Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion To the homeschoolers about unschooling

Unschooling is where learning is self directed and self regulated by the child. Radical unschooling is where this is extended to all areas of a child's life including but not limited to sleep, food, and in some cases, screen. I think that this works in some families/with some children, and with other it doesn't. There is a huge difference, imo, between this and completely permissive parenting, which is what I believe that some so-called radical unschoolers do.
When I was parenting my son on my own we dabbled in radical unschooling. He was allowed to self regulate sleep and food. This didn't mean he ate junk all day and he wasn't up all night every night. He chose his food from a nutritious selection that I made available. I spent a lot of time with him discussing how he could read his own body's cues for needing sleep. It worked wonderfully for him and then only reason we had to stop was when we moved interstate when I met my partner. Self regulation doesn't work for her child at all in most areas, so we've had to find a balance to meet everyone's needs. My son still does self regulate his food at home and makes exceptional choices there, but screen time and sleep are directed by me to meet the needs of the whole family.


"Personally, I think that the idea that kids are going to grow up totally uneducated in one subject or another is pretty misguided. Sure, they may learn things earlier or later than is typical in school, but, baring disability or neglect, no child is going to turn eighteen unable to do basic math or read or understand the general principles of science or the most important facts of history. And IMO if there is something an unschooled child is unable or unwilling to learn from his or her environment, it is very likely something he or she has no need or desire to know."
Absolutely!