Do you follow the NC, or follow their hearts?

[sorkycake]

I've always thought of myself as a bit of a structured learning type of girl, but I'm wondering if free-range education might be the best way to go.
When we originally thought of HE'ing we both said "Oh yes we'll follow the NC and have little lessons at the kitchen table" but now I'm not so sure. Which way do you learn/teach and how old are your kids? Did this evolve or was it a conscious decision?

bumping for the HE'ers.

Two boys aged 10 and 8.
Been HE for two years.
Started out trying to emulate school system (but never the National Curriculum, as I think it is awful! )
This made us all miserable.
Have now evolved to using the mornings for formal work, then the afternoons are for meetings, clubs, outings etc.
I know many families that are completely autonomous, and it works really well for them.
Takes a while to feel your way I think, especially if your children have been in the school system at some point - as ours had.
HTH.

Hi Sorkycake.

We use the NC as a guide and it's useful at first if you don't know where to start.
My dd would have just started KS2 at school so it's very satisfying to be quickly working through that stuff and knowing we can more or less do it all in just one year plus other stuff, where as in school it would take 4 years to probably do less!!
Having a knowledge of the NC just gives you assurance that you're doing a good job!

It was ME that needed to de-school for a few months; it's hard when it's all you've ever known! You have to 'unlearn' something you've been brainwashed into for 30 + years, and it doesn't happen overnight! I still struggle from time to time when I think we haven't got anything to 'show' for what she's learnt. But then we chat about stuff and I know it's all sunk in.
Why then does she need to write it down?
It's purely for the inspectors to be honest.

I found the advice from autonomous HE 'rs great because their kids were doing absolutley fine without any 'formal' education.
Those people have been a great inspiration.

Confidence can only come in time, as I'm sure it will for me too.