But I think the biggest concern I hear from parents is about Gaps. How will they learn everything they need? And then that follows up with.. we as the parents being blamed if they want to become something that… we didn’t prepare them for - and then that pushes us into a fear-based overdrive!
I know that sounds familiar to a lot of people.

And that’s the fear I want to focus on this week. About those gaps you’re worried. It’s the fear that prevents you from really embracing unschooling, right? Or if you are embracing, you have some internal hesitations that keep you from feeling really confident. So that’s where’ we’re going today.

Also! This month, I’m offering a Free Unschooling Q & A webinar where we can tackle ALL of these questions that are coming up for you. I want to help you get the answers you’re looking for. I’ll put the link to signing up for this in the shownotes and at the blogpost. (Coming Soon!)

OK... know this... 

Everyone has fears.

And everyone’s list of fears is going to be different. It’s another example of how one-size fits all isn’t applicable! My fears aren’t yours. Yours aren’t the same as your moms, the parents next door.

But the one thing that is universal in overcoming fears is that turning a light on, pulling the fear out of the darkness, that’s the way past it.

• So that can be literal, turning on a light - maybe it's time to SEE more clearly!
• It can be visual, going to a conference, a park day, even a membership group like mine online - to show you that there are people out there doing this.
• Or it can be turning on a light for your brain.. gathering the information so fear is not making your choices.
  Good solid information is helping you make decisions.
  
  

And one thing I have a lot of is information - if you’re struggling with fears, I probably have an Unschooling Guide, a course or an ebook that can help you. I don’t mean to bombard you with all the things..but if you’re looking for unschooling resources to help you grow your confidence - you’re in the right place! I have what you need!

I’ll put some lists in the blogpost so you can hop over to whatever is specifically concerning you.
And remember that webinar later this month.

Almost Unschooling? Start Here!

So here’s what I want you to do if you’re Almost Unschooling:
 

Don’t stay there because it’s familiar.
Know that’ this is a process. I don’t know if we EVER “arrive.” I was just talking in my membership group about how we get one thing figured out, only to have something else be revealed to us that needs a little work. 

So when you’re gathering up voices to help you learn more about unschooling, notice when people shift gears. Or say something that’s a little...conflicting.

Do This:

So here’s a quick easy thing I want you to do. You can do it on your phone or grab a spiral. 

I want you to put yourself on an Academic Scavenger hunt.

I want you to be on the LOOKout FOR THE Subjects In all the activities. If it’s primarily math that’s freaking you out, please take the Learning Math without curriculum course. I go into a lot of details of where math specifically is hiding - and I include a scavenger hunt specifically for math. You’ll be so relieved to have all this information - even if you KEEP your curriculum, it begins to release the fear you have about it. Especially the fear that comes up when your kids resist the curriculum!

Then This:

#2 Is to loosen the grip that subjects have on you and your perspective. 

Instead of letting the subjects be the starting place like...

“oh, we need to do a little math today.”

or

“we haven’t done much science lately, we need to do that before Friday.” 

Shift to prioritizing the TOPICS that your kids are interested in, and explore those.
You don’t have to turn it into a lesson. Just play with it. Let the kids show you why they’re interested.
Stop trying to orchestrate everything and be more of an observer.
Help them, if they have a question - but not in a Teacher-y way. In a loving parent way who wants to help them explore. Sure, if you know some bit of information, toss it in and see how it lands. But if they want to guide this exploration, go where they want to go. 

When we do this, we learn so much about our kids - how they learn, what they enjoy. And this gives us data so that we’re not doing some one-size-fits-all way of sharing information with them.

And they learn, that you like letting them lead sometimes. That helps them develop self-confidence. And that you enjoy being around them. That you’ll play what they want to play - instead of them only getting your attention if they do what you want.

But I can hear the wheels turning... you might be thinking...

        "ok, play with them. Fine. But where’s this learning you’re talking about?
         Won't there be gaps in their learning if all we do is play?"

That brings me to your role WHILE you’re playing - just for this exercise. 

Remember that Scavenger hunt I mentioned? This is what I want you to do.

Mentally check off the subjects that are getting touched on as they play.

Challenge yourself to see how many you can identify.

Learning Through Star Wars

So, what happens this week… let’s see. I always use Shark week as an example of this so let’s think of something else. May 4th - Thursday -  is Star Wars Day. When you look at that through a schooly lens, ok, it’s a movie. About Space. Fictional story. Something you let them watch AFTER they’ve done all the “real learning,” right?

But!! What else could they learn from something as simple as Star Wars?

Learning Objectives with Star Wars

So let’s look at Star Wars Day. What could reassure you so you don’t pull out the curriculum to “cover” something?

I’ll get you started here (and for those of you who already get the Strewing Calendar - or want to - some of this is at the subscriber portal page)

It’s time to break free for the old ways of learning just because they’re familiar. We can’t keep relying on outdated methods and expect our kids to thrive in a rapidly changing world. We have the opportunity to help our kids embrace the world as it is now so they can successfully move into the future, if we can just overcome our fear.

If you’re a parent worried about your kids missing out on important information if you try this unschooling approach, let me put your mind at ease. We live in the information age and kids today have access to an incredible wealth of resources and knowledge that we didn’t have in previous generations.

You can continue to prod the kids through topics they’re not interested in - because you’re afraid of potential gaps.

But remember that with a quick Google search or YouTube video, they can learn about any topic under the sun! Sticking with the scope and sequence out of fear, keeps you from the amazing opportunities to explore and discover together. 

Instead rote memorization of topics they aren’t going to retain, you could make a shift to something bigger.

You could inspire the kids to be curious, to ask questions, and never stop learning.

With the world’s knowledge at our fingertips, the possibilities are... endless.

So encourage them to follow their interests, they’ll create their own unique mountain of knowledge that will serve them well as they move through life. They’ll be even BETTER equipped to embrace all the opportunities that the future has to offer them. We can’t possibly know what awaits them - but by fostering a love of learning and curiosity, we can be sure they’ll be prepared for whatever comes their way. And that’s really what we all want - to make sure they’re prepared! Right?