Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
21 April 2017

What Do Unschoolers Do All Day?

Years ago, when we first started homeschooling, I used to wonder, “What do unschoolers do all day?” Even though I’d read a few books, I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to my question. I needed a fly-on-the wall view into the unschooling life. This is why I decided to tell stories about our unschooling life when I began this blog. Turn unschooling theory into stories about real children. Perhaps it’s helpful to see unschooling in action?

In this week’s podcast, episode 94: What Do Unschoolers Do All Day? I share a few of these stories.  I chose several blog posts from a time when my younger girls, Sophie and Gemma-Rose, wore flashing wheels on their shoes and didn’t mind swinging on the swings even when an icy wind was blowing. In those days, we used to ponder such things as:

  • was Helen of Troy still beautiful after ten years of war? Was she still worth fighting over?
  • are Elvis feet different from everyone else’s? Why can’t we walk in thongs (flip-flops, not underwear!)

As well as sharing some blog posts, I also talk about:

  • how we never used to unschool maths
  • how we sometimes deceive ourselves because we’re not ready to face the truth
  • how unschooling is a continual learning experience for parents as well as kids
  • how I forgot something very important when we first began unschooling

So will you join me and find out what we used to do on a typical unschooling day when we had younger children?

If you’d prefer to read the blog posts (without my updated commentary), I’ll add the links to the show notes.

READ  Is Unschooling for Everyone?

Show Notes

Blog posts

What Next?

A Typical Unschooling Day?

Doing Nothing?

An Evernote Workshop Series

Books by Suzie Andres

Homeschooling with Gentleness: a Catholic Discovers Unschooling

A Little Way of Homeschooling: 13 Families Discover Catholic Unschooling

Music Video

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Podcast Music


Images: When Sophie was younger and wearing wheels on her shoes, I never imagined that one day she’d be passionate about photography and videography. I took these photos while Sophie was filming Imogen’s music video Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence. These days, a typical unschooling day might start with a music video shoot.



What are your unschooling days like? Do they change over time like ours? And what do you think about thongs, (the flip-flop variety!)? Can you walk in them?

 

Sue Elvis

I'm an Australian blogger, podcaster, and Youtuber. I write and speak about unschooling, parenting and family life. I'm also the author of the unschooling books 'Curious Unschoolers', 'Radical Unschool Love' and ‘The Unschool Challenge’. You'll find them on Amazon!

6 Comments

  1. I loved this podcast. So much of what you did in early years of homeschooling was what we did. I loved the Singing in the Rain reference, ha ha. One of our favorite movies. Thanks for all the sweet memories. Makes me wish my 27 and 25 year olds were young again.

    • Nancy,

      When I was reading out the quote from Singin’ in the Rain I couldn’t remember the rhythm of the words. I’m glad you enjoyed the reference even though it would have been much better if one of my girls had said them. Oh yes, sweet memories! Little things like silly conversations and songs are important, aren’t they? They make us smile and bond us together. My children are now older but they still sing while they make the lunch or wash the dishes. (The older ones join in when they come home for a visit.) They’re still pondering strange questions too! I wonder if your older children are doing the same.

      Thank you so much for listening to my podcast and for your kind comment!

  2. I am really enjoying hearing you read and reflect on past blog posts. 🙂 I’ve read some of them but I like hearing you read them all. Thankyou, Sue.

    • Alison,

      I’m so pleased you stopped by with some feedback about these new style podcasts. I’m glad you’re enjoying them! Thank you so much for your comment!

  3. Loved this podcast Sue! Really made me feel happy as I listened and watched my kids play a game of battleship. I smiled as I thought “we are becoming more like what Sue is talking about!” Here in California I grew up calling that type of sandals thongs too. I think that use has faded as talking about the underwear has become more popular! ? In Hawaii they call them slippers!

    • Venisa,

      I’m so glad my podcast made you smile!

      It’s funny how the meaning of words changes over time. I heard that in some areas the word ‘thong’ was deliberately replaced with ‘flip flop’ because of the underwear association. It sounds like this happened where you live. We’re still clinging to the original word! I am very interested to hear thongs and flip flops are slippers in Hawaii. I wonder what Hawaiians call slippers. Or perhaps they don’t have slippers because the weather is too warm!

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