We’re just gonna say it: You don’t have to do school this year. In this episode, we’re talking about why it’s ok to skip academics and prioritize mental health and life learning. This is specific to our current pandemic circumstances, but it also applies to any season of life when things just aren’t “normal”: sickness, job loss, moving, traveling, having a baby. Because whatever you’re living through, THAT is the learning experience.  Takeaways  -Even if you were homeschooling before the pandemic, this way of homeschooling isn’t normal. -Stress is high, for us and for our kids. And stress makes learning harder.  -What are our kids learning besides academics, that might need to take precedence? -Kids are learning things like empathy, figuring out their own interests, managing stress, creating healthy relationships and boundaries, self care, etc. They are getting real life experience in how to deal with real life experiences. -Ask yourself why you are doing academics. Is it because you think you need to get through the material or your kids will be “behind”? What are the outcomes of “pushing through”? -We get to be their guide and support them through these experiences now. They’re building a tool box that they can use for their whole lives.   As always, you’ll get our LTWs at the end, and we’ve added a new listener question segment! Join us on Patreon to hear us answer this week’s question.   Aha Moment Quote "Learning happens when we're ready to learn." -Maren    Listener Question Join us on Patreon to hear our conversation answering the question: “How do you bring the spark back to learning?”   $5 Squad on Patreon We know that a lot of subscriptions and memberships can be out of reach financially for homeschool families, and it’s often us parents that give up the things we want in order to afford what our families need.   But we really want our Squad to be affordable for you because every homeschool parent should be able to get connected to the support they need. You get ALL our rewards and join our community for just $5/month. And we now offer a DISCOUNTED annual rate with TWO MONTHS FREE. $50/year is a small investment to make in YOURSELF—and you DESERVE it. Loving This Week (LTW) Maren: Rough Translation Angela: Nomadland   Patrons get a monthly "LTW Extra" episode when you join our $5 Squad. An hour-long chat about the shows, products, podcasts, books, and more that we're loving!    More About Homeschool Unrefined We are an inclusive and nonsectarian podcast. We believe Black Lives Matter, and we are LGBTQ+ affirming (for more, read our piece on Romper). We are listener supported and are donating 10% of all Patreon income and product sales to The Conscious Kid, a Black and Brown-led organization that has been instrumental in our own evolution and in leading the way in both ideological and tangible change with their work in “parenting and education through a critical race lens." Read our full ABAR Statement here and on Instagram.   Connect with us!  Visit our website | Sign up for our newsletter. | Support us on Patreon. | Join our closed Facebook group: Unrefined Homeschoolers | Merch Shop Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube Angela on Instagram: @unrefinedangela | Maren on Instagram: @unrefinedmaren Email us any questions or feedback at homeschoolunrefined@gmail.com Visit our Amazon Shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/homeschoolunrefined We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.