Our schooling journey has come a long ways from where it began, in our local preschool class next to our house. We are now beginning to adapt to an unschooling approach to homeschooling our little ones. Although I know in my heart it is best for our kids, during the school starting season I sometimes worry I should be doing more. In the spirit of quieting those worries here are my top five unschooling mantras.

1. Follow your Child’s Lead. This can be the hardest one for me to remember If things are causing too much upset, take a clue and back off, I may actually not know best or more than my little one does regarding his ability or readings for that particular task.

2. Trust Individual Learning Styles. Every child learns differently and most importantly without pressure and given freedom they will better understand just what that better way is for them specifically and make use of it. I myself learn so much better and easier with pictures, diagrams and something I can tangibly hold and understand, while so many others don’t need that visualization. As an adult I am only aware of that as a child I wasn’t able to figure out what I needed to learn I was just unsure why I wasn’t learning things they way everyone else was.

3. Everything is educational. From trips to the grocery store, to secretary of state trips, kids are learning so much just being with you on everyday tasks. Even watching me cook, participating in the cooking all of it, they ARE learning ALL the time.

4. Have fun. Another one that is all too easy to forget learning is done best when it is fun, pushing and trying too hard makes things not fun. Another mantra within this one is feel it out, if they seem to be done learning something, let it be and be done learning in that moment and be ok with that, be flexible.

5. Trust. Trust that your child will learn everything they need to know exactly when they need to use it and that they will retain it. They might not learn it when their friends learn it or when you learned it as a child and that’s okay because in their own time they will learn it.

No matter how you chose to educate your little ones I think one thing is common, worry. In reality no amount of worrying changes much so why not squash that worry with some healing mantras! Do you use mantras? What are they?

Lakota

I am a stay at home mother of two, who loves to create in every form, from cooking, to henna, to painting or sculpting, creating with my hands is my passion! I love to dance and let loose when the music flows right. Being outside is a special kind of therapy I think humans need more of as well as mindfulness! I love all things new and adventurous and am always looking to experience more of life 🙂