So How Do You Feel On a Monday Morning?

When I was a child, I’d awake on a Monday morning with a pain in my stomach. I was always reluctant to get out of bed and face the week. Five days of school stretched out ahead, and the weekend…

An Adult Learning Unschooling Challenge

I have an adult learning unschooling challenge for you! It’s part of a series of challenges that I’ve written that, hopefully, will help turn unschooling principles and ideas into something real in your lives.  Years ago, I used to think…

Reluctant Spouse: Unschool Bits and Pieces

Reluctant Spouse What does my husband Andy think of unschooling? Was he always in favour of it? Or did I have to convince him that unschooling is the right thing to do? Parents frequently ask me these questions especially when…

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A Musical Interlude

Let’s lighten the mood. Let’s smile and feel joyful. Let’s have a musical interlude. Last night I finally got my husband Andy, and children Callum, Imogen and Charlotte together. (Callum has been busy at work.) They gathered around the piano and sang The Carol of the Bells, in four parts. Of course, I had my handy pocket camera on the tripod and recorded every note. The Carol of the Bells? Isn’t that a Christmas carol? Hasn’t the Christmas season finished?…

The Problem With Being a Younger Sister

Younger sisters want to do everything older sisters can do.  The other Sunday at Mass Imogen was the psalm cantor. I glanced at Gemma-Rose while her older sister was up at the lectern singing, and noticed she had a big smile on her face. “Would you like to sing the psalm when you’re older?” I whispered in her ear, and she nodded emphatically. Imogen’s abilities inspire Gemma-Rose. She wants to be just like her older sister. The only problem is…

The Joy of Singing Together

It is Christmas Eve. Music is wafting through my bedroom door, voices raised in song. “Shall we try that one again?” suggests Imogen. “Can you give me the first note?” asks Andy. “Does Callum know this one?” “Oh that sounds good!” says Charlotte. I have to agree. I smile. In a few hours’ time we will be at Midnight Mass. Andy, Callum, Imogen and Charlotte will be singing with the choir. The rest of us will listen from the pew.…

Teenagers are People Too

At Mass on Sunday, during the Prayers of the Faithful, we were asked to pray for sullen teenagers. When we returned home, Imogen was most indignant. “Why does everyone automatically think teenagers are sullen? Charlotte and I are teenagers and we’re not that way.” “It’s the typical teenage stereotype,” said Charlotte. “It’s not necessarily true.” I think my teenage girls are quite right. Society tends to think of teenagers in a certain negative way. Parents expect trouble when their children…

When Unschooling Spills Over into Parenting

Some random thoughts about unschooling and parenting… Sometimes I get the feeling most of the world thinks I’m a little strange. Whenever I post a parenting story I wonder if there are people out there thinking, “Wow! She’s a bit weird. She’s wrong too. Parenting like that would never work.” I admit it. I’m weird. I know I have drifted into dangerous waters. It was quite okay when we were only unschooling as a method of education. That was weird…

When a Child Can’t Cope

A few months ago, a family story made big news in a city newspaper. One Sunday, a married couple decided to take their small son to a restaurant. It wasn’t long before the young boy started to make a fuss. He wouldn’t sit quietly in his chair and do what his parents wanted, and soon he was the centre of attention. Fellow diners complained about the child’s noise and behaviour, and the restaurant manager felt compelled to ask the parents…

The Changing Seasons of the Unschooling Year

I saw a friend the other day who asked, “When are you finishing school work for the year?” I grinned wickedly and replied, “Finishing? We haven’t even started. We haven’t done anything for a long time.” I shouldn’t joke. People will think unschoolers are lazy and do nothing. I should take the time to explain properly exactly what we do. For of course we do lots of things. We’re always learning. The girls are just not doing ‘school work’ in…
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My Unschooling Books

Parents and Kids

Unschooling Strong

Yesterday we did lots of complaining because it felt like a very hot day. We were glad when evening arrived, and the sun went…

The Ladies Fixing the World

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…

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.…

Christian unschooling

Pondering Trust

I never wanted to be in a position where I had to trust God. I preferred to rely on my own resources. I wanted to be totally in control of my own life. That seemed easier to do because trusting is so very difficult. Or so it can seem. Then one day, at a time when I was feeling rather…
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