Unschooling: Learning the Important Things Before Time Runs Out

How did my teenage daughter spend her time, and what did she learn when she was a registered homeschooling unschooler?

Recently, I had a fabulous afternoon with my teenage daughter Gemma-Rose. We painted our nails while watching a musical stage version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

While we watched David Hasselhoff turn from Jekyll into Hyde and back again, we exchanged opinions about the singers, the sets and the costumes and whether this adaptation of the novel was successful or not. It was like going back in time to Gemma-Rose’s registered homeschooling days.

Time with our kids eventually runs out. This is something all of us are aware of. Maybe we start to panic as the years disappear. Do our kids know enough? Should we teach them how to write essays? What other skills do they need? Should we make our kids learn things ‘just in case’?

Many teenagers end up with their heads buried in their books or devices, cramming in as much information as possible before the clock ticks down.

But Gemma-Rose didn’t do that. During those last years, we watched musicals, documentaries and movies, read all kinds of books, talked about anything and everything, drank lots of coffee, listened to each other, swapped opinions, ran hundreds of kilometres in the bush and set out on loads of adventures together. Gemma-Rose also followed some of her interests on her own such as playing a few games, experimenting with art and practising the piano. She had a part time job too.

It’s amazing what Gemma-Rose learnt during that time. While she was involved with her passions and relaxing, enjoying and sharing with me, she delved into a wide variety of subjects, from Shakespeare and Austen to art forgery and heists. Gemma-Rose didn’t miss out. Despite not deliberately  cramming knowledge into her head, she knows more than most people. And because she knows how to learn, she can learn even more.

But are there some things that are more important than knowledge?

I wonder:

Does my daughter like who she is? Does she recognise she is a beautifully unique person? Does she have the confidence to tackle whatever challenges the future holds? Does she know she can make a difference in other people’s lives? Is she aware that her life has meaning and purpose? Will the bonds between us remain strong? Does she feel unconditionally loved?

I hope so.

The Jekyll and Hyde musical, starring David Hasselhoff, is on YouTube. There are many mini-series and movie versions of Stevenson’s novel. We enjoyed watching multiple productions, comparing them to each other as well as to the book.

Something Extra

In my story Another Way of Looking at Our Kids’ Learning, I wrote about one of Gemma-Rose’s registered homeschooling unschooling days. My youngest daughter might have been 15 at the time. At the end of this particular day, I could have translated everything Gemma-Rose had done into the usual educational language, such as the appropriate school subjects, but I chose to interpret her learning in a different way.

I ended my post with these words:

When we’re wondering whether our kids are learning all they need to know, could we sometimes focus on the wrong things? Do we place too much importance on the traditional indicators of education?  Facts may fade. We might not be able to recall dates. We won’t remember all of the details of a story.

But we won’t forget such things as love, compassion, joy and self-sacrifice. These will change us into the people we are meant to be.

What did your kids learn today? They might have done some English or history or creative arts. But what else did they learn about? Love? Compassion? Forgiveness? Did they learn about the important things in life?

Perhaps you’d like to read the whole post?