Please introduce yourself.

I am Bonnie and married my high school sweetheart Stephen and live in NM. I have 3 wonderful daughters 12, 8, 3 and we unschool!! I also am a foster parent so unschooling works very well with all the changes that take place in our home. We can take the time to get to know each kid that comes to us and fit them into our family pretty easily.

What does your typical day look like?

There is such a thing as typical??? My days are as different as each kid and we love it! We let life lead us and my kids know they are free to ask any question about what is going on and I will answer it to the best of my ability or find someone who can!
We love food in our home. One of the kids is always finding something to create in the kitchen. They have free access with supplies. (Of course they have help with stove and oven.) I love how they come up with new foods to try together. Some work out and others do not. Their imagination truly does guide them.

What does the term “unschool” mean to you?

Unschool means that we do not do what people think of as typical school. There are no workbooks that have to be done on a schedule or testing to “see” what my kids know. I spend time with my kids doing the things each family member is interested in doing and sometimes things we have to do, LOL.

Have you always unschooled or did you, like many, gradually move from traditional homeschooling (or public school) towards unschooling? If so, where are you in the process and how did you get there?

It took us years to get to the idea of unschooling but none of my kids have ever attended public school; we started homeschooling when my oldest was ready to start school because of issues with our public schools here. Over the years we moved away from traditional schooling and have just kept right on going!!

What interests do your kids have that you never would have guessed they would develop?

My oldest loves to draw and she is good at it, not sure where she got that talent at but we give her the support and guidance she needs to go after whatever God has called her to do!

My 8 year old is very sensitive, a whole new ball game from my oldest, and is really into dance! We watch lots of musicals and take her to shows whenever possible. Money is tight as I am sure lots of you can agree with so dance lessons are on hold right now.

My little one loves to learn and will try anything once, yes that means lots of booboos and cuddle time but she will be strong! She loves for here sisters to read to her and enjoys being outside.

What are some of the benefits of unschooling that you have seen?

Everything, I know you want specifics but really everything is a benefit! With our journey to unschooling we have been called to help others and are doing foster care. It is a challenge but well worth it, my kids are learning that not everyone has parents that are dedicated to them and willing to spend time with them.

What are some of the negatives?

I would have to say the #1 thing for me is pressure from others to keep up with what someone has decided is the normal. My kids are learning and growing with God everyday what someone thinks they should know is not really my concern.

Tell us about your best day (or your worst).

OK, I am going to have to go with the BEST!!! The day my oldest finally decided she could read!!! We struggled with reading and she would not even try one day she just jumped right in and did it!! That celebration was a blast (just so you know she was almost 9 and in the 3rd grade).

Favorite definitions of unschooling:

Deuteronomy 11:19: Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing this unschooling portrait with us! If you’d like to share YOUR family’s story, find out how here!

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Sheri. I am married to a very hard-working husband & awesome daddy. My kids are a 5-year-old boy and twin 2-year-old girls.

What does your typical day look like?

Typically, the kids have woken me up entirely too early. We all do our bathroom routine, get ready (or maybe stay in PJs all day) and the play begins! They love Legos, marble race tracks, reading books with me, going outside, coloring, crafts, and puzzles. My oldest also likes some computer games and his Leappad. Sometimes we’ll read a book and do a craft that goes along with it. We watch educational Youtube videos. Sometimes we do kitchen science experiments. It really just depends on what they want to do. My favorite is cuddling on the couch and just reading to my son while the girls sleep – a relaxing thing for him (and me!!), since he no longer takes naps. In the evening, dad comes home from work and does the kinds of things mom isn’t always too good at. Being a kid alongside them. They enjoy the goofy things they do with their dad. I get a little evening break.

What does the term “unschool” mean to you?

It means freedom. It means nurturing the kids’ innate sense of wonder and curiosity. It means that God’s creation is our curriculum. It means that play is school and school is play. It means that they don’t have to grow up too fast, sitting at desks or cubicles working all day long, like mini-adults. It also means that I answer a thousand questions a day from inquiring little minds.

Have you always unschooled or did you, like many, gradually move from traditional homeschooling (or public school) towards unschooling? If so, where are you in the process and how did you get there?

I bought a curriculum at first, and we liked it enough, I suppose. Recently, however, I began to think about my grandfather who passed away when I was a teenager. It really just hit me that he was the ultimate unschooler. He had all kinds of reference books around, fun little artifacts to play with, a microscope. I spent so many hours on that microscope. He had a typewriter back then. I learned to type. He taught me about internet before it was even really a “thing.” We played on the HAM radio, where I talked to all sorts of people in different countries. I learned to make things. We made our own stained glass once. We read books. I learned more in my days visiting over at his house than I ever did at any school. It was also significantly more enjoyable. He is no longer alive, but I decided that I want that for my kids, too.

What are some of the benefits of unschooling that you have seen?

To be honest, I can only talk about the benefits in my own home, as I do not know of any other unschoolers. I find that the sibling relationships seem to be really developing into something much deeper than I ever expected. I also see how excited my kids are to learn about things. The best thing is probably seeing what my kids’ God-given inclinations are. I don’t think their path to the future starts at 18. I think it starts now. Their interests, personalities, and natural curiosities will play into who/what they ultimately become. I want them to walk their own paths and march to their own beats, starting now.

What are some of the negatives?

Probably the fact that people wonder if the kids are not learning the right things at the right time (public school calendar, ya know!) or even if they are learning at all.

Tell us about your best day (or your worst).

I would say a bad day is one where I didn’t hear my kids laugh enough. If I’m grouchy or tired, sometimes that can have an effect on the whole house. Yelling is usually a sign of a not-so-good day. A good day is one where everyone is excited to tell dad about the day when he gets home. They want to share something they made, learned, or did. A good day is one where I feel closer to the kids than the day before.

Favorite definition of unschooling?

Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller’s teacher/mentor): “I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think. Whereas if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less “showily”. Let him come and go freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself… Teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experiences.”

Thank you, Sheri, for sharing this Unschooling Portrait with us!