DD (almost 13) has been homeschooled on and off - had been going to Waldorf until last year when she began having stomach aches related to anxiety around school. She was previously homeschooled K-3.
Our homeschool curriculum was eclectic and very relaxed, but she resisted doing any of it, and I could not find a way to make it fun. It seems no matter what I suggested, it felt like pressure to her, and she would sadly comply but her heart was not into it, and in her massive free time she would either make slime over and over, play with friends, or watch youtube videos.
I decided to use an unschooling approach instead. I dropped all the requirements except one: from 9am to 5pm, she could use her iPad, but it had to be for playing games, doing research, etc and not for zoning out to youtube videos. She agreed to this.
I'm nervous because she doesn't seem to want to do anything but use her iPad. Doesn't want to go to the museum, or make a go-kart, or do crafts, or be read to, or do any of the classes she had previously chosen to do while we were homeschooling but not unschooling (e.g. Jam class on animation, self-paced class on moding Minecraft, chemistry experiments with a tutor, parkour classes, theatre, etc).
She seems depressed and anxious. She is anxious about doing homeschooly stuff and anxious about not doing it. She doesn't seem able to make herself do anything to help with her anxiety such as do a little math if she feels anxious about not doing math. She doesn't seem interested in much of anything except watching youtube videos and playing with younger children.
It was because of this tendency towards anxiety and depression that I decided to unschool. I thought that if she had less pressure, she would find interests and we could support her to do them, and she would find her power and strength and jump into her life and her freedom.
I'm not sure what to do next. Should I just wait and see if she develops some interest in something? Should I keep offering to do activities with her or step back and just let her do her thing? Should I remove the restriction with the iPad about not using the iPad between 9am and 5pm to zone out? Will this pass? Does she just need to deschool for a while?
She is also in the middle of hormonal changes. She hasn't started her cycles yet but her pediatrician says it will happen in the next 3-6 months, most likely. Could this be part of it?
Any advice would be really appreciated.
Our homeschool curriculum was eclectic and very relaxed, but she resisted doing any of it, and I could not find a way to make it fun. It seems no matter what I suggested, it felt like pressure to her, and she would sadly comply but her heart was not into it, and in her massive free time she would either make slime over and over, play with friends, or watch youtube videos.
I decided to use an unschooling approach instead. I dropped all the requirements except one: from 9am to 5pm, she could use her iPad, but it had to be for playing games, doing research, etc and not for zoning out to youtube videos. She agreed to this.
I'm nervous because she doesn't seem to want to do anything but use her iPad. Doesn't want to go to the museum, or make a go-kart, or do crafts, or be read to, or do any of the classes she had previously chosen to do while we were homeschooling but not unschooling (e.g. Jam class on animation, self-paced class on moding Minecraft, chemistry experiments with a tutor, parkour classes, theatre, etc).
She seems depressed and anxious. She is anxious about doing homeschooly stuff and anxious about not doing it. She doesn't seem able to make herself do anything to help with her anxiety such as do a little math if she feels anxious about not doing math. She doesn't seem interested in much of anything except watching youtube videos and playing with younger children.
It was because of this tendency towards anxiety and depression that I decided to unschool. I thought that if she had less pressure, she would find interests and we could support her to do them, and she would find her power and strength and jump into her life and her freedom.
I'm not sure what to do next. Should I just wait and see if she develops some interest in something? Should I keep offering to do activities with her or step back and just let her do her thing? Should I remove the restriction with the iPad about not using the iPad between 9am and 5pm to zone out? Will this pass? Does she just need to deschool for a while?
She is also in the middle of hormonal changes. She hasn't started her cycles yet but her pediatrician says it will happen in the next 3-6 months, most likely. Could this be part of it?
Any advice would be really appreciated.