Our unschooling day:

[hbmom36]

Oh, how fun! We are mainly unschoolers. We get up early, by 6 or 6:30 am. My daughter (age 7) spends her time between wake-up and breakfast reading or making lists (she loves to make lists on any topic that interests her at the moment-it has helped her handwriting and spelling tremendously). If it is a swimming morning, we do some schoolwork before we leave the house, usually History and Science. Then we go to the YMCA in the next town, whereI take them swimming. Physical activity is one of the most important parts of our day. We go home after swimming, have lunch and tackle math. My daughter will often watch a video from the library (usually a history or science documentary), which often sparks another list for her and lots of dicussion between us. I also make up worksheets on the computer with questions on the books she's reading. She also does a ton of independent reading on any number of topics (the Titanic, dogs, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the Kindertransports, earthquakes, hurricanes, pioneers, sewing, the Civil War, ancient Rome, Mesopotamia...her interests are boundless). Two evenings a week, my children have a swim lesson. One evening a week, my daughter has two dance classes (jazz, then a combination tap and ballet class).
I used to worry that we weren't "structured" enough, but this approach works well for us. My daughter is very self-motivated, and loves to learn. When she is interested in a topic, she will educate herself about it. I have found that the only thing I have to be a little more formal about is math.

[minniemouse24]

Sound's good.I love making lists aswell!:) haha

[janzeiger]

We're unschooling too--and loving it. Life is good.

[Vomo]

Awesome I love it! love Cali even more. Missing it very much so Tell California Hello for me

[phil-pod]

I wish that I could be like your daughter! I am in 8th grade...and I dont like to learn. I have a question. So you spend most of your day learning things that you can use in everyday life? My mom thinks that I need to spend everyday from 8 to 4 working on 1 subject with out a break. I hate it. I think she is like that because I started homeschooling late in the year, so i have to get all the work done. What do you think? Is unschooling easier than homeschooling?

[Calla_Dragon]

Personally, I think that schedule is pretty excessive. 8-4 is a very long time to homeschool (public school kids don't even go that long - that's almost equalivent to a normal work shift for adults) and to spend it all on one subject - I'd go stir crazy too.

I think you could get plenty of work done on a more reasonable schedule - regardless of when you started homeschooling. Maybe invite your mom here so she can see that most homeschoolers don't spend that kind of time homeschooling - even the older homeschers?

[WAHMBrenda]

My goodness my dd would die with that type of schedule. My belief is all the knowledge in the world won't do you a bit of good if you don't have any common sense. That's why we unschool.

[phil-pod]

Yea...... I guess thats why i dont like to work anymore. I was used to doing nothing in public school. Mom makes me stressed and its hard to concentrate when your sad or mad. She thought that I was VERY behind, but she talked to my homeschool places principal. According to her, I am not behind. Mom is still wanting to work me to death. At one point, I was doing 1 book a day. Each book had 3 lessons in it, and each lesson had about 200 questions. Thats to much for a 13 year old girl.

[Calla_Dragon]

You're right. That's way too much. Is there a way to talk to your mom or invite her here?

[phil-pod]

She might. I told her about this place...and i think that she was gonna look up stuff on here