We are a hyper active unschooling family. Museums, parks, nature hikes, library programs, live theater and music, Brazillian jiu-jitsu, church gatherings, and gymnastics make up most weeks for us.
Although our lifestyle allows for sleeping in, mutiple breaks in the action, and the occasional nap, it can get intense.
A Saturday morning downpour provided the perfect opportunity to take a day off from adventuring. We built Lego most of the day and watched a couple movies. Granted, one of those movies was Othello, in preparation for a stage production we’ll see next week, but we ate ice cream and chips for nearly two hours, so I’ll call that rest.
A necessary component of unschooling is rest. Keeping up with my sons’ energy is no joke. Feeding their curiosity; exposing them to new ideas, people and places; and encouraging their multiple passions is a thrill ride. It’s a ride that needs to go offline for maintence on a regular basis. “Regular” may not look like a standard schedule, but the rest must come at the right times. My advantage as their educational facilitator and father is that I can read their signals and know when to put the brakes on. I already know we need another day of rest tomorrow. It’s an unusual way for us to spend a weekend, but it’s right and I know they’ll be ready for another exciting week of exploring our inner and outer worlds.
God bless and thank you for reading,
Jason