Go Out There and Make a Difference!

Do you ever compare yourself to someone else who’s doing similar work to you? Do you feel discouraged if they seem to be more successful than you? Perhaps you feel like giving up. Why bother? Well, don’t give up. You…

Are You a Curious Unschooler?

Do you ever follow rabbit trails, going from one thing to other until your head is spinning with new knowledge? My head is constantly spinning. I guess my girls’ heads are too. You see, I don’t keep my discoveries to myself.…

More About Starting Unschooling

Yesterday, I was brave. When I tell you what I did, maybe many of you will think, “Is that all Sue did?” You might not be impressed. However, I did something that was difficult for me. I hosted my first…

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…

When Mothering Is Not Enough

Should our kids be our whole world? Should we dedicate all our time and effort to raising the most precious people in our lives? Or is it okay to combine motherhood with our own interests? Could there be advantages in…

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Unschool Cemetery Maths

The mist drifts across the field and through the cemetery. Together with the rising sun, it streams between the trees and onto the graves. Golden rays fall upon a black marble monument which rises high, taller than the surrounding stones. I stop in front of this memorial pillar, shivering in the cold morning air. My eyes scan the words inscribed upon it. and, immediately, my brain moves up a gear. Without any encouragement from me, it starts manipulating the numbers,…

Strange Goings-On in the Cemetery

I wonder if we’re the first people ever to film a music video in our local cemetery? Has anyone else ever stood next to one of the old sandstone headstones and sung a song from The Phantom of the Opera? I doubt it. Did the people driving by early last Friday morning see us? Maybe they wondered what we were doing amongst the graves with two tripods and three cameras? Did they think something strange was going on in the…

Ideas, Passions, and Earning an Income

Has blogging changed? Are people no longer very interested in reading my posts? Maybe they prefer listening to my podcasts? Is it time to close up my blog and move onto other things? I pondered these questions in my last blog post. I came to the conclusion that blogging may indeed have changed since I created this blog 5 years ago. But despite this, I’m not going to stop blogging. No, I still have some followers who like reading my…

Love and a Mother’s Heart Stories

Children bring us great joy. Our hearts overflow with love for them. We enfold them in our arms and enjoy. But sometimes that same love can cause our hearts to ache. There are times when we wonder if our soft mothers’ hearts will survive. And then there are days when the joy that comes from parenting becomes buried under a heap of tiredness as we try to keep up with everything a mother needs to do. I could tell you…

The Dead Body and Other Stories

At the moment, it’s the school holidays here in Australia. My school teacher husband, Andy, is home from work for a couple of weeks. Life around here changes a bit when Andy’s at home. We tend to do different things at different times. And because of that, I wondered if I’d get around to recording my usual weekly podcasts. Just to be sure I’d have something to publish, I decided to record a couple of episodes ahead of time, leaving…

The Fear of Failing

Last Wednesday morning, just after sunrise, we headed into the bush to record another music video for Imogen. “What song are you singing today, Imogen?” I asked. “May it Be from The Lord of the Rings, the Enya song.” “Do I know that one?” “You’ll recognise it once you hear it.” Did I recognise it? Was the song familiar to me? I don’t know. I have to admit I didn’t listen properly. I was far too distracted to concentrate on…

Dealing with Our Fears and Other People’s Critical Comments

The other day my daughter Sophie received an email. She read part of it out to me and then said, “What do you think?” “She hasn’t expressed herself very well,” I remarked. “I don’t suppose she meant to sound so abrupt.” “How do I reply?” We discussed a few ideas and I finished with these words: “Whatever we write, perhaps the most important thing is to be kind.” Sophie giggled. “Have courage and be kind.” “Yes, like Cinderella,” I agreed.…

Learning about Fashion and other Friday Afternoon Stories

It’s a warm autumn Friday afternoon. I’m sitting on the family room sofa, computer on my knee. Now and then I gaze out the window. I can see gum trees. A slight breeze rustles their leaves. Each tree has a crown of cream flowers. Sitting next to the window is my youngest daughter, Gemma-Rose. She’s writing a new novel. It’s day 1 of Camp NaNoWriMo. “How many words have you written today?” I ask. “3,577.” Only 46,423 words to go.…
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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…

Unschooling: Trust, Autonomy, and The Realities of Learning

The Ladies are Fixing the World again! Cecilie, Sandra and I are discussing the words ‘self-regulation’ and ‘limits’. When we say, “I’ve let go of control, and now I’m waiting for my child to learn how to regulate his time playing video games (for example),” do we have expectations about what that regulation should look like? Do we want…

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…

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…

The Problem With Being Too Nice

Are you too nice? I am. I want to help everyone. Support and encouragement are my middle names. Send me an email and I’ll spend hours answering it. Write me a comment and I’ll always reply. Ask for some mentoring and I’ll do my best even though you tell me you can’t pay. I write a book. And another. Then…
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