Here's another twist on all this. Another name for unschooling is adulthood. The goal of all parenting is to help the adult-in-training reach the point where they can make responsible informed choices. Even if that means choosing to take a class and learn from someone with more expertise.

But most children just aren't ready for that kind of responsibility at a young age. It's a terrible burden to place on their under-developed executive functions, and it will set up many kids to fail on their own terms.

On the other hand, some parents err too far in the other direction and never let their older children experiment with decision-making and falling on their butts occasionally.

Easing a child towards adult competence is really tricky. And the right formula will be different for every child.