What helps me is understanding where schooled people stand in their perspective. They’re of the belief that success and a happy life is a very linear process (good school, good grades, good university, good job, etc). Things like algebra, the SATs, and other subjects/exams/etc are all steps in that linear process.

Unschooling, on the other hand, thinks there are lots of ways to live a happy, fulfilling life. We don’t have a direct staircase that systematically leads to a social ideal. Therefore, placement exams and deliberate curriculum and a bunch of other things vital to schools DON’T make sense to us. Even when you do understand why schooled people think the way they do, there’s the question of getting them to understand YOUR ideals and reasons. It can definitely be difficult.