some kind of major life change....Then I switch to unschooling!  Field trips, family projects, traveling,  lapbooking, etc.  We just wing it, and it is amazing what we learn during these times!  Not only do we learn about subject I probably didn't plan for the year, but we learn about being flexible.  We learn patience.  We learn that learning can happen outside the box.  Besides that we learn stuff about each other.  We learn what we all like and dislike, we learn tolerance for each other.  We learn to laugh at and with each other.  We learn that life is unpredictable and plans are made to be set aside when opportunity knocks!  I am very happy with the education my kids are getting.  But truth be told it has been YEARS since we actually went through a whole school year doing what I had planned out at the beginning of the year! I doubt that it will ever happen again, because as time has passed and I have matured in my role as homeschooling Mom I have relaxed.  I have learned that learning happens in spite of me!  LOL  I have learned that the best time to teach my kids something is when they are asking to learn it.  I have learned that the best laid plans are meant to be changed.  I love the planning.  I love the curriculum we use. The key for me now  is I have learned over the years to use the curriculum and not let it use me.  Maybe it is because I have a 12 year old now and I know he knows WAY more stuff that I have ever taught him!  Maybe it is because I have finally realized that life just happens.  For years now I have been saying "When things calm down..."  Well, I think I may finally  have accepted that for us life will never calm down!  When it comes to homeschooling we are a home first.  Learning is what we choose to do in our home and because of that the learning happens.  Even when life gets in the way!  LOL