Back

What is that unschooling thing? | Day 169 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Jun 19, 2023· 2 minutes

🇩🇰 Also available in Danish 🇩🇰

On some days of my travel- and reflection journal, there is not much to talk about.

I can not keep sharing how green the Swedish forest is in the summertime or how I, yet another day, failed to see a moose.

We are enjoying the peace and don’t even want to go on day trips or hikes.

Still reading books, cooking meals, having conversations, and swimming in the lake.

It is still precious.

But of course, there is thinking.

There is always thinking.

I heard a podcast with a statement that got me thinking:

“At that point, we were completely unschooling. She wakes up, and she decides what she wants to learn today.”

You see, this sounds, to me, not like unschooling at all by no means.

It sounds like a maybe very freestyle form of homeschooling, but still, a life where the children are supervised by the adults who ensure they learn.

True unschooling is a lifestyle where the whole idea of school has been removed from the equation, the idea of “you have to learn” and the idea of the curriculum. Both. Both need to go in order for it to be unschooling.

You see, learning is a byproduct of living.

Anything we do voluntarily has a challenge, and therefore we grow.

We learn.

If there were no challenges, it would not be fun.

There is no way a meaningful life will not leave us smarter every day.

The difference for the unschooled child is that the child is not expected to learn anything in particular, not even DO anything in particular. In our family, we all pursue our hobbies, do what we LIKE to do, and find meaningful.

This can be hard to see on the surface. On the surface, it all looks just like a weekend. But it is not. We don’t do weekends. We just live — every day.

Love and light

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

🇩🇰 Also available in Danish 🇩🇰

 

Thank you for reading
I would love to hear from you. Listen to your thoughts and reflections - or praise :) It is often emotional to share our life like this, and we get very happy when we get feedback from you. So feel free to share a comment below 😋 

After the emotional whirlwind of the Camino, my friends and I sought solace in nature. Our hike led us to a mountaintop where we uncovered ancient st…Read more
After my transformative journey on the Camino, I found moments of profound peace and clarity. From savoring the ripest Spanish mangoes to being capti…Read more
On the final day of our Camino Frances journey, emotions ran deep as we approached Santiago. Amidst the beauty of moss-covered trees and silent fores…Read more
On Day 16 of Camino Frances, we journeyed from Arzua, embracing introspective nights and the beauty around us. Amid challenges and reflections, we le…Read more
Join us for an in-depth conversation on the complexities of unschooling and the role of parental judgment, featuring Cecilie Conrad, Carla Martinez, …Read more
Day fifteen on the Camino Frances was a day of introspection and rejuvenation. From basking in the sun on a balcony to pondering life's deeper questi…Read more
On the fourteenth day of Camino Frances, we embraced the beauty of nature, tackled challenging inclines, and found joy in the unexpected. Join us as …Read more
We trekked to Melide, reminiscing about a past visit and a life-saving cream for burns. Discover our walk under changing weather, the unforgettable d…Read more
From a low-vibe start in a village to being awed by sunrises and sunsets, a day filled with reflections on beauty, existence, and camaraderie. Markin…Read more