Welcome to the newest crunchy trend of unschooling, folks, where parents let their kids decide what they want to learn, whenever they feel like it. As in, no curriculum, no lesson plans, just pure
“follow your heart”
energy. If you’re thinking, Wait, doesn’t that sound like an actual disaster waiting to happen? Congratulations, you’re not alone. Because let’s be real, left to their own devices, most kids would learn by binging TikToks and eating pizza (the life, though, right?). And yet! There’s a whole movement of parents who genuinely believe that letting their kids skip out on structured education is the best way to raise little geniuses who’ll somehow manage to learn algebra between snack breaks and Fortnite sessions. While traditional schooling may not be perfect, at least it forces kids to acquire basic skills they’re going to need to function in the real world. Teachers are an incredible resource, and their expertise is something we should be utilizing and collaborating with to make sure children are getting the best quality of support they can.
What Is Unschooling?
Okay, so the concept of unschooling might sound a little (or a lot) wOoWoO, and that’s cause it kinda is. Sorry to any unschoolers out there, but like, it’s true. Basically, unschooling is an educational philosophy that ditches traditional schooling altogether — no set curriculum, no formal classes, no rigid lesson plans. Instead, it’s all about child-led learning, where kids follow their own interests and passions at their own pace, in their own way. It’s pretty much the ultimate DIY education: parents serve more as facilitators than teachers, and the classroom is wherever the kid wants it to be — whether that’s the backyard, the kitchen, or a YouTube rabbit hole on how to beat the next level of Minecraft. Unschoolers believe that children naturally learn what they need through real-life experiences, curiosity, and play, without the structure imposed by any sort of formal schooling system. And while it seems totally absurd, it’s technically a subset of homeschooling.
In Defense of The Unschooling Concept
While we can rip the concept apart, let’s give unschooling some credit. Sure, it sounds like something out of a Coachella fever dream, but there are a few redeeming qualities. Kind of.
For one, it lets kids dive deep into their passions. Instead of being force-fed trigonometry they’ll never use, they get to spend their days drawing anime, building LEGO masterpieces, or obsessively researching conspiracy theories. Is it a little out there? Maybe. But there’s something sort of refreshing about not making kids sit through hours of memorizing the periodic table. Additionally, unschooling parents argue that their kids are learning how to think critically and solve problems creatively — not just cramming for a test, which, okay, sounds nice in theory. They both focus on child-led learning and emphasize hands-on experiences. But here’s the difference: Montessori still has structure. It’s child-centered, but there are teachers, lesson plans, and a carefully designed environment guiding the process. Unschooling? It’s a free-for-all. The kid sets the agenda, and if they decide their life’s calling is making IG reels for 12 hours straight, well, that’s just their curriculum.
Why Most People Think Unschooling Is Not For Their Kids
Let’s be real — while the concept of letting kids learn what they want sounds cute in theory, it’s also the perfect recipe for raising a generation of kids who can’t read a map, do basic math, or, god forbid, understand how taxes work. The idea that children are magically going to teach themselves algebra while scrolling or trying to become an influencer? Laughable, but if there is the choice to learn about photosynthesis or just chill with your Tamagotchi all day, guess which one you're choosing? And that’s the big issue with unschooling: it assumes that kids are going to wake up one day, look away from their screens, and think,
“Wow, you know what I really want to dive into today? Geometry.”
In school, we let them choose topics they like to grab their attention and keep them engaged. If they’re not in a school setting, though, it’s going to be significantly harder to learn how to be a functioning member of society. Being ready for college or life after graduation is taught in school — even in elementary now — and if they’re just letting the child go through their instincts, how will children ever learn how to do the hard stuff? Sure, you could say
“no screens during school time,”
but
A.) that goes against the philosophy and
B.) that still doesn’t mean they’re going to want to learn a variety of topics to make them somewhat well-rounded humans.
Also, let’s talk about social skills for a sec. Unschooling means your kid likely isn’t interacting with other kids on a regular basis. How is that going to help when they finally have to face the horror of a group project or hold down a job? We can be incredibly supportive of social and emotional learning, including validation and identification of emotions, but having a child (whose brain is still developing) be in charge of their days, activities, etc., is not only irresponsible but doing this child as a whole a disservice for the future. As a parent, this sounds like hell. While it might seem like a free-spirited, progressive way to raise a child, most people are still thinking,
“Is this really how we want to prepare the next generation for adult life?” Probably not.
The concept of unschooling goes against all the substantial data that is out there about child development. Children respond positively to structure, expectations, and boundaries, as education systems are some of their early foundations for these concepts that carry them into adulthood. Unschooling takes all of these research-supported concepts and essentially throws them out the window, which can result in some serious negative consequences down the road for mental, social, and emotional development.
While there are some kids out there who could benefit from this hippy-dippy method, for the most part, it seems to be a terrible, low-key selfish idea. Being a parent means doing the tough stuff for your children, even if that’s helping them suffer through a challenging class or memorize a bunch of verbs. Boundaries, expectations, and having to teach the emotional regulation around it is HARD. But that’s part of parenting — unschooling skips that critical step.
Ultimately the idea of letting kids just figure it all out on their own may sound appealing to the most laissez-faire of parents, but it’s not exactly the best game plan for raising a functional adult. If you’re hoping for the next tech mogul or Grey Sloan Memorial surgeon, you might want to keep those geometry lessons on the table.
Adapted from: Betches
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