Robert Gottlieb is an unschooling dad with two children, ages 11 and 19. He shares that they actually discovered unschooling a few times and, after a variety of school and school-at-home settings, he’s the one who eventually brought it into the family. We chat about that transition, going against societal expectations, stretching comfort zones, what advice he’d like to share with dads starting out, and much more.

Quote of the Week

“My overall goal is peace in the world. That’s something that I really care about. And I believe that by giving our kids this ability to live life as human beings and not being told what to do, they are more likely to be peaceful than not, later on in life. They’re more likely to be more empathetic.” ~ Robert Gottlieb

Questions for Robert

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

I’d love to hear what your kids are enjoying at the moment. What are they interested in?

How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s transition to unschooling look like?

Unschooling is a very unconventional way of living—did you find it hard at first going against societal expectations? How did you work through that?

As the working parent, are there things you and your wife do to help you stay connected with the kids?

What has surprised you most so far about how unschooling has unfolded in your lives?

Have there been times when your kids’ interests or choices have challenged your thinking or stretched your comfort zones? How did you work through those moments with them?

As an unschooling dad, what piece of advice would you like to share with dads who are considering or just starting out on this journey?

Links to Things Mentioned in the Show

Robert learned a lot reading Sandra Dodd’s website

Pam’s article, “I Can Read, You Know!”

Sandra’s mantra, “Read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch.”

You can connect with Robert on Twitter and Facebook, and he’s active in the Facebook group, Unschooling Connection

Episode Transcript

Read the transcript here