Unschoolers, Chores and Rosters
How do parents encourage kids to help with the chores? Is the example of parents important? Do parents have to be willing to do everything they want their kids to do? Do they need to have a generous and loving attitude? And what about chore rosters? Do they discourage children from freely offering their help? Or does it depend on…
Should We Push Kids to Use Their Talents, Aim High and Impress?
Do you ever wonder if you should push your kids? Make them do hard things even if they complain. Drill them. Give them a rigorous education. I’ve heard of kids who, after receiving that kind of education, are now surgeons and lawyers or have some other kind of high-status career. Wouldn’t it be good to say, “My daughter is a…
Unschool Basics: What is Unschooling?
What is unschooling? Is it a method of homeschooling, or is it more than that? Could it be a way of life? I share my ideas about what unschooling is and add links to other people’s articles on this topic. I also ask AI for its opinion!…
The Stories of Our Lives
In this episode of the Stories of an Unschooling Family podcast, I discuss a range of topics from unschooling and homeschool record-keeping to generating writing ideas and dealing with social media distractions. I also share some resources, including Tiago Forte's book, Building a Second Brain, and Matthew Dicks' Storyworthy. If you're interested in unschooling, homeschooling, or just love listening to…
Video Games, Control, Mental Health and Freedom
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How Our Unschooling Lives and Kids Don’t Need to be Picture-Perfect
Do you ever feel discouraged when you see social media posts of unschooling families that seem to have everything worked out? Do you wonder why your unschooling life isn’t picture-perfect like theirs? Are you doing something wrong? Why isn’t unschooling working for you? Is it time to do something else before family and friends start to criticise your choices? In…
Do Unschoolers Drift Aimlessly Through Each Day?
Years ago, when I was researching homeschooling methods, I thought unschooling sounded good because we’d be free to do whatever we liked. And if we didn’t want to do anything, that would be okay. There would be no rules, no control, no expectations, no pressure to do anything in particular. But then one day, I wondered whether unschooling is another…
Is Unconditional Love at the Heart of Unschooling?
Recently, while travelling to town with two of my daughters, we talked about unschooling and how it’s impossible to say to another family, “Unschool in the same way as us.” Each family is different. Kids have their unique needs based on their personalities, interests and missions in life. And families have different circumstances such as number of children, health, commitments…
What to Do When Unschool Kids Have No Interest in Topics They’re Required to Learn
‘… if we’re curious people, the whole world is a source of fascinating things to investigate. But this doesn’t mean we will all enjoy learning about something the same way. Sometimes we need to find the right angle. Can we find a way into a subject that appeals to us? Can we approach it through the back door?’ -Challenge 50,…
Unschooling Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason often entices families away from unschooling. Maybe that’s because of three words often associated with this method of homeschooling: beauty, truth and goodness. Aren’t these what our souls yearn for? Aren’t they what we need? Could Charlotte Mason be the right way to live? Or can we find everything our souls crave in the real world of unschooling?…
Why Some Kids Are Willing to Help with the Chores
I said that I have to be a good example if I want my children to help me get the house organised each morning… I have to jump out of bed and go out there and dive into the chores. I have to be willing…
Fan Mail and Lots of Unschooling Thoughts
This morning I felt very discouraged. Perhaps it was the result of being overtired. I don’t know. It’s strange how grey the world looks when we’re tired. Earlier today, nothing excited me. I didn’t want to blog or podcast. Sharing unschooling didn’t seem important. All…
How Unschooled Kids Charge Off On Their Own Learning Adventures
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Motivated to Learn
Did you ever hear my physics story? When I was in grade 11, we moved house, and so I had to go to a…
Unschool Love Stories
About a month ago, I wrote the following story for my unschooling community: This morning, I didn’t want to go for a run. It…
Why I’m Content to Be a Blogger and Not an Instagram Influencer
I deleted IG. What will I do without social media? Can I blog without it? Is it okay to forget my silly dream of…
Unschooling Adventure Juice
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Is It Wrong to Love Without Limits?
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Why Unschooling Isn’t Just Another Method of Homeschooling
In my last post, An Unschooling Experiment, I urged anyone who’s unhappy with their present method of homeschooling to give unschooling a go. So…
Reinventing Ourselves
When I was younger, I often came home from social gatherings and replayed conversations in my head. Did I talk too much? Had I…
Intuition and Independence: Unschooling Tips and Practical Advice
What do we do if a child refuses to brush her teeth? What if our kids choose not to wash their hair or shower…
How Do I Turn Unschooling Life into Homeschool Records?
Sometimes life is quiet. We can stay at home and relax. There’s plenty of time to say such things as “Would you like to…
Christian Unschooling and Other Things
I made a new podcast episode! Yes, after an absence of a few weeks, I’m back. So where did I go? Nowhere in particular.…