I'd like to add a note for unschoolers who may feel attacked on this thread. I realize that many of the comments here could be interpreted that way, but they aren't. From what I've read, people are trying to point out potential problems that may not be evident to an enthusiastic unschooling parent. This is certainly the case with what I've written.

I realize that it's possible to find stories of successfully unschooled kids, but the opposite is also true. I googled "unschooling failures" and got a lot of hits, including some very sad stories. My advice: if you're going to unschool, read what the critics and failed unschoolers have to say so you can make an informed decision.