Back to school is a busy time that kicks off after the summer holidays. There's a ton of things to do, like buying school supplies, back-to-school clothes, and packing back-to-school lunches, not to mention the high costs of back-to-school. On top of all this preparation, there's one other important thing you want to make sure your kids are exposed to: learning. Traditionally, teachers are prepared and have lesson plans finalized before the start of the school year. But some “unschooling” parents are taking education into their own hands with a non-existent curriculum, and they've shared more about their approach on TikTok.
Experts are also starting to weigh in, with educators like kindergarten teacher and therapist @mrwilliamsprek getting more than 1.4 million views on TikTok, where he has more than 5,000 comments from people expressing their opinions on the issue. In his video, he praises how a popular influencer explains unschooling as something that educators should not recommend.
What is Unschooling?
#unschooling is trending on TikTok, but unschooling is not a new concept. The term was coined by educator John Holt in the 1970s. It is defined as “an educational philosophy that relies on children's innate curiosity and desire to learn.” In other words, education is led and initiated by children in their own time, at their own pace, and with their own interests. Learning is essentially child-led learning. That means things like learning to read and write can happen; it's just that it may not happen until the child is interested in the subject. @academicanarchyx reports that her 5-year-old taught himself to read and write “mostly through video games.”
With no curriculum or clear rules, unschooling is not streamlined and philosophies vary among parents.
Videos about unschooling education
In a video that has gone viral, @mrwilliamsprek reviews a day in the life of one unschooling parent, who says part of the unschooling day was learning how to have fun at the park. He then refers to another day in a previously recorded video by the same parent, which included doing laundry, cleaning the car and grocery shopping. Williams says these activities “are not unschooling. Those are chores they would be doing anyway, in addition to school.”
@bootsmacgregor commented: “This is supposed to describe a specific type of homeschooling that's very child-led, but too often it just ends up with letting your kids do whatever they want all day.”
What worries Williams most is when those same parents insist that their children are unlikely to pursue a career outside of the one they're exposed to. Parents argue, “What if my child wants to be a doctor or a lawyer? The chances of my child pursuing a career that I don't take for granted are very slim. My career as an entrepreneur is probably going to take that path.” Williams responds, “No matter what my students are taught, it's my job as a teacher to let them know that there are no limits to their potential.”
@parkrosepermaculture is an unschooling mom and she also shares her thoughts on this type of unschooling. She states, “Forcing your child to do chores is not unschooling. It's completely, diametrically opposed to the philosophy of unschooling.” She adds, “Your child may learn something on the side, but that's not unschooling.” @parkrosepermaculture even goes so far as to say that this type of practice is exploiting unschooling to make money.
@JessieJ commented, “What she calls 'unschooling,' we simply call life skills.”
Is unschooling legal?
Unschooling is actually legal in all 50 states since it falls under the umbrella of homeschooling. Homeschooling in each state has requirements and guidelines that each child must follow. What would a parent report as meeting these criteria when it comes to unschooling? It's pretty vague. Maybe they have an interest in math, reading, and science. But it's unclear when these subjects will be covered and how they will be taught.
It is no exaggeration to say that unschooling is anxiety-provoking. The idea is that this option leaves children socially unprepared or lacking the tools to adapt to society. Ironically, it has also wreaked havoc on the unschooling community. Homeschool parent @amasonhomeschool offers her own assessment. She says, “I really hate to see people promoting unschooling and acting like it's a walk in the park… Don't fall for this trend.” Unschooling is unregulated, the curriculum is undefined, and it's difficult to know exactly what your children are learning. Therefore, it's best to do thorough research (outside of TikTok) before making any decisions about early childhood education.
But as @mrwilliamsprek reiterates, kids need to know that no matter what they're studying, there's no limit to their potential. As parents, we want our kids to grow up to be confident adults, no matter what path or career they choose to pursue in life.
About the Author
Patty Shepell, Editorial Intern
As an editorial intern, Patti works with the team at The Everymom on planning, creating original articles, updating existing content, sourcing photos, writing shoppable product descriptions, typing freelance articles, and more. When not working, Patti enjoys spending time with her family, training for a half marathon (she completed one while 16 weeks pregnant), traveling, cooking, reading romantic comedies, and growing her sourdough starter, Rose.
