There are some days as a mother I find myself frustrated. Choosing change is never easy yet, I have changed.

Things I once accepted, no longer feel right and as a parent I have evolved. My children were always at the front of my mind and considered in every decision I made and still are. I have no real regrets as I feel I always did my best over the years but certainly there are many things I would not choose to do now if I had my time again. Now I am braver and sure of who I am. We grow with our children.

I refer to my younger girls as Unschoolers. They aren’t really … but I am.
They simply do not do or go to school. And as an Unschooling mother, I have to remind myself of that often.

It’s very easy for me to get fidgety and forget how they enjoy learning best. How if I try to coerce or force an interest, they switch off, become resentful and learn nothing!

Sometimes I will think something might be fun and I’ll strew it out or suggest a craft that has an academic angle and it almost always results in someone becoming upset or bored. I get grumpy and the girls declare they hate something I had intended them to find joy in. What I thought would be fun or interesting is not for them.

When I check myself and take a back seat for a day or two, I start to see all the magic happening organically. We begin to have rich conversations or research things were reading about. We laugh more and get outside amongst nature. We relax, slow down and appreciate what we have more.

Being an Unschool parent takes practice. I’m not always patient and sometimes even now I lose sight of what’s important. But I believe in ALL of my children’s ability to learn what is important, relevant, interesting and necessary to them.

© 2025 Juliette Proffitt ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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