No school, no syllabus, no screens: Indian family leaves corporate life in Singapore to raise their child in Uttarakhand. Nature, play and slow living shape their unconventional parenting style

Moving to the mountains has become a dream for many corporate hustlers who want to escape the 9-5 grind and burnout. For Garima and Aditya, a couple living in the quiet and remote village of Basgaon in Uttarakhand, this dream became a reality, all for their son, Vedas. The duo left their comfortable life in Singapore to allow their little one to grow up closer to nature and embrace a slow but meaningful lifestyle, away from the pressures of conventional schooling.

When corporate life took a toll

Before moving to Uttarakhand, Aditya worked at a high-paying job in Singapore, as per his Instagram handle, lifeofmaai, which he shares with his wife Garima. Aditya, born and raised in a middle-class family in Shimla, believed that climbing the corporate ladder was the key to success.

Aditya went to college in Delhi to study fashion management, where he met Garima. After graduating, she landed a high-paying job and got to travel the world for training, but soon the burnout got to her. In 2015, the couple got married and they moved to Singapore because of Aditya’s work. Garima quit her job and focused on studying child psychology.

Indian family in Uttarakhand opts for ‘unschooling’

As Garima went deeper into the subject, she realised the true meaning of being a ‘corporate slave’. Aditya agreed and the two made a difficult decision. After almost 8 years of planning and research, Aditya quit his job at 33 and moved to Uttarakhand with his expectant wife. The couple learnt about the healing power of nature, herbs, and how nature-based schooling shaped a more intentional life.

According to The Better India, Garima and Aditya’s son has never been to a school. He doesn’t stress about uniforms, syllabus, or report cards. Vedas’ primary mode of education comes from nature - waking up with the sun, listening to birds chirping, and the smell of the rain. The youngster explores, climbs, plays with stones, invents games, observes insects, plants, makes compost, and even paints with mud — always learning.

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Final takeaway

Although Aditya and Garima are raising Vedas through an ‘unschooling’ parenting style, they are not opposed to textbooks or tests. ‘We’re just against forcing them too early, too often, and too blindly,’ they noted, as quoted by The Better India. As of now, the couple wants their kid to learn at his own pace, stay curious and build a strong connection with nature and everyday life.