The Important People in Our Lives
About a week or so ago, I received a beautifully encouraging message from one of my friends in our unschooling community who’d listened to my podcast, The Problem with Being Too Nice. You might remember that I made that episode in March last year, at a time when I felt overloaded with various difficulties, including the pandemic lockdown. As I rarely received any feedback about the unschooling work I was doing, I wondered why I was sticking around trying to blog and podcast and write books when I had so many other things to deal with. I just wanted to withdraw, disappear, fall in a heap.
So, recently, a friend, stopped by to ask how I’m feeling more than a year down the track – am I still feeling discouraged? – and to thank me for what I do. And she had a question: am I going to make any more podcasts? My first thought was no, my podcasting days are over. But as I pondered my friend’s words, I started feeling excited. Perhaps I could return to podcasting, after all. I made a few notes, hunted out my dusty mic and then retreated into my studio (bedroom) to record a new episode of my Stories of an Unschooling Family podcast. A few encouraging words can spur us on to do all kinds of unexpected things, can’t they?
So, in episode 189, The Important People in Our Lives, I’m talking about:
How lack of control makes us feel helpless. Do controlled kids feel helpless? Does control lead to mental health issues?
If we want a society of responsible adults, do we need to listen to kids, give them freedom, and let them learn how to be responsible for themselves?
Difficult times, friends, and our unschooling community
How change can stretch us, and how we learn when we have an interest or a need
Video gaming and what I’ve learnt since I became a video gamer
My new children’s novel, The Angels of Wallaby Way!
Perfectionism, and the fear of criticism, and Marco Polo video messages
The value of feedback, encouragement, and the most important people in our lives
Where You Can Find Me
When I’m not here on my blog, you can find me in our unschooling community:
The Stories of an Unschooling Family community
Photo
As I said in this week’s podcast, I’ve been experimenting with landscape photography. I took this photo at a local river shortly after we’d had some wonderful rain!
Thank you
This episode is for you, Sabelle. You are a beautiful friend!