When Children Decide What To Do

If you tell people who are unfamiliar with unschooling how it is done and that parents allow the kids to have the freedom to shape their days, choose activities or topics to explore, they seem to almost always instantly imagine children stuck in front of the computer or TV. Maybe that's what they'll do if they were not given the freedom or only allowed restricted number of minutes a day or a week to use the technology for a long time that they have developed cravings for them and now they are on a binge. Also, it is possible that technology has provided them great resources that are interesting and entertaining and they find that it's worthwhile to spend a day or days just learning from them, which is actually not a problem at all.

On the other hand, if you let your kids just do whatever they want, they might also...

do this

and this

yeah, this one too

and this!

...which is not bad at all.

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Exploring Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

About a minute after I started researching about the things we can do in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, I received an electronic notice that informed us that we missed paying our internet bill and then the connection was cut immediately. Usually I would panic, but we resorted to our original plan instead: to explore and be surprised by the things we will find on our own, to be lost and ask about places we can visit, instead of having a list of "things to do". Actually, not-knowing adds a distinct flavor to adventures, which offers a thrill factor when you navigate through places you have not seen an online preview of. This free-style travel plan also help us take our time and just enjoy the experiences instead of rushing from one destination to another. So here are some of our new discoveries: The municipality of Naujan boasts a good collection of ancestral homes that took us to another era in our history. For only P100, yes one hundred ...

Day#3: Mansalay's Mangyan Burial Cave, Mangroves, & Buktot White Beach

While enjoying our ride, Daddy saw a port and was curious, so we stopped to explore like we usually do and it was just the perfect time to enjoy some snacks so we bought some chips at the local sari-sari store as well. As we were licking our salty fingers, we saw some mangroves or bakawan, lining up a portion of the shore. Here are some pictures of what we discovered and enjoyed next. We walked along the white shore, soaking in the unbelievable sight composed of mangroves, white dead corals mixed in the sand, and clean and clear water. It was definitely a stop worth taking! When we reached a certain point, we found out that there are sea guards who are more than willing to take us to a cave. The tide was high, so we had to walk in knee-deep water, which made the experience quite relaxing and memorable. We learned that the Mangyan Burial Cave is the resting place of some skulls and bone...

Day#2: Learning How to Trust Even More

Sleeping was a challenge, with our tent's broken zipper, mosquitoes bugged us even after generously applying citronella repellent on our skin. It was also uncomfortable sleeping on a mat (banig) with a bumpy surface underneath. So our first missions on our list today were having our tent repaired and raking the sand under our tents. Daddy took care of both errands as I cook and look after the kids swimming with their new friends. After a while, I noticed that James and Adam were left alone and later found out that the other boys went to the rock formation at the end of the shore. I am amazed that my kids were able to decide for themselves and say no when they are not interested and they know how to listen to their intuition when something might be dangerous for them. In the afternoon, James had his first diving lesson. He loves swimming and has tried snorkeling before, but this was his first formal diving class with a licensed instructor, Kuya...

Unschooling James and Adam

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