Relaxing about Autonomous Learning

I’ve figured out that I cannot Blog daily! Honestly, keeping up with anything I try to organise is a challenge. Juggling a FT job whilst balancing the day to enjoy moments with my children...well, here I am catching up a week later. It’s a good thing our lifestyle at least revolves around ‘autonomous learning’ and my Mommy Motto is ‘just let them play’. I’m told I fit into the ‘rare breed’ of people who can simply let go and let their children follow an unstructured learning path. I’d like to be the first to say that ‘it does not come naturally’. I must constantly inform the worry-nerves in my brain that ‘it’s okay’ and to relax. Faith in knowing this to be true is tested frequently when the ever-present ‘Mommy Guilt’ cloud that seems to hover over me morning/noon/night thunders a vibration that causes me to frantically break out the school workbooks whilst scheduling numerous social outings for the children to engage with their peers. Thankfully, my faith in myself is either on steroids or has built up enough strength over the years to win most battles with ‘Mommy Guilt’. I KNOW my kids will learn their reading, writing, arithmetic. And possibly how to make me breakfast in bed (if I speak of Faith, I must only give Hope a fair chance!). I’m at an advantage now to relax since I began this ‘Autonomous Learning/Unschooling’ journey with my husband and stepson, Derek, when he was 9 years old, and I had just become ‘Stepmom’. Derek is our living proof that autonomous learning works very well. (I will brag the details another day!). With my young children, I’m reminded often when they simply surprise me with what they’ve taught themselves. And I’m beaming with smiles knowing how grand it is that THEY taught themselves because they wanted to learn. No one coerced them, there was no test to pass, no fear of failure. The mother in me also finds great comfort knowing that my children are socialising with each other every day versus being separated in a school environment. Their bond with each other is strengthened by this time spent together (though listening to one of them right now screaming ‘Go Away!’ at the other two does challenge this theory!). I’m also Thrilled that our children are left to explore their imaginations. That is probably the number one goal for me, as a parent, to find peace with in myself. I want my children to enjoy their imaginations for eternity, because it’s the greatest tool each of us possess but that is broken for too many people in this world. Days in our household do not start with pledges of allegiance or memorising symbols that have no meaning. They start with observing the weather, listening to bird song, spotting first signs of Spring, reciting our dreams to each other, and letting others speak our of respect, not by raising our hands. Derek just turned 16 and after taking zero tests in 7 years, he's just passed ITC GCSE with a B, and passed the college entrance exam to Wiltshire college. Indigo, our 6 yr old is teaching herself to read whilst writing her own stories. I could spend pages admiring all the feats of all of my children, but the ‘Take a shower & brush your teeth’ cloud hovers over me at the moment. Stay tuned for more ‘blogs’….next up is ‘How to make your very own Princess Cake’ (with pics!) that is easy peasy lemon squeezy to make but will impress the dickens out of your 5 yr old!!