Pros and Cons of Unschooling?

[mumtoboys]

I've started a blog on home education which is in it's very early stages! I'd like to be able to pool ideas and resources for all kinds of different home-schooling approaches.

I'm very new to home education myself as my kids are small but I've been thinking it would be great to get lots of information in one place for people starting out.

I want to cover things in the future like "how to avoid burning out" , "how to teach with little ones around", "what are my kids favourite picture books".

Anyway, I've decided to start with a summary of each of the main approaches. Does anyone have any personal experience of Unschooling? What would you say are the pros and cons in your experience and what books and websites would you recommend? Did you transition to a more formal approach when your kids were older or did you continue unschooling all the way through?

Here's my blog if you want to take a look.

ifnotschool.blogspot.com/

Thanks in advance
Alice

Having said that, Saracen, there are parents who never force their children to eat anything, but who go and get them something else every time they say they don't like something, and who still end up with children who will only eat chicken nuggets or whatever. My BIL had the whole family living off spam and SMASH because that was all he would eat; it took many years for my SIL to gradually get him to try new things as an adult and then he did it to please her, not because of any curiosity that had been engendered by my MILs laid-back approach.

Maybe the food analogy just isn't very relevant.

That's true, Cory.

I still think force feeding (of food or education) is cruel and likely to be harmful.

Your example suggests that gentle encouragement of people who are exceptionally wary of trying new things may be the way to go. I do know some unschooling parents whose children are very cautious and who put a good deal of energy into coaxing them into new situations.

I am so jealous. I gave my dc's the choice and they both chose our local state school for high school. My only revenge is that every time they complain about a teacher or course being boring, I remind them of how much better and more interesting it would have been if they had been unschooled. At least they are both curious engaged children who learn far more than the limited material presented in their conventional classroom. And they do occasionally get truly inspired teachers who impart stimulating knowledge despite the limitations of public education in Los Angeles.

how likely is it really that we humans would sit doing nothing indefinitely rather than being motivated by an instinct to learn about our world?

You haven't met me

"how likely is it really that we humans would sit doing nothing indefinitely rather than being motivated by an instinct to learn about our world?

You haven't met me "

And yet here you are, having a conversation about something interesting, sharing experiences and ideas with other people. And all before 6am Ha ha, caught you learning!

There is actually something I have heard of in unschooling circles, I think it's called "Learn Nothing Day"(?) when people actively attempt to spend an entire day without learning anything. Apparently they always fail. Haven't tried it myself as it sounds too difficult!