When Children Move Out of an Unschool Home
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
How Both Unschooling Parents and Kids Can Do Amazing Things
What am I going to do next? What are my plans? What’s ahead for me? Someone at the Canberra unschooling meeting wanted to know what I’d like to do now that I’ve published my unschooling books. Will I write more…
When the Outside Looks Wrong Because We Don’t Understand
My daughter Imogen knows I love proteas so when she saw a bouquet of native Australian flowers while shopping, she decided to buy them for me. A day or two previously, I’d told Imogen about the magnificent native flower garden…
The Non-Super-Mum’s Approach to Creative Arts
I am sadly not one of those super homeschooling mothers who organises impressive art and craft projects for her children. I like to hop around the blogosphere enjoying everyone else’s beautiful photos and ideas, but rarely do I say to…
About Me, About Podcasts, About Adventures!
I have made 13 podcasts. I never expected to make that many, and I never expected to have any listeners other than a few and encouraging friends. I guess that’s why I never introduced myself properly when I first became…
A Successful Evernote Homeschool Registration Visit
If you listened to last week’s podcast you’ll know I recently had to apply for another period of homeschool registration for my girls. You’ll also know I promised to report back when the visit was over. Yesterday Sophie asked, “What if we fail our homeschool visit? What if the AP (Authorised Person) doesn’t like your Evernote records? What will you tell everyone?” “I suppose it could be embarrassing if we fail,” I said. “I might have to confess I led…
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 is where it led… What kind of records will I be presenting for next week’s homeschool registration visit? I have to make a plan for the next period of registration. How can I do that when we are unschoolers who…
The Inflated Can of Baked Beans
“Do you know what inflation is?” I ask. My youngest daughters Sophie and Gemma-Rose look at me with blank faces. “I could tell you a story about inflation. Do you want to hear it?” The girls aren’t sure but I begin the story anyway. “Once upon a time there was a ten year old girl,” I say. “She was me. I was that girl.” Ah! This is a story of my childhood. Now Sophie and Gemma-Rose are leaning forward, eager…
Our Reluctance to Trust and Other Croaky Thoughts
A week or so ago, three boxes arrived on our doorstep. Imogen cheered and jumped up and down, and said, “Wow! Our new home audio recording studio!” Yes, we now have some new sophisticated equipment which should make our audio recordings sound more professional. “You should make a podcast, Mum,” urged my daughter. “Try the new mic out.” “You’ll have to help me work out how to use everything,” I replied. So we connected everything together. Imogen grabbed some music…
Why I Like Empty Weeks & Other Busy Week Stories
Last week started off gently, and then life moved into top gear, and we found ourselves hurtling along at a fast pace. But today, I’ve stopped moving. Yes, I am sitting still, enjoying some quiet Saturday time, after a too busy week. There is nothing I enjoy more than an empty calendar: lots of free days stretching ahead, waiting for us to fill as we like. Plenty of time to sit on the sofa, sip coffee, chat with my children,…
Boy Stories
Usually I speak and write about my four youngest daughters. But not today. For this week’s podcast, I share some boy stories. I received a comment saying: “I want to hear about when your boys were younger.” So that’s what I’m talking about. I relate some of the interesting moments I’ve experienced with my sons Duncan and Callum over the years. These are a few of the questions I explore… What if a son is ‘different’? Should we make our…
Can Unschooling Be a Christian Thing to Do?
When a child has been controlled all her life, she just might grow into the kind of adult who says, “Nobody is ever going to make me do what they want ever again. From now on I’m going to do what I want.” She might close herself off, stand well back, not let anyone get too close. Because you never know what other people might want her to do. Even someone she declares she loves. “If you think I’m going…
Unschool Maths: Why and How
A few years ago, we used to unschool everything except for maths. I guess some people would say that’s not really unschooling, but that never worried me. I’ve learnt to ignore other people’s opinions and do what I feel is right for us. We did eventually decide to unschool maths, but we did it for a much better reason than only to avoid criticism and be accepted. In this week’s podcast, I tell you the story of why and how…
Parents, Teenagers and Opinions
Why do some parents want to impose their opinions on their children? Do they do this because they care? Perhaps they want their teenagers…
We Should Say What’s in Our Hearts (While We Can)
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
Questioning Our Decision to Unschool
Sometimes events in our lives make us stop and reassess what we’re doing. I’ve been doing a bit of this kind of reassessment about…
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: 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…
Unschooling: Coping With the Unexpected
I used to think I could control my life. To achieve a perfect life, all I had to do was organise everything well, including my kids. What is a perfect life? My perfect life vision included a graduated row of good-looking and well-behaved children. I wanted people to admire my family and home, saying, “Sue is such a good mother!…
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…
Unschooling, Homemaking, and a Mother’s Role
Erin wrote: What does the idea of homemaking mean to you? Is it a certain skill set or talent? Does it need to look or happen a certain way, or is it a flexible term? What role does homemaking play for you in home ed life? Do the two need to go together? Are there aspects of homemaking that you…