Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Himachal Couple Raises Three Children Through Unschooling and Community
Mayur and Joy are raising their three children without sending them to a regular school.
Instead, the children learn from daily life, books, tutors and their own interests.
They study maths and English, but also cook, bake, draw, read and work with wood.
Their family lives around NomadGao, a community where travellers from many countries stay and work.
Talking with these visitors helps the children learn about different people and ideas.
The children also spend time in farms and between India and Vietnam.
Their parents believe children learn well when they are curious and allowed to explore.
Some relatives worry about this choice, and the children do not always have many similarly educated peers nearby.
The family continues because it values independence, confidence and practical life skills.
Mayur and Joy Sontakke chose unschooling for their three children instead of conventional schooling.
Their children learn through maths, English, cooking, baking, carpentry, reading, travel and outdoor activities.
NomadGao exposes the children to travellers, entrepreneurs, artists and engineers from different countries.
The family also runs The Hotpot House, where the children observe hospitality, teamwork and business responsibilities.
The couple says unschooling builds independence and teaches children how to learn, though socialisation and family concerns remain challenges.
- Who
- Mayur and Joy Sontakke and their three children: 13-year-old twin boys and an eight-year-old daughter.
- What
- The couple is raising their children through a flexible, child-led unschooling approach rather than conventional schooling.
- When
- The family adopted this approach during the pandemic, after discussing alternative education earlier.
- Where
- The children learn mainly around NomadGao and The Hotpot House in Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh, while also spending time in Vietnam and elsewhere in India.
- Why
- The parents wanted flexible, interest-led learning, practical life skills, and the ability to participate in family life and cultures in India and Vietnam.
Child-led learning
Conventional schooling concerns
How children learn
Child-led learning
Mayur and Joy believe children learn effectively through curiosity, real-world experiences, conversations and access to resources rather than a rigid curriculum.
Conventional schooling concerns
The family says relatives and friends question the decision to move away from conventional schooling, although the article does not present a detailed alternative argument from them.
Social development
Child-led learning
The children regularly interact with travellers, entrepreneurs, artists, engineers and people from different generations and countries.
Conventional schooling concerns
Mayur acknowledges that village life creates a social challenge because most local children attend conventional schools and have limited free time.
Academic structure
Child-led learning
The family combines maths and English with tutors, journaling, storytelling and interest-led projects, adapting when textbooks fail to engage the children.
Conventional schooling concerns
The children previously struggled with traditional approaches to English and maths, illustrating concerns the family has had to address within its flexible model.
- Parents
- Mayur and Joy Sontakke
- Children
- Three children: 13-year-old twin boys and an eight-year-old daughter
- Education model
- Unschooling, combining structured basics with self-directed exploration
- Learning activities
- Maths, English, cooking, baking, reading, drawing, carpentry and outdoor activities
- Community
- NomadGao, a coliving and coworking community created for digital nomads
- Business
- The Hotpot House restaurant in Dharamkot
- Main challenge
- Limited access to a nearby community of children following similar educational paths