Mom Confesses Her Unschooled Kid Doesn’t Know How To Read But Says He’s ‘Free’ — ‘There’s No Conformity Or Trends Or Ahead Or Behind’
Many are critical of her unconventional parenting choices.
Evgeny Atamanenko | Shutterstock Most parents would agree that learning how to read is an essential part of a child’s development, as reading offers individuals access to insight and knowledge.
One mom on TikTok, however, admitted that her "unschooled" son doesn’t know how to read, claiming he’s “free” from the conformity and pressures of public school. Other parents argued that the ability to read is freedom.
The mom confessed that her unschooled kid doesn't know how to read because of her unconventional parenting style.
The mom and content creator, Mami Onami, is a “no-nanny” work-from-home parent of two kids. She recently responded to a TikTok comment claiming her kids are not reading and writing like they’re supposed to at their ages.
"It's true my son cannot read at age 6," she started her video. “But here’s the thing about my kid: He’s free. He’s always been free, and every single day of his life is a blank canvas."
Onami insisted that her son benefits greatly from the liberating lifestyle that she provides.
“There’s no conformity," she said. "There’s no trends, there’s no ahead or behind, there’s just being free exactly the way that you are, free to learn at your own pace."
She claimed that her kids are on Waldorf and Montessori schedules, which are less traditional educational approaches that prioritize sensory exploration and holistic development.
The Waldorf philosophy prioritizes play, artistic expression, and sensory-based learning rather than formal academics. Within this approach, children often don't learn to read until age 7.
The Montessori philosophy is a bit different — it focuses on a child’s unique learning style with hands-on, sensory activities and prioritizes teaching practical life skills to promote independence. This approach generally encourages early reading, beginning between the ages of 3.5 and 5.5.
The mom posted another video addressing the substantial criticism unschooling parents often receive.
She and her son cooked a homegrown tomato concassè as she refuted another parent’s claims that she’s “neglecting” her kids by unschooling them. She expressed that she’s not trying to compete with the public school system or impose her views on other parents — she’s simply sharing them for others to learn from.
“I don't need everybody to make the same choices as me. I don’t even need the world to respect my choices," she said. "I just want to do what my son says."
When approached in the right way, the styles suggested by Waldorf and Montessori philosophies help kids gain an individualized learning experience that allows them to learn at their own pace in creative ways. This can be more enjoyable and, as Onami identified, freeing for kids.
In fact, according to The Washington Post, modern society’s emphasis on kids learning too much too soon can actually stunt their intellectual growth due to the overwhelming amount of stress and pressure they experience. Rather than conforming to a certain level of academics by a certain age, kids under Waldorf and Montessori methods learn their unique strengths and interests while still enjoying the youth of their childhood.
Have an open mind to various teaching methods because parenting and education are not one size fits all.
While Onami's choice not to rush to teach her child to read is certainly unconventional, it’s her choice, and it’s not other parents’ place to cast judgment.
Of course, learning how to read is an essential part of life that promotes a child’s development and understanding of the world. But Onami has the right to raise her kids how she prefers, as long as they are safe, valued, and cared for. If reading before 6 years old is not a priority for her and her son, then that’s no one else’s business but hers.
She also pointed out that the public education system is not without its fair share of flaws. School districts are underfunded, teachers are underpaid, and children often don't receive enough individual attention to truly thrive.
“I’m concerned that being trained for 40 hours a week to do things that robots can do in the age of AI is just setting kids up for failure,” she admitted in another TikTok.
“I believe that the most successful people that I've studied and learned from all say that the ability to be creative and solve problems is the most necessary key to success, as well as loving learning,” she continued. “I’m concerned that the school system doesn't offer enough opportunity for creativity, for creative problem solving, and I also don't feel like it instills a deep love of learning.”
Not to mention, the fact that many public school educators are sounding alarms that children in their schools are unable to read — some well past 6 years old.
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that there is no black-or-white rule to raising your kids, and various benefits reside in that gray area that many are quick to criticize.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.