This Homeschooling Mom Is Raising Grade Free Kids

eeting alternate learners and parents tells me that there are people in the world who are following their hearts and doing what they love. They are making a difference not only in their lives but also in the lives of those they meet, which is inspiring and invigorating.

After I met May Ling I felt calm, peaceful, and energized. May is homeschooling her kids in London and her biggest concern was not about their academic performance but more about their readiness for life.

Her kids get to experience learning from homeschooling and their life hands-on, exploring and taking risks. She also talks about developing character traits like resilience, perseverance, and self-learning skills and teaching her kids to be responsible for their learning.

She changed the way she lived by quitting the 9 to 5 work pattern, she took a tour to Kerala, India, and then Srilanka.

She lives in a community where her kids can go out and play with friends, do activities, and take advantage of the learning opportunities. She has seen her children blossom with homeschooling, each one in a different way - from being proactive to taking initiative as an individual.

Her focus is not on grades, but on the bigger picture of life. She believes that learning is not just academics, but also involves creativity, exploration, and discovering things in life. The world can be their classroom and they can learn from real-life experiences.

May mentioned free learning and self-directed learning. She is an advocate for unschooling, which encourages children to explore and learn from their environment without the restrictions of a curriculum. She believes that life can be more interesting than living in a box and that learning happens when you are open to exploring things beyond your books.

I am always curious about why parents choose to unschool or homeschool their kids. I realized that for May her children's natural curiosity mattered more than anything else. She saw that when children were allowed to pursue what truly interested them, they become passionate and excited about learning, which is inspiring for me.

I asked if Unschooling is legal in London. She mentioned that unschooling or homeschooling is allowed considering parents know what they are doing and why.

I also found this in gov.UK

Home education is a viable option for parents who want to provide their children with full or part-time instruction. This learning experience can also be known as elective home education or homeschooling.

If your child is in school, you must notify the institution of any plans to teach them at home. The school must accept if you have decided to homeschool exclusively; however, they can refuse if partial attendance is desired.

The fixed mindset over grades and schooling-  that you need a certain type of education to succeed in life- is changing. Parents are opting for home-schooling and unschooling, so their children can develop holistically.

The more I learn about the homeschooling world, the more confident I am that it is possible to have an alternate learning method that still equips a person to explore their potential and live life to the fullest.

What makes homeschooling/unschooling parents different- 

• These parents have a passion for learning and understand that their children's education is much more than just academics.
• They believe in nurturing them as individuals, not just students.
• They prioritize their children's mental health and well-being above all else, seeing each experience as an opportunity for growth.
• Homeschooling or unschooling parents are also willing to take risks and make sacrifices to ensure their children's education is tailored to their individual needs.
• Homeschooling or unschooling offers parents the opportunity to customize and tailor a child’s learning environment, which in turn encourages creativity, exploration, and joyful discovery.
• By following this philosophy and exploring different ways of learning, these parents are helping their children reach beyond traditional boundaries to discover and understand the world in a new way.
  

Take away from this conversation

She says we are often so busy doing great things that we lose the idea of being valuable. As you know taking care of a garden, and helping on the farm is not considered important task, but they are valuable.

Every activity small or big has value in life and it is important to recognize that.

Unschooling and Homeschooling offer a unique opportunity for parents to provide their children with customized education, which can help them explore new ideas and discover the world around them in an interesting way. Being open-minded and flexible is the key to success in this type of learning. Finally, parents need to ensure their child's mental health and well-being are given top priority, instead of just focusing on academic performance.

It is wonderful to know that there are parents out there like May Ling who are taking charge of their child’s education and challenging the status quo.

They serve as an inspiration for us all, reminding us that learning can be a joyful experience and that our children are capable of achieving great things.

You can connect with May here https://www.linkedin.com/in/maylingthomas/

Her website - https://www.maylingthomas.com/

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