Forcing a Child to Do What He is Afraid to Do
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
How Unschoolers Own the World
What comes to mind when someone mentions nature studies, famous artists, or living books? Charlotte Mason? What about classical novels, The Great Books or Latin? Classical education? Do you think about unit studies when you hear someone is exploring a…
Unschool: Disco Boots and Old Stories
Family stories bind us together. They tell us who we are. We have a shared history and belong together. Our stories also teach us a lot about such things as history, geography, science, and how the world changes quickly. We…
Unschooling Cats and Rats and Trust
Did you hear that we’ve had lots of rain recently? It’s brought everything back to life after the bushfires. The burnt bush is regenerating. We’ve got grass, instead of stubble, in our back garden. It’s lush and green and knee-deep.…
Some Real Life Covid English
The other morning, while we were driving to town, my daughter Gemma-Rose did something that’s socially unacceptable: she sneezed! “It’s okay,” I said. “We belong to the same bubble.” Then we had a very interesting conversation about words. Since covid-19…
Undercover Homeschoolers
Have you heard our unschooling story? Just in case you haven’t, I’m reposting a couple of updated posts that tell the story of how we began our homeschooling adventure as unschoolers but then got distracted by other ideas before returning to unschooling.If you’d like to listen to the original versions you can hear them in podcast episode 93: Our Homeschooling Story. When I was a child I loved playing school. Fortunately, I had two younger sisters, and because I was…
Saying Yes: Unschool Bits and Pieces
Saying Yes When Gemma- Rose asked if we could get a puppy, we could have thought of many reasons to say no. But we didn’t. A year ago, a tiny Shar Pei/ Great Dane puppy joined our family and we called her Quinn. Quinn (who has grown enormously) has brought us enormous joy. All the extra work and expense are nothing compared to the love and fun this dog has brought us. . You might be wondering if you should…
A Teenager Talks About Unschool Maths
My daughter Sophie hasn’t done any formal maths since she was about 9 or 10 years old. But she does know a lot about this subject. She’s been learning maths in a different way. Several years ago, I said to Sophie, “I’m thinking about making a podcast about unschool maths. Do you have anything to say about this topic?” “Oh yes!” she replied. “You’re talking to the girl who hated maths and then turned around and now absolutely loves it.…
Growing Kids Who Like to Help
Not so long ago, I posted a photo and caption about kids and chores, and a friend stopped by and left this comment: My kids are only 5 and 2 at the moment but I’m trying to figure out how to help them grow from toddlers who always want to help Mom into older kids who (amazingly) still want to help Mom. And I answered: I’ve been thinking about this as well! Yes, little kids love helping us. Maybe as…
When an Unschooler Isn’t Interested in Maths
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
When Unschooling Doesn’t Seem to be Working
We decide to unschool. Everything goes really well. Our kids are learning. Our family bonds are strengthening. Life is full of joy. Then one day, things change. Something happens. Maybe a child makes a mistake. She could choose to go her own way. Do something we’re not happy about. We begin to doubt what we’re doing. We think: Perhaps unschooling doesn’t work after all. Maybe the critics are right: You should have kept tight control over your kids! Yes, we…
Unschooling is Just as Much About the Parent as the Child
We can’t make anyone become the person we’d like them to be. We can’t say, “If you only did this or that… you’d be a better spouse (or partner).” We can’t change people. But we can change ourselves. We can try and become the person we’d like those closest to us to be. We can treat others the way we want to be treated. Be a good example. And who knows? Our spouses may reciprocate. They might start treating us…
Old and New Stories, a Book Club and Other Unschooling Things
A few weeks ago, I received a letter from Fr James Tierney who is the author of the Bush Boys children’s books. Fr and…
Resolutions, Reading, Writing, and Coarse Language
I have a lot of questions… What happens when we remain open to new experiences? Do I have any good tips for anyone who…
Unschooling, Attachment, and the Art of Letting Go: Building Trust Instead of Rules
We don’t make rules in our family, so how do my children know what is right and what is wrong, if they aren’t guided…
The Role of Repetition in Learning, Unschooling, and Shaping Identity
What if kids want to watch the same movies, read the same stories, or play the same games again and again? Should we try to move them on to other activities? Or is there value in repetition? Does repetition have an important role in our lives?…
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…
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…
Letting Go of Control
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
About Me, About Being Different
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…