One question that often comes up when I talk about unschooling or even homeschooling is about the future. How does a homeschooled child get into university? How will they get that well-paying job down the line? I have even written of this before.
I often tell them the same response.
There are ways to get into University. If they want that job, then they will do like any other kids or young adult and will work towards it.
I always have to pretend that I care about the future in the same way that they do. That a job and money is the only important goal in life and that every path has to lead to a higher education so that you can get the job with the money. In reality though, I don’t care. What I want for my kids is to be happy and love what they do. There are too many people out there, Simon being one of them, that did the schooling and went into something that would make them money but also make them miserable everyday. There are way too many people in the same position. But, there are people out there that love their jobs and that followed their passions. Some paths did take them through higher education but others went other routes to get where they wanted to go.
This is what I want to teach my children… to be happy and to find what they love to do and to do it. I want my children to have full lives and little regret because they followed their hearts and not what others expect of them based on some idea that essentially just fuels having consumerism and depression.
It is hard to explain this to people though. It goes against everything they are led to believe is important.
When this video came up in my news feed this morning it made me smile. This is exactly what I want to teach my kids.
(Narrated by Allan Watts)
[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nif01WZ9aI” color=”white” theme=”light” autohide=”1″ fs=”1″].
Now to find a clever way to explain this simply to people who ask me the question in the future.. it is so disconnected to what people view as normal.
Sad… that in a way being happy is seen as negative thing.
I’m with you 🙂 That was beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
This is a great video and a great post! you are so right! thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for sharing your thought and this video. I do struggle, what in the world should I say, that my kids will not go to school. For now, I am in a easy position, because I tell them we will see next year :).
I read a great article, in the life learning magazine issue Nov/Dec 2012 , about what would you do during the nine-month academic year if you were given 20’000$ but couldn’t go to college? The article was written by Blake Boles.
Melissa, thank you for this thought. I too am disconnected with what is normal… kinda difficult to be in public sometimes, haha. I am often told that ‘i could never do that’ when people find out that we home school or unschool. Recently I managed a belated come back / response. I could never teach / nurture 20 – 30 kids in a classroom…. that’s the tough job! Normal is much less important than true perspective. xoxo
Great video. It’s this thinking that convinced us to sell everything and move into a bus and travel the US. We don’t have much, but we have each other and we’ve never been happier.
My dream!!!! I need to check out your blog!!!!
I have the thinking but I need that courage to make that last step to sell everything so we can go. The house is for sale already which is the first big step I guess, now for it to actually sell!!
I agree. When I look at the possible futures for our unschooled children, I don’t care at all if they make money or not — as long as they are passionate and creative and happy. These are the values that money can’t buy. I did hear one person’s definition of success: he asks himself, “How many people around me have shining eyes?” If we can inspire others with love and passion, then THAT’S success!
We have moved away from money ourselves and now live on very little. It’s been a two-year-process, but it feels good not to have economy as a driving force. Now we’re happy in our little bus, travelling the country (Australia), meeting people and living life!