Meet Dani, An Unschool Mom

Hey y'all! I'm Dani Dickie. I have one child, a daughter who is now 7. She's never been to school. When I thought about sending her, it seemed like so much fruitless effort. Being tied to that schedule growing up was torture for me and I don't want to do that again. I was so relieved to realize I don't have to. There's nothing she would learn in school that she couldn't learn at home and there's so much she could miss. Also, she's hilarious. I'm not missing out on that.

​Most of my skills revolve around home things. I can make delicious and healthy food. I've studied nourishment extensively. The majority of my experience has to do with care in one form or another. I started hosting workshopsat my home in October 2016 to share my fascination with finding ways to use food to take charge of our families' health and and to connect with and learn from all you fabulous mamas in our community.

I barely dare to claim I'm an autodidact, but it's the only way I can think to sum it up succinctly. I don't have degrees to prove I know what I know. I haven't taken tests or written essays. I did try college but they kept giving me assignments. I have this stubborn resistance to assignments and a weird aversion to recognition. I never have liked being quizzed or tested either. It always felt invasive, I can't even begin to explain how I figure stuff out.

I know a little bit about a lot of things and a whole lot about topics I'm interested in. I read. Ravenously. I haven't always physically done the things I understand how to do, but I can connect concepts and blend them and come out pretty spot on when I do. I think that by a lot of standards I'm a slacker, but I'm totally good with that. I don't want a hectic or rigorously scheduled existence. My daughter resists that vigorously and I'm grateful to have that as an excuse.

Have I mentioned here that we follow the baffling and simple but complex to describe method of homeschooling called unschooling? Bet ya couldn't have guessed that. We float around the periphery of all you homeschoolers and participate where we see a way to fit. You astound me with the number of things you manage achieve each time we talk but I do not aspire to emulate you. I think that putting it that way probably might offend in some way but I truly am in awe of your organizational skills. You've tried to explain but it mostly doesn't compute. I'll maintain my slacker status, but I do hope to share my perspective with you.