Before You Homeschool, Try Unschooling First
When many families first begin their homeschooling journey, the excitement is often mixed with a touch of overwhelm. What curriculum should we choose? How do we stick to a schedule? Am I doing this right?
But before you dive into lesson plans, workbooks, and calendars, there's a gentle, intentional path that can help your family ease into homeschooling with more connection and clarity: unschooling before you homeschool.
What Does It Mean to "Unschool Before You Homeschool"?
Unschooling before homeschooling is a decompression period—a time of stepping back from structured, institutional learning to reconnect with your child, observe their natural interests, and create a new rhythm as a family. It's about letting go of schoolish expectations so you can rediscover what learning really looks like outside the classroom.
Whether your child is coming out of public school or you've never formally homeschooled before, this transition time is valuable.
Why This Step Matters
When kids (and parents) have been part of the traditional school system, there’s often mental baggage—expectations about grades, performance, control, and rigid schedules. Taking a few weeks (or even months) to unschool can:
Help rebuild your child’s curiosity if school drained it.
Allow time for healing from anxiety, burnout, or school trauma.
Give you the space to observe your child’s learning style.
Reconnect as a family without the pressure of “getting it right.”
Let you reflect on what kind of homeschool experience you want to create.
What Unschooling Before Homeschooling Might Look Like
Unschooling doesn’t mean doing nothing—it means doing life intentionally and trusting that learning happens all the time. Here’s what a few weeks of this might look like:
🌿 Nature Walks & Outdoor Play
Let your child run, climb, explore, and notice the world around them. Nature is the original classroom.
📚 Reading Together (Or Separately!)
Pile up on library books. Follow your child’s curiosity. Graphic novels, audiobooks, cookbooks—it all counts.
🎨 Creative Time
Offer art supplies, music, building blocks, recycled materials, or instruments. Let your child explore freely.
🍽️ Life Skills
Involve your kids in cooking, gardening, budgeting, fixing things—these are real-world lessons with lasting value.
🧘 Mindfulness & Emotional Check-Ins
Journal together, practice breathing, or talk about emotions. Unschooling is also about unlearning stress.
🎲 Child-Led Projects
Does your child love bugs, space, baking, or dinosaurs? Follow those threads. Let them go deep.
Tips for Parents During This Time
Resist the urge to “fall behind”—there’s nothing to fall behind from when you’re creating your own path.
Keep a journal of what your child is doing each day—you’ll be amazed how much learning happens without a curriculum.
Read books and blogs about different homeschool styles. You don’t have to decide everything right away.
Trust the process—especially when it feels slow or different. Unschooling is about trust.
Slowing Down to Find Your Flow
Homeschooling isn’t about re-creating school at home. It’s about creating something better suited to your unique family. By unschooling first, you give yourself and your children the chance to slow down, listen deeply, and discover the joy of learning together.
So if you’re at the start of your homeschool journey, I encourage you to pause. Breathe. Let your child play. Go outside. Laugh together. Ask questions.
Let unschooling be your bridge—a gentle, mindful way to step into the rhythm of homeschooling with confidence and peace.