What a Day Without Rules Looks Like

My children said, “Sleep in tomorrow, Mum. You’re overtired. You haven’t had much sleep in the last 48 hours.” So I slept in. When I got up, the kitchen was deserted. Everyone had had breakfast, washed the dishes, cleaned up,…

Giggling in the Cemetery

Three little stories to celebrate our son Thomas’ birthday. he worst day of my life could have been the day that Thomas died. Or maybe it was the day we buried him because it was then that I knew I’d…

Unschooling: Boring or Maybe Not

Do you find certain things boring? Do your kids? I used to tell everyone I disliked science. I found it boring. This was sad because I did a Bachelor of Science degree. On paper, I’m a scientist. In real life,…

My Unschoolers’ End-of-the-Year Reports

My husband Andy is a primary school teacher, and twice a year he has to write school reports for all his children. For a couple of weeks, we see nothing of him except his back, as he sits in front…

Words Matter

Yesterday, I sang happy birthday to a friend in a video message despite thinking I have a terrible voice. “I’ll sing the low version,” I announced before plucking up my courage, taking a deep breath, and attempting the first note.…

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Are We Becoming the People We Want Our Kids to Be?

Last weekend, my son Callum came home for a visit, and on Saturday morning, we had a breakfast picnic together at our local lake. After we’d eaten, we took Callum’s dog for a walk around the lake. It wasn’t a quick walk. Every few metres, we had to stop because people kept asking, “What breed is your dog?” Callum’s 5-month-old puppy, Crash, is a Great Dane/Stag Hound/Staffy cross. He has a striking coat, huge oversized paws that he’ll grow into,…

An Unschooling Fitness Challenge

Do you ever worry that your kids aren’t getting enough exercise? Maybe they spend a lot of time doing sedentary things such as playing computer games or reading books. Are you tempted to say, “Go outside and get some fresh air!”? Years ago, I was always looking for ways to include some activity into my kids’ days. We’d go for walks and do scavenger hunts along the way. Before we left home, I’d write a list of things for us…

Why We Have to Accept Ourselves as We Are

Sophie points her camera at me and says, “Smile, my beautiful mother!” I reply, “I’m not beautiful. Look at all my wrinkles!” Sophie pushes my words away. I may have wrinkles, but they’re not important to her. They’re a blur. Insignificant. She sees different things. To her, I’m beautiful. So I smile. I also adjust my position as I say, ‘Think thin!’ And Sophie replies, ‘You’re not fat.’ No, even though I’m not as slim as I used to be, my…

Adding Rhythm to Our Unschooling Days

Years ago, when we first began unschooling, I thought that to unschool properly, we had to get up each morning and take the day as it came. Do whatever we felt like at each moment without thinking too far ahead. This sounded attractive – we’re free to do whatever we like!- but we soon found ourselves drifting through our days not achieving much which was very unsatisfying. I needed to do something. I added some rhythm to our unschooling life.…

How Limiting Screen Time Can Limit Our Learning

Do you use the screen time feature on your phone and other devices? I used to. At the end of every week, I received a report telling me how much time I’d spent on my iPhone and iPad and how I’d used that time. When I saw the number of hours I’d spent on my devices, I felt guilty. How could I have let myself sit in front of my screens for so long? Each week, I told myself I…

Why We Need to Support Our Kids’ Choices

The other evening, we were watching an old episode of a cooking competition TV show. It was elimination night. For three hours, the contestants measured and mixed and baked and decorated. They also made mistakes, felt discouraged, picked themselves back up, and tried again. No one wanted to go home. They all had to keep fighting for their place in the competition. Eventually, the clock ticked down, and everyone stepped back from their benches. Cooking was over. It was now…
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My Unschooling Books

Parents and Kids

The Ladies Fixing the World

Unschooling Isn’t Freedom Gone Wild: Why Choices Matter More Than Ideals

My husband Andy returned to work today after two weeks at home. Holiday time is over. We’ve now moved into term time. A whole term of possibility days stretches before me. I’m free to do whatever I like with my time while Andy is at school. My eyes light up with delight. But then I remember there are many…

Christian unschooling

Losing Time

I’ve been reading a book called A Time to Die by Nicholas Diat, who visited eight monasteries to talk to the monks about the experience of death. Here’s something that caught my attention: One monk described how he cares for the old and sick, and how he has to guard against doing things in a routine way, trying to complete…

Igniting a Child’s Love of Learning

Do you wake up each morning with a delicious feeling of anticipation? Do you swing your legs out of bed quickly, anxious to get dressed and move onto the business of the day? Another day of learning with your children stretches ahead… Do you feel excited? Once upon a time, I used to drag myself out of bed and…
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