Although I’m writing this in 2025, with over 3 years unschooling under the belt, I found all my old poems the other day. This is one I wrote when we reached the first year of home educating milestone. That first year taught me such a lot, so I guess you could say homeschooling is not only for the kids!
Poem: A Year Of Unschooling
I’ve learnt that education is not found in school
It’s found inside your heart, following dreams all the way through
Til they fall down to earth and you stumble on something completely new
Or sometimes it means biting off more than you can chew; but you still try to
My biggest learning so far has been through having my children
I started with a few scraps of knowledge taught in textbooks
And grew from life learning to understand brain science, free-play, and that kids make the best books
That no matter your parenting style, each child is one in a million
I’ve learnt that teaching my child to do things on my agenda kills their spark
That comparing to children following a different path only angers my soul
That watching my children be exactly who they want to be leaves a different mark
I’m left with a heart stamped full of memories, it’s been made completely whole
No good or bad, no exceptional or phenomenal. My children don’t need to hear those words
They get a joyous feeling in life, right here and right now, simply playing with the butterflies and birds
They have not yet chosen to learn 10 divided by 5, but they have met eyes with the local hummingbirds
They spend precious times together, with people who love them, which is exactly what their little beings deserve
So what have my children learnt through their first year of home education?
They’ve built internal belief and drive, they know who they are and how to teach themselves
We’ve learnt to leave our children to build on their own unique foundation
That some are like tortoises and others like hares, but wherever they are on their journey, they’ll always be true to themselves
Gentle Parent 