Unschooling with 2 working parents

Lately, we've been playing a computer game called "Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraption Game." It's a neat game in which you can either solve puzzles or experiment with gears, explosives, electricity, gravity, etc. The puzzles are goal-oriented contraptions with fixed elements, and you have to select objects from a given set that will satisfy the goal, e.g., using steam power to roast a sausage, launching nails from catapults to pop balloons, etc.

The puzzles in this game, and puzzles like Sudoku and crossword puzzles, fall into a set of mathematical problems known as "constraint satisfaction problems." The challenge is to find a solution that satisfies the limitations that define the problem space.

Everyone lives with constraints in their lives (time, physical, financial, legal, etc.), and we can either choose to view our constraints in a negative, limiting light, or we can seek out creative solutions that enable us to thrive within those constraints. And there's plenty of people out there working towards loosening their constraints or perhaps eliminating some altogether.

Here's an example: sometimes local homeschoolers grumble about having to submit quarterly and annual reports in our state. But an unschooling mom I know has turned it into a positive experience -- her almost grown children enjoy reading through their old reports and reminiscing about the things they did, places they went, all they learned, etc.

For my family, we could choose to sell our house and move to a place with a lower cost of living, which would loosen the financial constraints we have. We've discussed this possibility, and currently there are more pros than cons to staying put.

There's another constraint we are unwilling to loosen -- our commitment to unschooling. For us, we've been able to strike a balance -- my husband works full-time outside the home, and I work from home part-time for the same company I worked for pre-child. My son has had an amazing nanny the past few years who (along with her son) have greatly enriched his (and my) life. They are busy having fun while I can be heads-down for a few hours a day, yet still be available if they need me for anything. And the rest of the day, my son and I spend together doing whatever strikes our fancy. Sometimes I'm bothered by our inability to be truly spontaneous, but it's a passing feeling. Things have fallen into place so well for us that I am in no position to complain. Even if we were to move and I didn't "have to" work, I probably would still work a little, whether doing what I'm currently doing or trying something totally different -- it's a mental and interpersonal outlet that provides me with opportunities for learning and personal growth. And the financial benefits allow us to do things like provide ourselves with a fun and comfortable "nest," and travel to unschooling conferences :).

Sometimes on unschooling lists people ask about working and unschooling -- are they mutually exclusive? I don't think so. If we can open ourselves up to unschooling as the best path for our children, we can open ourselves up to finding creative solutions to our own "constraint satisfaction problems."