Some Strange and Interesting Bookish Questions
If you could have only half of a book, would you prefer the first half or the second one? My daughter Imogen and I discuss this question after I tell her a friend gave me too much money for a…
Rules, Responsible Parenting and Radical Unschooling
If you do a Google search on unschooling it won’t take you very long to find someone criticising unschoolers. The most judged unschoolers are those who have adopted a radical way of life: those who do not force a set…
Is it Really Okay if Kids Play All Day?
Parents value play when children are very young. At this stage of life, we all agree that children should be playing. But what about when they get older? Should they still be allowed to play as much as they would…
Unschooling Children, a School Teacher Father, and Tea
“What does your husband think about you unschooling your children?” I have been asked this question quite a few times. I guess people are interested in the answer because my husband Andy is a school teacher, as well as an…
Suzie Andres Chats about Unschooling
Last week, Suzie Andres emailed: “Just wanted to let you know that tomorrow… I’ll be on Judy Dudich’s blog/talk radio show to speak about unschooling…” So I tuned in, eager to hear what Suzie had to say. I was also…
Unschool Writing: What About Grammar and Punctuation?
How do unschoolers learn to write? This was one of the questions we were asked when we spoke at the recent Canberra unschooling talk. First, I think kids need something to say before they want to write. Lots of different things inspire us to write. Here are just a few: books, movies, games, events, and lively discussions that lead to thoughts and opinions. When my kids were little, they acted out what they wanted to say while they played. They also…
How Unschooling Is More Than Educating for a Secure Job
What do we want for our kids? A good education? If so, what does that look like? Do we want our kids to get good grades that will allow them to get into university? Would we like them to study degrees that will lead to high-status careers? Do we hope they’ll get well paying secure jobs that will set them up for life? Or isn’t that enough? Because even though feeling secure about money is good, that doesn’t necessarily lead to…
Registered Homeschoolers Who Unschool, Confidence, and Other Thoughts
I wonder if more people would unschool if there was no such thing as homeschool registration. Maybe having to fulfil registration requirements seems daunting. How can we give our kids the freedom to follow their interests when we have to answer to the education department? Can it be done? I think it can, and this was one of the messages I wanted to pass on when I was talking about unschooling in Canberra recently. This is our 27th year of…
How Choosing a Different Path Can Cause Conflict
When we choose to do things differently from those around us, it’s rarely simple. Although we might say that it’s okay for everyone to do what suits their own family – which is true – somehow it’s hard not to be affected by each other’s choices and opinions. As unschoolers, we might get criticised for our choices. Some people want to give us advice. They think we’re making a big mistake and feel compelled to say something. I guess they’re…
Why I Concluded That Unschooling Doesn’t Work When It Does
When we first started unschooling, I used to read John Holt’s magazine Growing Without Schooling. Every couple of months or so, a new copy would land in our mailbox. I’d make a cup of coffee and then settle down to devour each edition from cover to cover. I read wonderful stories about children who were doing amazing things such as rewiring their family homes. I got excited. I couldn’t wait until my kids did similar things. Would they research electrical…
Shall We Talk About Christian Unschooling?
I often get to the point where I feel I haven’t got anything more to say about unschooling. I wonder: is it time to move on? At the beginning of last year, I reached such a point. However, instead of thinking about moving away from unschooling, I proposed the idea of exploring unschooling from a different angle. Should we discuss Christian unschooling? I got excited about this idea, and other people did too. But somehow nothing much happened. I just…
Unschooling When Charlotte Mason Also Appeals to Our Hearts
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
Turning Waiting Times into Unschooling Adventures
Do you spend a lot of time waiting? I used to. When my kids were younger, I had to wait while they had piano lessons, singing lessons, musicianship lessons and swimming lessons. I waited while they went to Brownies and St John Ambulance meetings. I waited while my daughter Imogen earnt herself some money by cleaning houses. Sometimes I got fed up with waiting. I sat in the car and watched my watch which made time feel like it was…
Unschoolers Talk About Freedom to Choose
“If children are given the freedom to do whatever they want, will they choose to do nothing at all?” I ask my daughters. Sophie…
Misconceptions: Unschooling Children Will Choose Not to Do Difficult Things
I often run down the main fire trail that winds its way through our local bush. The track descends gently at first, but then…
Live a Radical Life of Unconditional Love
Cecilie and Jesper Conrad invited me to be part of their Self Directed podcast, so I met them online, via Zoom, and I had…
Is It Working? Wrestling with Doubt in Unschooling
A grey day arrives that completely blots out the memory of all the preceding good days. We feel overwhelmed, tired, worried and lost. We wonder why we ever decided to unschool. A puddle of doubt about unschooling forms around us. What do we do? Cecilie, Sandra and I are discussing unschooling doubts and sharing our experiences in episode 10 of…
How Unschoolers Can Deal with Questions and Sceptics
My mother-in-law visited us for the birth of our son, Thomas. After he died and we’d buried him in his tiny white casket, Andy’s mother asked me if we wanted more children. As I replied, “Oh, yes!”, my mother-in-law’s face dropped into a disapproving frown. “She thinks we already have enough kids,” I thought as my defence hackles rose. But…
Learning to Read and Trusting Unschooling
It is absolutely essential that we are curious people who are excited about the possibilities in life. The atmosphere in our homes gets picked up by our kids so they think it’s normal to learn, to be curious, to follow thoughts and ideas and try things out… I was battling with my kids for a while. They kept saying, ‘Why…
The Discomfort of Letting Go and Allowing Our Kids (and Ourselves) to Grow
We organise life so we’re not challenged too much. We don’t want to stray outside our comfort zone because that could be painful. We say no instead of yes to our kids, not wanting them to go to parties at night, ride their bikes on the road, run through the bush alone, or learn to drive. We don’t want thoughts…
Can Christians Unschool?
Can Christians unschool? We’re Christian unschoolers. Maybe you’re Christian unschoolers too? There are lots of us living this way of life. But are we doing the right thing? Or are we side-stepping our responsibilities when we choose to unschool? Are we choosing the easy, lazy path? I often hear of parents who are struggling with homeschooling. Their kids aren’t doing…