Unschooling ROCKS!

Little did I know when I began this unschooling journey with my two sons, that it would ultimately transform our lives in every way possible.

I became a more respectful parent, and learned to trust my children to know their own needs. I also learned to trust MYSELF, and when that happened, my life, along with that of our entire family, reached new levels of peace and freedom.

The biggest thing we have learned from unschooling is that ANYTHING is possible. We are free to learn what we want, do what we want, and BE what we want.

THAT is truly powerful!

Yes, I'm sure. Really. Unschooling works amazingly well - far better than traditional schooling does! Why? Because the kids are INTERESTED and ENGAGED in what they're learning. They are having FUN, exploring the world, and enjoying life to the fullest. Learning happens as a natural byproduct of a rich, stimulating life.

Do my boys know everything they would "know" if they were in school? No. Does it matter? No. Why? By the time they are fully grown, I guarantee that they will be able to function as capable, productive adults. They already function better than many adults I've met. Even if they somehow "fall short" in the academic knowledge department (which I don't truly believe will happen), they will have something far more important - a deep understanding of WHO THEY ARE and what they are passionate about. That, to me is the biggest measure of success in life.

Although my boys may not know every single thing they're "supposed to", based on the current school curriculum, they know plenty of things that lots of kids don't. My eight year old, for example, knows who Ghengis Khan is and understands the mathematical concept of infinity. He also knows what a trebuchet is and how to build one (and how it differs from a catapult). My ten year old knows more about reptiles and amphibians than most adults. He also has personal experience caring for a reptile - our Bearded Dragon, Spark.

Those are just a couple of examples of the many, many things my children know about. They are learning more every day - so much that half the time I can't keep up with their learning!

1. HANGING OUT AT THE BEACH
The weather's been unseasonably cool and rainy so far this summer, so when we got a nice warm sunny Sunday, we immediately took off for a day at the beach!

2. WATER PLAY
When it hasn't been raining, the boys have been busy getting themselves wet - hanging out at the local outdoor pool and engaging in squirt gun battles with the neighbourhood kids.

3. MOVIES!
We've seen Star Trek and Transformers 2 so far this summer; next on our list is Harry Potter 6.

4. BACKYARD TRANSFORMATION
Joe built new fence along the back and one side of the yard (the rest was already fenced in) and the boys observed and assisted with part of the process. We have a stump and a LOT of gravel to clear out, then we'll be building a small patio in the back corner of the yard and creating some container shade gardens.

5. VEGETABLE GARDENING
Things are slow to grow this year with the cool wet weather, but we're doing our best to coax things along! We have sweet peppers, green beans, lettuce,arugula, tomatoes,mint, basil, oregano and parsley growing in our raised beds. We also have more tomatoes in planters on the deck, along with two mixed-herb planters.

6. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Nathan loves playing soccer, baseball, and football at the park with the neighbourhood kids. Noah enjoys hikes in the woods and bike rides down to the nearby Waterfront trail, ever on the lookout for wild critters of all shapes and sizes :) Joe and I are on our bikes as much as we can be (I just started doing a group ride at 6 am on Wednesday mornings!)