Melissa is unschooling mom to a lively eight-year-old and, being a single parent, also works as a nanny to support them. In our conversation, she shares how they weave unschooling and her work as a nanny together, why she began an online community for single unschooling parents like her, and why her son chooses unschooling.

Quote of the Week

“If you give them that freedom to look at a situation from their own perspective, sometimes they are going to learn something completely different than what you would have taught them. It becomes so much more meaningful for them.” ~ Melissa

Questions for Melissa

Can you share with us a bit about you and your family and how you discovered unschooling?

What was it about unschooling that inspired you to choose it as a lifestyle for you and your son?

On your Facebook page, you recently posted a picture, which I loved, of a cake your son made. With it, you wrote, “It was tasty, especially for winging it. He loves to cook this way and it’s been a great lesson for me in stepping back and allowing the learning to happen. Baking is my thing and I like to follow recipes until I get the hang of things. For him, I believe it’s more of a science experiment mentality. That choice to step back and give our child’s exploration space to unfold in its own way is pretty key, isn’t it?

You’ve shared online that you work as a nanny. Can you share some of the reasons behind that choice?

How do you to weave unschooling and your work together?

Can you share one of your biggest challenges around unschooling as a single mom and how you worked—or continue to work—through it?

What is your one of your favourite parts about unschooling with your son?

Links to Things Mentioned in the Show

Melissa’s blog, Single Mom Unschooling

And her social media: Facebook page and Instagram!

Episode Transcript

Read the transcript here