What if…?
What if instead of doing what you usually do, you did some of those things your children have been wanting to do for ages. All that fun stuff that usually has to wait until all the serious stuff has been…
How to Make Evernote Unschool Records Look Impressive
Every two years, an Authorised Person (AP) from the Education Department comes to visit our family as part of our homeschool registration process. We have to show her what we’ve been doing. We have to prove to her that my…
Why This Unschool Mother Doesn’t Care
He who doesn’t care has more power. I heard those words somewhere, scribbled them into my journal, and then pondered them. Are they true? Should we care? Or are there some things we shouldn’t waste our time caring about? One…
Unschooling Imposters and Difficult Days
After a few quiet weeks – life has been busy – I’m back with a new podcast, episode 97. It’s called Unschooling Imposters and Difficult Days, but I could have called it Our Weight Loss Adventure! Here’s the podcast summary:…
Forcing Kids to Learn and to Eat, and Should We Test Them?
“What shall I speak about in this week’s podcast?” I ask my daughters. “What are you thinking about at the moment?” asks Imogen. “Next week’s homeschool registration visit. Perhaps I’ll start with that and see where it leads.” And this…
My Perfect Christmas Present Secret
Have you got piles of presents hidden in your bedroom waiting for Christmas Day? I have. Except they’re not really hidden. They’re scattered around my room in the most inconvenient of places. I keep tripping over them. It took me a long time to buy all my gifts. And a lot of effort. To be honest, I don’t like Christmas shopping. I’m tempted to say, “Let’s not have presents this year. It’s all a commercial trick to make us part…
Bob Blogosphere Discovers Imogen Elvis
The phone rings. “Hello?” “Sue!” A deep smooth voice from the past hits my ear. “Bob!” It’s Bob Blogosphere, the most powerful man in the blogosphere. He’s famous for his deep and probing interviews. He’s the man behind Blogosphere News. “Sue, I’ve been browsing your blog.” “My blog?” I ask. “Why?” “Well, normally, I wouldn’t bother with your blog. But I was desperate. It’s been a slow news week, and I need an interesting story.” “Did you find anything?” “Surprisingly, I did!”…
The Difference Between Radical Unschooling and Unparenting
Someone says, “Radical unschooling is an irresponsible way of life. I know a family of radical unschoolers. Their kids are wild and out of control.” And someone else replies, “Are you sure that family is radically unschooling? To me, they sound like they’re unparenting.” So what’s the difference radical unschooling and unparenting? How do we know we’re doing one and not the other? And how do we radically unschool anyway? Is it a matter of just letting go completely, stepping…
What if My Child is ‘Ordinary’?
Occasionally, I receive an email that goes something like this: Sue, I’ve been reading your blog and enjoying your stories about your daughters. They are doing some amazing things. I can see that unschooling is working for you. But will it work for my family? You see, I have ordinary children. They’re not musical like yours. They don’t write. They don’t draw. In fact, they don’t seem to have any particular talents… Usually, the parent I’m chatting to has children…
Making an Aussie Bush Christmas Tree
A few days ago, we were planning my daughter Imogen’s latest music video. “I’m singing a Christmas carol. Where do you think we should film the video?” “We could put up our Christmas tree early and film it inside.” “I bet most people would do that. We should do something different.” “We could film the video at the nature reserve or in the bush.” “But how would we make an outside location look like Christmas?” “I could make an Aussie…
Are You an Unschooling Multipotentialite?
Are you an unschooling multipotentialite? If someone had asked me that question a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn’t have had an answer. I’d never heard of that word before. Yes, multipotentialite is a new word in my vocabulary. My friend Lucinda introduced me to the concept of multipotentiality. She sent me over to the blog Puttylike. I started reading and soon I was thinking, “Oh my, this describes my family perfectly!” Puttylike is written by Emilie Wapnick. This is how…
Not the Usual Reason for Playing Board Games
Do you enjoy playing board games with your kids? When they say, “Do you want to play a game with us?” do you immediately put down what you’re doing and join in? I must admit, I’m not very good at doing this. Quite often I say, “I’m busy at the moment. Maybe another time.” Unfortunately, ‘another time’ doesn’t arrive very often. But yesterday… About 8.30 pm, my daughter Imogen said, “Let’s finish off the evening with a rousing game of…
A Very Resource Full Week: Rescued Paintings, Graphs, and Expensive Cats
At the beginning of the week, I said, “What shall we do today, Gemma-Rose?” My youngest daughter replied, “How about some maths?” Maths? I nearly fell off my seat. Gemma-Rose is not a maths fan. “Are you sure? Yes? Well, perhaps we can find something interesting.” Art Documentaries As I opened up my computer, I had an idea. Could we find some art related maths? Gemma-Rose loves watching art documentaries. So do I. At the moment, we’re working our way…
How Our Unschooled Kids Need a Deep Kind of Example
Sometimes I’m asked: ‘How do I get my kids to get up early? How do I get them to exercise? And I’d like to…
Is it Really Okay to Give Unschooling Kids Unlimited Access to Screens and the Internet?
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
A New Series of Unschooling Videos
Have you subscribed to my Youtube channel? Perhaps you’re one of my recent subscribers? (If you are, thank you!) Over the past couple of…
Resources for Unschoolers
Strolling towards the shopping centre, I spy an older man with three hand-reared brightly coloured parrots. A few wide-eyed kids are gathered around him, and as I watch, he transfers a parrot to one of their shoulders, where it bounces lightly upon its feet, nuzzling a little ear. The child grins, hardly daring to move. The children have questions which…
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 by clearly stated limits? Do I believe my own quiet example of appropriate behaviour is all that is needed in order to influence my children? Perhaps I stand back, hands-off, and let my children behave as…
Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Curiosity, Flexibility, and Trust
I’m a Lady Fixing the World! Cecilie Conrad kindly invited me to join her and Sandra Dodd for Season 2 of her podcastThe Ladies Fixing the World. We recorded our first unschooling conversation together in November 2024 before life got extra-busy with Christmas, and it has just gone live! The audio version. Here’s the audio version: You can also listen…
An Impossible Adventure
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
Unschool: Greater Things
She was tempted to aim low, afraid to risk failure, but she knew she shouldn’t settle for ordinary. More was expected. So she gathered her courage, did what she should, and life got exciting. And she changed. How often do we aim low because we’re too afraid to risk disappointment or failure? We want to stay where it’s comfortable and…