Often, we push our kids to try new things, don’t we? We want them to be adventurous. We say, “If you give it a go, you might discover you like it. You might be good at it.’
But what about ourselves? Are we willing to try new things? Or do we make excuses to avoid pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones?
I wanted to give podcasting a go. So, I made an episode and uploaded it to the Internet. I was pleased with my efforts. And excited: I was a podcaster! But then my enthusiasm plummeted after one of my kids commented on my podcast voice: ‘You’re using your other people voice, not your family one, Mum.’
I was worried. What would listeners think of my voice? Would someone criticise my first effort at podcasting? Would they laugh at me? I suddenly wanted to delete my only episode. Podcasting had turned out to be a much riskier venture than I’d anticipated. Perhaps it was safer not to be a podcaster after all.
But I left my episode where it was. I had to. I knew I couldn’t expect my kids to do things that involved some risk and be adventurous learners if I wasn’t willing to do that, too. That was ten years ago.
Now, I don’t mind listening to my voice. I’m happy talking to myself in front of a mic.
I’m even happier if I have my daughter Imogen to talk with. That happened the other day. Imogen and I recorded episode 205 of my Stories of a Unschooling Family podcast together. We talked about:
- Writing and how Imogen is promoting and selling her YA novels
- Collaboration and how we achieve more when we work together
- The ups and downs of social media
We also shared some of our latest news and told a couple of stories, including the one about my frightening Frida Kahlo eyebrows!
Podcasting, Blogging, Books and Lice!
Here’s my first podcast episode with me using my other people voice!
Why We Have to Take Risks
And here’s the story of how I realised I had to risk criticism and leave my first podcasting episode online:
An Unschooling Challenge
You might not want to podcast, but is there something you’d like to try but haven’t yet had the courage to do? Could you try something that scares you? Think of how proud your kids will be if you take up the challenge! And you’d be an excellent example of learning for them. You might even enjoy yourself. New possibilities and opportunities could open before you.
Or you could take one small step towards your goal. Step-by-step is often better than screwing up enough courage to dive straight in.
Or you could do something adventurous but with a low-risk factor, like trying a new bold eyebrow gel. I did that recently!
Although we want our kids to be adventurous, there are some things we don’t want them to do. We might be concerned about their safety, or we worry what others might say about our kids’ efforts, or we might need to get involved with the adventure. Perhaps it can be helpful to think about our fears. Are they justified? Or should we be brave and encourage our kids with whatever they’d like to do?
So, will you be brave? And will you listen to my podcast, episode 205, Chatting with My Unschooled Author Daughter?
Will You Help?
Do you find my blog helpful? Will you consider supporting it with a coffee or small donation?
My Unschooling Books
Or maybe you could buy one of my books? If you’d like to try more challenges, you’ll find more than 76 of them in The Unschool Challenge!
What Do You Think?
If we push ourselves instead of our kids, perhaps they might be more inclined to be adventurous and try new things. What do you think?
