My New Book!
Quinn barks loudly at a man in a mask who’s walking up our driveway. I open the front door, holding back the dog, and the man thrusts a box at me. No need to sign for it. No one does…
Yelling at Maths Games and Other Stories of Our Week
I didn’t make a Thursday video this week. I wonder if you noticed. I meant to. I even had a ‘great’ video idea. I’d planned to interview Andy, my school teacher husband. A school teacher with unschooling children? That might…
How to Unschool During the Baby Seasons of Life: The Magic Answer
Maybe most people think of me as an older unschooler blogger because, at the moment, I'm surrounded by unschooling teens and young adults. I'm also older in age! But, of course, my children were once babies and toddlers and younger…
Choosing an Exceptional Unschool Life and Other Things
Do we sometimes want to use someone else’s plan for our lives? Or are we willing to embrace adventure? Do you journal? Analogue or digital? How do we achieve our goals? I’m sharing podcasts, books, videos and thoughts that I’ve…
Trying to Be a Fun Mum
When my first two children were very small I had a best friend called Mellie. We got on extremely well despite being very different. I was an always-in-control type person. As well as liking an organised and spotless house, I…
Imogen Talks about the Role of Parents in Unschooling
Last week I made a video of my 18 year old daughter Imogen talking about unschooling and university. Thank you to everyone who took the time to watch it! Bernice left a question for Imogen in the combox: How did your parents make your unschooling/homeschooling a positive experience? Imogen and I discussed this question together. Then I grabbed the video camera and the tripod, ready to interview my daughter once again. Imogen talked about such things as a parents’ example,…
How to Have Demanding Children Who Rule the House
Things people sometimes say… “You’re not feeding that baby again, are you?” “If you feed your baby to sleep, she’ll never learn to go to sleep on her own. It won’t hurt her to cry.” “You’re not giving into her again, are you?” “If you carry your baby around all the time, she’ll never want to be put down.” “You’re still feeding during the night? It’s time you got that child into a routine. She might cry for a few…
Imogen Talks about Unschooling and University
Today I made my first ‘talkie’ video. We’d been discussing ideas for the last couple of weeks, and just needed a free moment to actually start filming. “Why don’t you interview me this afternoon?” suggested my daughter Imogen. “I’ve got some free time.” So I grabbed the video camera and Imogen hunted for the tripod. Unfortunately the tripod didn’t want to be found so I raided the bookshelf for a pile of encyclopedias instead. I placed these in a tower…
Why it’s Not a Good Idea to Read Slowly and Carefully
My girls come home from the library with towering stacks of books. Even as they walk through the front door, they have their noses between the pages of the first book in their piles. A couple of hours later, a sigh of contentment can be heard as a book is closed. “I enjoyed that!” By the end of the week, I hear, “When are we going to the library again, Mum?” “Surely you haven’t read all your books yet?” I…
The Problem of Applying Sunscreen to Wet, Sandy Bodies.
My husband Andy is home from school for two weeks. “What shall we do during the holidays?” he asks. “Let’s go to the beach!” The girls’ eyes light up. Callum’s eyes light up. It’s been two years since we last saw the sea. We pack bags of swimming gear, and an esky full of delicious picnic food. Shall we take SAND-wiches? We grab the sunscreen and our hats and sunnies. Of course, we don’t forget the buckets and spades. “Are…
Do You Know What’s at the End of Our Road?
“Shoes on!’ I shout. “Grab a jumper. Do we need sunscreen?” Soon we’re ready. The girls and I are off on an outing. “I’m going to record some video,” I say, holding my camera aloft. “Nancy wants to see where we live. We’re going to show her what’s at the end of our road.” I’m going to make my second movie. The Elvis girls are going to star again. “Everyone ready?” I ask. I press the start button on the…
Bite-Sized Pieces of Unschool Maths
So many people love the idea of unschooling and are even tempted to give it a go, but often there is one huge stumbling block… maths. Very few parents seem to be confident that their children will learn all the maths they need to know, without being prodded along by some kind of intentional instruction. Many homeschoolers who decide to unschool make a compromise. They might say something like, “We unschool everything except maths. My children do a couple of…
Enjoying an Unexpected Little Adventure
The kids pile into the car. I settle myself into the passenger seat and bang the door shut. My eldest-at-home daughter, Imogen makes sure her ‘L’ plates are attached to the front and back of the vehicle, before sliding into the driver’s place. We are off to town. Charlotte has a piano lesson and Imogen is going to drive us. When we get to the end of our street, Imogen pulls onto the road leading out of our village. She…
Irreplaceable Unschool Dogs and Kids
People often have favourite breeds of dogs, don’t they? Maybe they love greyhounds like a couple living in a nearby town who dress their…
Following My Mothering Instincts
Some years ago I came across a talk on discipline by a well-known speaker, an experienced family man, an ‘expert’ perhaps. The talk went…
Encouraging Kids to Write (and the Youngest Child in the Family)
When my son Duncan was about six or seven years old, his head was bursting with stories he wanted to tell. Every morning he…
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…
How Unschoolers Can Deal with Questions and Sceptics
My mother-in-law visited us for the birth of our son, Thomas. After he died and we’d buried him in his tiny white casket, Andy’s mother asked me if we wanted more children. As I replied, “Oh, yes!”, my mother-in-law’s face dropped into a disapproving frown. “She thinks we already have enough kids,” I thought as my defence hackles rose. But…
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…
Christian Unschooling: Should We Encourage Our Kids to Seek Security?
Should we encourage our kids to seek security? Is it our parental duty to make sure they receive the education and opportunities they might need to get safe, well-paying jobs when they leave our care? Or is that kind of security not what our children need? Could security be about something else?…
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…