Why we opted out of School

There are so many reasons I love our lifestyle… I’m so happy with our choice to opt out of school for our children, it’s going to be a challenge for me to keep it brief for you but I’m trying so bare with me!

I didn’t begin my mothering journey as intentionally as I am today. I knew I wanted children but I really didn’t think too deeply about how it would all play out.

It’s no secret then when I birthed into motherhood I felt swept up in all the ‘shoulds’ and expectations of the mainstream pathways. It was a life that drove me wild with anxiety as every step I took, felt like I was driving a split into my side, dividing me and disconnecting me from my base, my stability and my sense of self.

It sounds dramatic but I literally had physical symptoms of separation occurring from my hips and pelvis and this example of energetic disconnect is so common for so many women!  

I was at a breakthrough point in my journey.

Reclaiming my instinctual self with a new born baby and trying to be able to hold space for a toddler riddled with anxiety, my anxiety that had imprinted into her...

I embraced my roots as an energetic healer and began practicing for myself again.

Every bone in my body was telling me to follow the lead of the children.

We moved towards gentle, respectful parenting and endeavoured down the path of uncovering ourselves as conscious parents. Dealing with our own triggers and limiting beliefs that constantly circle round.

Our children are our greatest teachers, they open us up to learning so much about ourselves.

Removing the baby gates of separation, replacing time-outs with time ins… Trust and communication was our new philosophy. 

I quit my corporate coaching job, withdrew the kids from daycare and relied on Grammy to help out with watching the kids once a week so I could continue to study. 

And it was healing!

For both the children and my relationship, our own sense of a base, our foundation and stability restored through connected living.

So when it came around to thinking about the school pathway, conversations about sending my baby to school made me swirl with anxiety.

There was no way I was comfortable with the government system… The private schools in the area were so religious and that’s not my style either… I knew I wanted something different for my children.

I loved the Steiner approach for a slow creative living in tune with nature's rhythms but with no schools in our area it was not an easy option for us to take on. 

Meeting the homeschooling community of my area came as such a gift to me. As I moved further along my path as an energetic healer and a circle keeper the women that moved into my circles gave me the gift of opening their communities to me with my eldest only three and my second being only one, we were well below school age, but accepted into their world .

As they say, your vibe attracts your tribe, and I found truth in that the more aligned I became with my truth, the more trust I had in myself and what I wanted for our life, the more doors opened for me.

It was clear that school was not the only option and then suddenly it was not even on my radar.

The relief of dropping the search for a school that met my values, the relief of being able to grow together as a family… It lit me up to see my children blossom with the confidence of our trust in their abilities.

The more I researched, the more the benefits became clear.

We were travelling the path of the unschooler, or the natural learner. Following the child's interests, learning through everyday life and interacting with humans doing everyday things, absorbing the beauty of nature at a pace set by the child. 

I stand by and watch as my children converse with librarians and shopkeepers and make their own purchases owning their choices with pride.

Always asking questions, always up for the big conversations I have no doubts about their ability to navigate a risky climb in nature or settle a decision between right from wrong… I trust their instincts and their assessment of their strengths.

And they know that I’ve got their back, always there to be their guide if they need to check or ask for help. Always there if they need comfort or reassurance. This approach is not a hands off approach to learning but it is about letting go of the control and the expectations that are so common in our society.

It is about living a passionate life, aligned with your values, side by side with your children.

Anchored in the values of trust, respect, slow and connection.

And that’s the crux of why we opted out of school…. Along with many other reasons that I can go on about another day.

If you want to lean into your instincts and trust yourself to live a value aligned life you can book a free chat with me here to see how I can help you.

My middle child at play in nature