Effects of Deschooling on Marital Relationship

Something I've yet to address here are the effects our transition from authoritative parenting to radical unschooling have had on our relationship (Papa and me).

This new way of doing things requires a lot of questioning your old ways, many hours of introspection, reconsidering everything you thought you knew before, grappling with the ghosts of your childhood past. It is a very intimate, personal process.

This has required Papa and I to give each other more space than usual. To be even more supportive and encouraging. To be even more patient while we each make progress and experience set-backs at different paces and times. To challenge each other when we try to settle back into our old, more comfortable (for now) habits.

We can become easily frustrated with each other as we learn how to communicate in an entirely different way. Emotional stakes are high as such raw emotions and memories are brought to the surface, questioned, and examined. Fortunately, the end result of working through all these things is a closer, more intimate, more honest, more supportive relationship.

We're rebuilding our relationship together in much the same way we are rebuilding our relationships with the children.