A Fresh Perspective

One of the huge delights of my unschooling life is sitting quietly with my children while chatting together.

I’m good friends with my kids. We’re always sharing our thoughts, ideas, stories, dreams, problems, and moments of joy. We don’t talk so that I can impress my opinions on my children. I don’t tell them what I think and therefore what they should think. Instead, I’m interested in what they have to say. Who are they? What ideas do they have? What thoughts are circling through their minds?

I love listening to my kids. They observe. They think deeply. I am continually surprised by their wisdom. 

My unschooling children give me a fresh perspective on life. They help me see things more clearly. Is this because they aren’t tied down by those old ideas that sometimes echo in my head? 

Our kids can learn from us, but we can also learn from them.

If we are prepared to listen.

From my unschooling book, Radical Unschool Love

Photos

I took the above photos a few days ago when Sophie and I visited a local nature reserve at the river that winds its way through our shire. We’ve had a lot of rain recently, and we were eager to see if the river was flowing over the weir. Not so long ago, the river was looking very sad due to long years of drought. But now it’s full. More than full. It’s expanded over the reserve, forming huge puddles and lots of slippery mud, and it’s tumbling in waterfalls over the weir!

Sophie and I enjoyed taking hundreds of photos, posing for each other with the river in the background. It had been a long time since we’d last gone on an outing together with our cameras. For a couple of hours, we forgot about the problems in the world, especially the pandemic, and just soaked up the beauty of a late winter’s day at the river while we discussed lenses, camera angles, shutter speeds, and all our latest ideas!

Something Extra

I made a video about one of the greatest delights of our unschooling life!

Do your kids surprise you with their wisdom? Have they helped you reject old ideas? I bet you also enjoy going on outings and chatting to your kids!