Time to Unschool

Gemma-Rose (7) had a loose front tooth. Every spare moment, she could be found, fingers in her mouth, wiggling and twisting and turning that little tooth. Soon it was hanging by a thread. At lunchtime, two days ago, it finally…

When Life Gets a Bit Too Interesting!

Life is certainly interesting at the moment. A little bit too interesting! You might remember how a week or so ago, we prepared our house just in case the out-of-control bushfire that was burning not very far away arrived in…

What if We’d Like Our Kids to Be Early Risers?

Sometimes when I write a post about our typical unschooling days, a reader stops by and says, “Oh, Sue, your mornings sound delightful! I wish my family would get up early so we could get a good start on the…

Perfectly Them

Do you remember the first time you saw your child? That was a magic moment, wasn’t it? I bet we all thought our newborn babies were absolutely perfect. It’s very sad that initial impressions wear off. We begin to see…

Latest

As the Unschooling Season Changes

Parents, sadly fed up with having their kids at home, are beginning to say, “When does school begin again?” My once-glorious hydrangeas are turning brown, and my agapanthus flowers are resembling dirty cotton mop heads. Soon, the carol bird will fly away north. Time is moving on. This morning, I noticed that there are exactly 14 hours between sunrise and sunset today. I’ve been anticipating this day for a while, watching the numbers change as the sunrise gets later and…

Need Some Unschooling Encouragement and Ideas to Ponder?

I chatted with Cecilie Conrad and Sandra Dodd this morning via Zoom. We were recording episode 6 of the second season of Da Ladies Fixing the World podcast. I’ve known Sandra for many years, much longer than she’s known me. A long time ago, I googled unschooling and discovered Sandra on her website. When I first started blogging about unschooling, after writing a post about some new idea I was pondering, I’d check in with Sandra before publishing it. Was…

Unschooling: A Slow but Productive Way of Life

My beautician and I have thought-provoking conversations. Yesterday, while Bonnie was taming and tinting my ageing eyebrows, making them look fierce, we chatted about time. We started with photography and how phones have simplified the process of capturing images. After buying an iPhone 15 Pro Max—I saved up for it for weeks—I no longer drag my DSLR camera around with me. If I see something I want to photograph, I just reach into my pocket for my phone. It’s convenient…

Unschool: Be Brave, Adventurous and Just a Bit Daring

Sometimes we have to be brave, adventurous and daring. We can’t remain on the sidelines of life where it feels safe. We’ve got to get involved, take up challenges, live life to the full, and not let fear hold us back. But what about the danger? Most times, we inflate it. We tense up and think, “What if?” when maybe we shouldn’t. Is that true when we consider unschooling?…

Strewing to Share Passions and Keep Our Bonds Strong

Driving past a cafe in town, I spied a blue racing car. “I need a photo of the car to send to Callum!” I cried. So Andy turned the car around and headed back to the cafe. As we parked the car, my husband said, “Do you want to jump out and get your photo while I sit here?” Of course, that’s not what I wanted. We were outside a cafe. I needed coffee. So, Andy ordered coffee while I…

Do You Need to Follow an Older Unschooler? (Part 2)

I choose the photos I share online with care, looking for ones with good, flattering light. I also need my photo smile to be just right. Sometimes, my smile looks a bit goofy because of my overbite. I reject these images, wanting to hide my imperfection, though it’s not my fault my teeth are like this. It’s just the way I am. I wonder: what if I let my overbite smile shine bright? I could post myself from all angles…

Do You Need to Follow an Older Unschooler? (Part 1)

Our fluid intelligence – our ability to focus and problem solve – will inevitably decline as we age. Listening to Arthur C. Brooks say this during a YouTube interview, I instantly protested, “No!” What if I keep my brain active by playing lots of video games? I could practise my memory skills. Maybe if I stay interested in everything, look after my health, and keep fit, I can avoid mental decline. I can be the person I was at 30…

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 topic in many different ways? And what about notebooking? Perhaps someone who writes down details of their learning is using this method. We often associate resources and learning techniques with particular homeschooling methods, don’t we? However, Charlotte Mason doesn’t own…
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My Unschooling Books

Parents and Kids

The Ladies Fixing the World

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.…

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…

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…

Christian unschooling

Reading Out Loud and a Generous Christmas

Do you like listening to stories being read out loud? I have to admit that this isn’t my favourite activity. My mind tends to wander and I miss half the words. But my kids are different from me. They love reading aloud time. Even though most of my children are grown up, they still like to gather whenever anyone opens…

Christian Unschooling: Should Parents Demand Obedience from Their Children?

Not so long ago, I was reading a spiritual book that mentioned monks and their life of poverty, chastity and obedience. And this got me thinking about obedience. Monks are obedient to their superiors and the rule of their order. They are imitating Jesus who was obedient to God the Father even until death. Obedience is obviously good so perhaps…
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