Unschooling Teens

SUPPORT FOR THE TEEN YEARS

Help With Unschooling Teens

The teen years can bring school expectations back into focus. College, credits, transcripts, and plans for the future start coming up in conversations. You find yourself looking at your teen’s everyday life and wondering how it will all come together.


School didn’t work for your teen, or homeschooling has become a struggle. You’ve watched them learn through their interests for years, but now feel pressure to make things more academic. There’s a lot to think about, and your teen has their own thoughts about what comes next.


Unschooling Mom2Mom helps parents work through these questions while keeping their relationship with their teen at the center.

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START WITH THE BASICS

What Does Unschooling Look Like in the Teen Years?

Unschooling teens continue learning through their interests, relationships, responsibilities, and experiences. Their lives can include gaming, creative projects, reading, volunteering, paid work, classes, and plans they’re making for themselves.


Parents stay involved by listening, helping find resources, and supporting the goals their teens want to pursue. As those goals become clearer, there may be practical details to work out together: finding a class, applying for a job, documenting learning, or exploring college requirements.


There isn’t one unschooling path through the teen years. The important questions are about your teen: what interests them, what they want to try, and what help they need.

UNSCHOOLING TEENS IN REAL LIFE

When the Future Starts Feeling Urgent

It’s hard to escape the messages about what teenagers should be doing. Friends are choosing classes, comparing grades, and talking about college applications. Those conversations can leave you questioning a way of learning that has worked well for your family.


Practical planning matters, but it helps to look at what your teen actually wants and needs before deciding what to add or change. A transcript question needs a practical answer. A worry about motivation needs a closer look at your teen’s situation. Treating every concern as a reason to recreate school can make it harder to work together.

Does this Sound Familiar?


  • “How will they get into college?”  You want to understand the options and what preparation would be needed.


  • “How do I make a transcript?”  You’re unsure how to document learning that hasn’t followed school subjects.


  • “They don’t seem motivated.” You’re worried about their direction and don’t know how much to push.


  • “They spend so much time gaming.” You want to understand their interests and keep a good relationship.


  • “Are we too late to try unschooling?” You’re considering a change and wondering where to begin.

WHEN YOU NEED SUPPORT

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone

Bring the question you’re dealing with now. Sue draws on raising her own three children, years of supporting unschooling families, and the experiences young people shared in her book, Homeschooled Teens.


There’s room to talk through the worry as well as the practical details. Get help understanding your teen’s learning, discussing plans together, and finding resources for the next step.

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FIND THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

Practical Help for Unschooling Teens

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Help Creating a Transcript

Learn how to translate your teen’s everyday learning into a transcript. The mini-course walks you through the process, with additional help available if you want it.

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The Teen Toolkit

Looking for the teen resources in one place? Bundled resources to help with various aspects of unschooling your teen.  Parenting, connection, learning, goal-setting, etc.

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Homeschooled Teens

In Homeschooled Teens: 75 Young People Speak About Their Lives Without School, young people share their experiences with learning, friendships, family, and life beyond school.

Available in digital formats and paperback.

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Everything Counts - Teen Edition

Find subjects in everyday activities!



Coaching and examples for all the familiar subjects

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Creating Confidence Community

Get ongoing guidance, resources, and conversations with other parents navigating unschooling, including the teen years. Bring new questions as they come up.

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Private Coaching

with Sue

Talk directly with Sue about your teen, your concerns, and the decisions your family is facing.

Support That Made a Difference

Sue Patterson's advice comes not only from guiding her own three (now grown) teens, but also from years spent listening to other parents and the teens themselves! She shares resources, tips, and guidance so you can create your own success stories!


Learn More About Unschooling Teens

Teensleeping teengaming

My Teen Sleeps All Day, Games All Night

By Sue Patterson • October 28, 2026
Should I Be Worried?
Person sits on rug gaming in front of a TV showing a car racing game in a cozy living room

Can Video Games Count as High School Credit? Real Transcript Examples

By Sue Patterson • June 8, 2026
Can kids learn from video games? Explore how gaming can translate into history, science, math, leadership, and more, plus how to document it on a homeschool transcript.
Connecting with your Gamer Teen

Connecting with Your Gamer Teen

By Sue Patterson • July 8, 2025
No one prepared you for parenting a teen - certainly not in this day and age. Don't let fears about gaming interfere in your connection with them!
Teen Years – Is it too late to Unschool?

Teen Years – Is it too late to Unschool?

By Sue Patterson • November 8, 2022
So many kids have been struggling with school! Bullying, the pressure to perform, the over-emphasis on testing, the sleep deprivation – the list keeps growing. But parents worry if it's too late to switch gears and choose to unschool. Sue shares why it's not too late to unschool - AT ALL!
See All Teen Blogs

Podcast Playlist: Teens

But What About...?

Common Questions About Unschooling Teens

  • Is it too late to start unschooling?

    Not at all!  Your focus will depend on what their experiences have been up this point. Their interests and plans will direct your next steps. Help them see what's working and what they'd like to change. If you need help, talk 1:1 with Sue.


  • What if my teen wants classes or a curriculum?

    Classes and curriculum can be useful resources when they serve your teen’s interests or goals. Talk together about what they want from the experience and what would help them get it. There may be more resources than you and your teen realize!


  • Can I get help specifically with transcripts?

    Yes. Sue's transcript course walks you through the entire process of creating a transcript for your teen. Starting when your teen is younger often prevents worry and panic later on.  Unschooled Teen Transcript Course

  • What about college?

    College is an option for unschooled teens. If your teen wants to pursue it, start with the requirements of the colleges they’re interested in. That will help you work out what to document, which courses or tests they may need, and how to prepare an application.


    Sue’s college resources and transcript support can help you make sense of those steps with your teen.