Differences

   For every single home educator / unschooler that exists out there, there will be a slightly different way of doing things, sometimes learning methods are different even between the siblings of each family. I think that for someone outside this community looking in, it can sometimes cause confusion and wonder as to why there is this difference, when all children in schools are taught the same!

   When I first started to communicate with others from the home educating community, I was at first inspired by their strength. I mean... wow, they had taken the huge decision to educate their children themselves, sometimes against extreme adversity, and the accepted mainstream. They had put their children's best interests first, and spent the time getting to know how their child learns and precisely what it is that interests them most to facilitate the type of education that each child needed.

   That is NOT an easy job, the many different ways exist because every child is unique, each has a unique way of looking at the world and learning about it. There may also be specific learning problems which each parent has a different way of approaching in THEIR own unique way. So as you can see everything will look different from one family to the next, this does not mean any one way is better than any other way, or any one person is better. It's what works best for YOUR child.


     Whilst I was admiring their strength, and the fact that home educators are  fiercely Independent, it suddenly dawned on me, that person is also... ME. I had the same strength and independence, I may seem slightly quieter but... yes, it was still there. My children love to learn new things in their own way, it's this love of learning and awe inspiring enthusiasm that I hope to keep over the years. We had given them this opportunity to be free to learn.

     It seems my confidence was the only thing lacking, I worried if I was good enough, if I was doing it right, Is my way the best way for MY children, you know, the usual parent worries. It seems I really shouldn't have been worrying so much, my children are having a great time and learning absolutely everything possible about the world with a passion. Remember there will always be somebody out there who thinks their way is better, but you only have to read some of the success stories to realize this works.  Stand tall together...

 EMBRACE INDIVIDUALITY AND
    BE CONFIDENT IN YOU.