How Well Do We Love?
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Trust, Respect, and Love Unconditionally
Yesterday, I wrote a blog post called A Few Raw Thoughts on a Crumpled Piece of Paper. In this post, I explored some thoughts about unconditional love, respect, and trust. This morning, I told my daughter Sophie what I’d been…
Listening to Kids
The other day I interviewed my 14-year-old daughter, Sophie: I wanted to hear her opinions about perfect families, mistakes and listening to kids. It was only later when I watched the finished video, I realised I’d made a big mistake:…
Doing Nothing?
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The Problem of Applying Sunscreen to Wet, Sandy Bodies.
My husband Andy is home from school for two weeks. “What shall we do during the holidays?” he asks. “Let’s go to the beach!” The girls’ eyes light up. Callum’s eyes light up. It’s been two years since we last…
When an Unschooler Isn’t Interested in Maths [Podcast]
Every morning, I lace up my running shoes and then grab our dog Nora’s leash before sliding the kitchen door open and stepping out onto the patio. Sometimes I have to pull Nora from her kennel but usually, she is eager for a run and as soon as she sees me, she bounds ahead to the gate. Once the dog is secured to the leash, I open the side gate and we all head out to the front garden and…
When We Fail
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Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case: [Podcast]
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m sharing a story called Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case. And I’m discussing the main points in it. Is it sensible to make all kids learn maths just in case? What if kids need maths to go to university? What if they decide they want to go to school? This is another episode in my blog post story podcast series! Show Notes Blog post Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case…
Sitting Quietly: Unschool Bits and Pieces
Kids Sitting Quietly in Church The other day, I was asked: How do you get young, unschooled children to sit quietly, without disturbing anyone, in church? This was my reply: When my kids were very small I didn’t expect them to sit quietly in church. Little children aren’t designed to sit still for long periods of time. So whenever my kids would get upset, I’d take them outside or I’d walk up and down at the back of the church…
Are You a Curious Unschooler? [Podcast]
I recorded a new podcast episode! That might surprise you because it’s been quite a while since my last episode. I’ve become a bit of an unreliable podcaster. But, hopefully, that’s about to change: I’m planning to record a new series of episodes. Each episode will be based on a blog post. I’ll be telling a story and then chatting about its main points. Sharing some unschooling thoughts and ideas and maybe a few resources as well. I hope you like…
What if Your Right is My Wrong? Unschool Bits and Pieces
What if Your Right is My Wrong? I’m always talking about how important it is that our children develop a sense of right and wrong. But what do we mean by ‘right’? Could your idea of what is right be my wrong? Could my right be your wrong? Although we are all unschoolers, we might not share the same values and beliefs. And this might worry anyone who is thinking about unschooling. What if we give our children the freedom to…
Unschooling, University and More: An Interview
How do unschoolers get into university? Does unschooling prepare kids for the university experience? How do they get on studying in an educational institution for the first time? When my son Callum was 22, we discussed these questions in a video interview. Here’s the transcript of our conversation. Sue : Callum, you were homeschooled right up until the time you went to university. Did you enjoy homeschooling? Callum: I did, yes. Sue : What in particular did you enjoy about it? Callum :…
Critical Comments: Unschool Bits and Pieces
Dealing With Unschooling Critics I know your heart is in the right place. You’re full of love. I can see that. But is that enough? Frankly, my dear, I’m worried. I’m not saying this lightly. I’m not the kind of person who likes to interfere. Everyone knows that. However…. don’t you think you’re putting your kids at risk? They need discipline. Rules. Limits. The other day, I discovered these words in my notebook and for a moment, I wondered who’d said…
Why Are We Willing to Endure the Pain of Parenthood?
While walking around our local lake, I met a woman with two chihuahuas. They were the same colour and size. The only difference was…
Teenagers are People Too
At Mass on Sunday, during the Prayers of the Faithful, we were asked to pray for sullen teenagers. When we returned home, Imogen was…
Chores and Kids: What if We Said, “Yes”?
My most popular post ever is Getting Kids to Help With the Chores. After publishing it, readers flocked over to see what I’d written.…
The Math Myth: How Do Unschooled Kids Learn Math?
There are many unschool maths questions. Here are just a few of them: Can kids really learn maths without formal instruction? What does unschooling maths look like? Can we strew unschool maths? Is it possible for registered homeschoolers to unschool maths? How can we provide evidence kids are learning maths when we don’t have formal records like workbooks and test…
How Unschooling Doesn’t Guarantee a Fairytale Life
Yesterday evening, like all Sunday evenings, my kids who live locally came to dinner. Six of us gathered around our dining room table, savouring a meal cooked by my husband while enjoying the usual end-of-the-week lively catch-up conversation. There was a time when we dreamed that all our children would buy houses on the same street as our family home.…
Unschooling: Trusting the Process and Letting Go of Control
“I kind of love my title for this podcast. It’s very ambitious. Let’s fix it all!” And so begins another Ladies Fixing the World conversation in which Cecilie Conrad, Sandra Dodd and I dive deep into unschooling, sharing our thoughts and experiences. In S2E4, we discuss Unschooling: Trusting the Process and Letting Go. Want to know more…
Speed Angel Joy
I am sitting by the lake watching four girls scooting along the path. They are the Speed Angel Sisters and they are fast! Every now and then the girls veer off onto the grass and come to a sudden halt: a pedestrian is approaching. Now the speedway is clear again, and strong legs start pushing, wheels are revolving, hair…
Unschooling and Trust
I have been struggling with this post for a while now, and wondering why I’m having so much trouble finding the right words. And I have decided it’s the language. I want to write a story from a personal point of view like I normally do. And I can’t. We had such a gradual transition to unschooling, I didn’t really…