Resisting the Temptation to Interfere
Or trusting children to learn in their own time I have been rather busy recently, my eyes glued to the computer screen, my mind miles away. “Please can we use the scrapbooking paper, Mum?” “Yes, you may.” “Please can I borrow your stapler, Mum?” “Huh? Oh yes, it’s on my…
Drawing, Geometry and a Happy Girl
Sophie is happy. She grins from ear to ear. “I’m off to do some maths, Mum!” What a change from a couple of weeks ago. Not long ago, she was battling her way through an online maths course. But no more. After some thought and reflection, and talking to myself…
I am a Pirate King!
Or the delights of Gilbert and Sullivan. A few years ago, the Dominican nuns from Ganmain came to our homeschooling camp. They swept in, resplendent and imposing in their spotless habits with plans, not only to teach our children the catechism but also help our teenagers stage a production of…
Let’s Talk Maths
My girls have been learning maths in a formal way rather than as a consequence of life. But I have been thinking… The girls used to use workbooks, the sort that cover one school year at a time. They filled them in with correct answers and moved from book to…
Yikes! Do They Know About Filtration?
I was chatting to a friend on the phone the other morning. She was telling me about a dialogue her daughter is writing as an English exercise. “One of the speakers is a professor and he is talking about filtration. We did that in chemistry the other day.” Filtration? I…
Lunch with Charles Dickens
We are sitting around the table. It is lunch time and as we eat, someone starts a lively conversation. “Do you remember that strange old lady in Great Expectations?” “The one who sat in her wedding dress, day after day after day?” “Yes, Miss Haversham. She sat there with one…
The Photography Girls Head into the Bush
The other week while the girls and I were at the lake, we spied a track that disappeared enticingly into the bush. I promised we’d return another day and head along the path in search of adventure. So last Wednesday afternoon we packed up our exploring kit. We grabbed a…
A Jane Austen Education
I was on my way to bed when I noticed the older girls’ bedroom light was still on. As I stood outside the door I could hear Imogen’s voice. It sounded like she was reading out loud. Pushing open the door, I saw both girls sprawled on their beds. Charlotte…
An Adventure Hiding in Every Moment
Every Wednesday afternoon I drive into town to deliver Imogen to her place of work. She spends two hours, house cleaning. And I wait. For two hours. Filling in hours? I’ve done a lot of that over the years. Waiting while my children have piano lessons, clarinet lessons, singing lessons,…
Unschoolers Earning Money, Following Passions
How can unschooling kids keep following their passions once they get to an age where they need to earn money to support themselves? Some unschoolers step straight into a career based on their interests Some might decide to get a job in a completely different…
Challenging Parents to Get Involved with Kids’ Passions
A while ago, Sophie challenged me to do a 100 squat challenge. And recently, I challenged Sophie. “I have a new idea,” I told my teenage daughter. Sophie waited patiently while I explained. (She’s used to me and my ideas.) “How about you become a regular…
Ordinary Frida Kahlo Eyebrow Days
Quinn barked, alerting me to the policeman striding along the path towards our house. After securing the dog, I opened the front door, my…
A Few Raw Thoughts on a Crumpled Piece of Paper
I discover a crumpled piece of notebook paper in my handbag. I smooth it out and read the scrawled inked words: unschooling things everyone…
Breeding like Mice
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.…
Questioning Our Decision to Unschool
Sometimes events in our lives make us stop and reassess what we’re doing. I’ve been doing a bit of this kind of reassessment about…
Acts of Love
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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…
Unschool Maths and Uncomfortable Ideas
Some ideas might make us feel uncomfortable. We push them to the back of our minds, not wanting to consider them. This is how…
What if Unschooling is Wrong?
Today, I’m sharing an incomplete thought. Some thoughts are like that. They sit at the edge of our minds, refusing to enter completely. We…
Just over a year ago, I was in a dark place. The world had returned to normal after covid, but I was finding it hard to shrug off the effects [...]
I ask, “Watch the movie or read the book? Which one do you prefer doing first?” Imogen replies without hesitating, “Read the book.” Then she adds, “Unless the book is [...]
I complained about last year’s Christmas tree: “It hasn’t got enough colour!” So, I ordered a string of red lights to brighten up this year’s tree. When they arrived in [...]
My Unschoolers’ End-of-the-Year Reports
My husband Andy is a primary school teacher, and twice a year he has to write school reports for all his children. For a…
A Successful Evernote Homeschool Registration Visit
If you listened to last week’s podcast you’ll know I recently had to apply for another period of homeschool registration for my girls. You’ll…
Our Reluctance to Trust and Other Croaky Thoughts
A week or so ago, three boxes arrived on our doorstep. Imogen cheered and jumped up and down, and said, “Wow! Our new home…