This post is rather exciting to me. Join me today as I go over our unschooling family adventures! To me sometimes it is easier to understand what someone is doing by actually getting a sneak peek into what they are doing. So here’s a sneak peek into our unschooling adventure.
Years ago I stayed away from unschooling or any thoughts of unschooling. It seems that there is somehow there is an implication that unschooling was for lazy parents who didn’t want to teach their children. Or Parents who let their children to stay up late, watch TV and play video games all day. Or well plain doing nothing and learning nothing.
But that is not what unschooling looks like to most of us! Most people that I know who are unschooler are the most educated people. Why? Because they are taught to learn. Not forced to remember what an authority requires for them to remember. They learn in the best way they know how to learn. They usually live full, active and educated lives.
Learning is innately in us. We were created to learn, discover and educate ourselves through many avenues. If you watch an infant with sibling you soon discover that they want to be just like them. Children watch there parents and there behavior shows this.
Can Christians Unschool?
The next huddle I needed to cross was can Christians unschool? Or if you are not using a Christian curriculum than you are not doing right.
I beg to differ. Unschooling fits perfect in a Christians life. In the beginning moms and dads taught and trained there children in the ways of the Lord. They walked and guided them daily through everything. Not just within certain hours in the day but all day everyday.
What teaching are we commissioned to do. We are to teach and train our children in the ways of the Lord. SO first and foremost this should be our center our number one focus. We should focus not only on Biblical training but also character training. Who our children are going to become as well. The Bible says alot of about roles of men and women. Are we teaching to train our children to be Godly men and women?
What good is it for our children to become into a position on high esteem if they do not know the Lord? We are to train our children for His glory. In America we are seeing so many dumb smart people. You know the kind of well educated people who are filled with pride. Or the really smart good job people that don’t know how to do basic tasks and hire everything out? I’m not saying that it’s wrong to hire people out but there is a definitely blessing in learning a new skill together.
Building relationships
Are you taking the time and energy to build relationships with your children. The relationships with you and your children but also those between siblings?
What brings those relationships closer? Teaching the heart of Christ. To love one another, to serve others. Definitely not terms you here in the world. But you don’t need a curriculum for that! You need your own Godly characteristics patience, kindness, love and many more.
Why do relationships take second place to education?
Looking for more information about the heart of relationships check out this post The heart of the relationship – Momma Bear 2 Many
Sharing experiences
A huge part of our lives is sharing experiences together. From homesteading together to going on trip together. These are times you can build relationships while you learn together. This year we planned several trips.
Talk about relationship building! Go on an adventure together! All the cooking, cleaning, home projects behind and just going to some place new and sharing that adventure together as a family.
Unschooling is definitely the way to go if your focus is on building relationships and understanding your children. Really anyone can open a book and say here is your lesson. Reading the days said lesson. But not give their children the opportunities. Not really hear your children. Or give way to their own thoughts. They might have a let’s build a bird house activity in their curriculum. That differs immensely from a child interested in birds letting them make natural materials to make a birdhouse from the land. Or helping them recycle things and make a bird feeder. They have control. It builds their confidence and character.
Portland
In June 2022 we started off by using a doctors appoint to turn into a trip. For a long weekend we camped at Bradbury Mountain state park. During that time we climbed Bradbury Mountain to see the beautiful view! If you have never been it sure is a great trip! The view is breathtaking! There is something special as well when you are all tactialing something like climbing a mountain and rejoicing and sharing Gods beauty at the top. Like you all pushed yourselves working hard and the great reward. This can also be a lesson in faith and spiritual battles.
We also visit numerous light houses during this trip. Two lights state park, Spring point ledge, Nubble in York and by far my favorite was Portland head. It was even more precious as a few years ago we all did a puzzle of Portland head together as a family. My son who went to be with the Lord always wanted to go here. It just felt so special!
We also took the kids to the Portland Childrens museum. You can get discounted tickets to museums if you have a ASTC membership through your local museum.
We also went to the York zoo although I do not recommend this zoo.
White Mountains NH
WE stayed camping at Layfette state park which literally is nestled into the mountains.
The first day we walked to the Basin from the campground
The Next we went to Flume Gorge and then went to the cannon mountain tram all the way to the top of the mountain. My oh my the view! We then walked the rim trail and climbed even higher on a tower on top of the mountain.
We also stopped on the Kangamangus highway! Absolutely beautiful views!
Sturbridge, MA
We went to this area to visit family at Christmas time. Also my children had never been to a hotel before. So we went to a hotel with a pool in December how fun!
While there we visited family and went to bright nights. Bright Nights is a large outside light display. Which sparked many questions about lights.
On the way home from MA we stopped at the worlds largest globe.
We also stopped at the state house in Augusta. Which honestly they were wonderful and it sparked so much discussion after we went. I could try to teach the branches of the government but to go and have them experience that is so much more engaging!
Our Longest Journey yet
So I love to make use of my time. In case you haven’t figured that out yet. When we travel long distances our days look like this. Up early drive around 5 hours. Stop and a big place our first was a playground where we had a picnic. Around 8 hours GPS time we live to stop overnight. So we stopped in…
NYC I decided to make it 2 nights instead of 1 so we could do something. SO that night of travel we eat and crash. Next day we took a ferry to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty.
Off we went stopping in PA at Hersey chocolate tours. Then on to Gettysburg, which was not so easy to do quickly. Then on to Colonial Williamsburg Virgina.
Hersey Tour Video https://youtu.be/llvNn1CVUNo
Colonial Williamsburg allowed us SO many opportunities. WE went to Jamestown, and Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown. WE spent time dancing and fellowshipping in colonial garb and style with fellow homeschoolers. Really a wonderful opportunity!
See Yorktown adventures here https://youtu.be/u8AnINMGvJ8
Jamestown Adventurehttps://youtu.be/YAS3Rw2x6XQ
SO back home again! WE stopped in Philly, PA and walked to Liberty Bell. It was really neat as all the place we went had a theme of freedom! IT was amazing how all the talks, all the place fell into this theme even though that part was unplanned by me. But God had a plan.
SO then we stopped in Mystic CT we saw downtown mystic. WE went to the mystic Aquarium which honestly is an absolutely wonderful aquarium! They even have beluga whales!
Here is our aquarium adventure https://youtu.be/_ch6WENQNyA
Then home again home again jiggy jog!
Local Adventures
- Library
- Bangor Library
- Coast guard station
- St.croix Island
- West Quoddy Lighthouse
- Orono bog walk
- Keenes Lake
- Sorrento
- Ziplining
- Rockwall climbing
Read to your children
It amazes me how many people don’t have time to read to their children. But reading to your children is in a way like an adventure its something you can experience together. It gives a foundation for something to talk about. Ask opinions about. Alot of our history starts or continues with a book. There is nothing like cuddling up to a good book by the fire. Or sitting under a shade tree with a good book.
It is hard to know what to read especially as a Christian. My daughter is working on reviewing book currently so we will have a good list to go by. Until then here are some of the books we read out loud this year.
- I survived -the whole series
- left behind junior book1
- My brother Sam is dead ( violence)
- Woodsrunner
- George Washingtons spy (violence)
- Little house on the prairie books 4and 5
- Call of the Wild
- Truth and Grace
- Johnny Tremain (violence)
- a few magic tree houses ( we are cautious about being choosy about which ones we allow)
- Lots of statue of liberty books
- Dear America winter of the red snow (violence)
- Jamestown
- The starving time ( series of 3 books)
- Liberty bell
- Colonial Williamsburg Ceasars story, Marias story, Anns story, Johns story(ghost tale) 4 separate books
- What was Ellis Island
- Who was Ben Franklin
- Lighthouse dog
- Gifts from the sea (ghost tale)
- Dear America Survival in the storm
- Dear Princess
- Dear America not a Nickle to Spare
- My name is America The journal of CJ Jackson
- The Whipping Boy
- Faith of a Bride
Math
So math happens all over the place in everyday fashion. So many focus on algebra 2 or trig or…whatever the requirement you feel is. But just like public school many children leave a homeschool environment without the skills to run a home. Reading a picture of a ruler on a paper is a far cry on knowing how to build a house. Knowing how to budget or manage a checkbook is of top priority here.
When children are younger we just math hands on. Sometimes I put tangrams, games, money, math u see block on the table for the kids to play with. They learn ALOT through play! Most of there math is learned in this manner. They also know how to find the needed information to know how to learn more. My son at age 16 could probably build a house. Something I would not trust in most college grads. He has learned how to do things but more importantly how to find the answers to questions he has.
Currently beyond this I have made a math curriculum available to them. I was using math u see but switched to teaching textbooks as it just became more convient.
We are trying to develop learning so if a child feels they need more for what they want to do they are given that opportunity.
Reading
I teach my children how to read when they are ready. Then we read aloud daily to my children I will see when I see signs of readiness. When ready then will buy them learn to read through Christian Light. Then when I am available I will say I am available from now until 11 if anyone want to do reading today. They do as much or as little as they want in a day. This works well for our family. They do learn to read later but they also comprehend at a higher level.
Conclusion
Go where the Lord leads you. Don’t be afraid of changing what you are currently doing for better relationships.
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