When they first hear about unschooling, many people ask “is that legal?” Every country is different, and in the US, every state is different. But usually the answer is yes.

Many people worry that unlimited screens will harm their child.

But natural learning occurs best when children follow their interests and are trusted to direct their own play and learning... EVEN when they’re interested in something on a screen.

What do families gain from an unschooling lifestyle that goes beyond providing a natural learning environment? I asked Sandra Dodd to talk about the differences between unschooling and other education alternatives. Today she touches on the parent-child bond, the parents’ learning, honoring human instincts, respecting the rhythm of a child’s whole life and making a relationship investment that lasts a lifetime.

In short: unschooling is more than an educational alternative. It is a lifestyle that promotes a child’s wellbeing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Children who are free to play learn to regulate emotions, overcome narcissism, be empathetic and creative, think abstractly, discover and develop their passions.

Peter Gray is a developmental psychologist and research professor who has written many things including a blog for Psychology Today magazine called "Freedom to Learn." His latest book is also called Free to Learn, and in it Mr. Gray writes about how all people are born to be self-directed learners.

Lots of people- not just unschoolers - have been questioning more and more whether a college degree is really worth the skyrocketing costs. I guess most would agree that sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t.

Unschoolers are well situated to do other interesting, educational, strategically savvy things, rather than going to college. They have years of experience seeking out good opportunities, being self-motivated resourceful and creative, and finding alternative ways of learning the things they want to know.

In today’s podcast we hear a little more about some of these alternatives.

Question: If children don’t go to school or follow a set curriculum for elementary or high school, how can they get into college or earn a college degree?

Answer: Lots of ways!

Before unschooling can flourish, parents and children need to undo old ideas about learning. This process is called Deschooling and it provides a vital foundation for the unschooling journey.

Most people who grow up going to school end up believing that learning is something that has to be forced, and that learning isn’t fun. Children who are never forced to do schoolish things have no reason to believe this.

But children – and parents – who DID go to school, and who do believe this, before they can find the joy in natural learning, first have to un-learn this idea that they acquired from the forced-learning school model.

Sandra's tip for this process:

Read a little

Try a little

Wait a while

Watch

.... then, repeat.

Just about any child will learn and flourish in a truly loving and educationally-conducive environment. So every child has the potential to be a successful unschooler.

The question is, what qualities and skills must a parent have, in order to be able to provide this environment?