Homeschooling / Unschooling in the Country
July 31, 2017 , All
I couldn’t wait to photograph this unschooling in the country family… I knew it would be magical and heart-warming and fill me with ideas for my own kids, but it was so much more than that. There is something so magical about this place, the river, the trees, the old farm house. It as a pulse of its own that shook me to my core. The sun was warm and sank behind the trees in the late afternoon, the light sneaking through the leaves and glistened on the water while the girls led themselves down to the bank of the river. They pulled a boat from the tall grasses and pushed it into the water, excited giggles rang out, they hopped into the boat with its long tether attached to a tree and fell into a world of imagination. One minute they were battling a strong current, fighting for their lives, the next they were being chased by a creature, and the next they were stranded on an island with no way back. All the while, little Chai was focussed on catching water spiders. She was completely zoned into her task at hand, with no mind on her sisters’ aquatic battles. Catch and release. Catch and release. Full disclosure, this moment was so beautiful I had to put my camera down and let it soak in. Painting sticks and rocks, gathering greens from the garden, feeding the chickens and gathering eggs, and of course tending to the baby mice they found in their basement, these are the moments I was able to witness and share in with Nikki and her girls. This wild and free adventure is their life. This is their every day. Sure there are good days and bad days. There are days with screen time and days without. There are days with tantrums and tears. But their days are full of love and tenderness, full of curiosity and exploration, full of life and learning.
Homeschooling / Unschooling in the Country
Photojournalistic Family Photography
Southern Georgian Bay
(and the rest of Ontario)
Thinking of homeschooling or unschooling? Check out some of these resoursces for more information! There are numerous online communities to join for support, friendship and ideas as well!