Welcome to episode 24 of the Let 'em go Barefoot podcast. My guest today is Hannah Frankman. Hannah is an insightful, self-directed entrepreneur, and the creator of Rebel Educator, an online resource hub with a mission to transform education.

In this episode she walks us through her journey as a studious homeschooled kid, the reasons she decided to skip college, and the choices she made to seek meaningful work and projects that align with her values and goals.

We talk about her work at Praxis, how Rebel Educator came to be, and her Twitter account where she shares everything from lists of books for parents and kids to read, to reasons why parents should consider homeschooling, to top skills kids need for life.

I also ask her some questions that a few of my Instagram followers had for her. 

Hannah is determined to empower parents and to help them find better educational options for their children. As stated on her site, RebelEducator.co:

“Your child was built to learn, explore, and create. Our goal is to help unlock that potential.”

Find more Hannah:

https://rebeleducator.co/

https://rebeleducator.substack.com/

https://twitter.com/rebelEducator

Things mentioned in the show:

Find more Missy:

Facebook or Instagram (where I spend most of my time these days) @letemgobarefoot

Substack https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/ and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled.

In episode 23 of the podcast, I talk to Christina and Nick Caster, the creators of the live-action, fully-handcrafted, preschool TV show, Gus Plus Us. The Casters are also the creators of the full- service entertainment studio, Caster Studios that resides outside of Austin, Texas.

Nick and Christina discuss how the show came to be, the intention behind it, the time and thoughtfulness that went into making the show and how it really is a full family effort.

We discuss the other projects the studio is working on, how the studio has changed and grown since it started in 2007, their decision to homeschool their two children including the books and people who inspired them, and so much more. Stay tuned for Season 2! In the meantime, enjoy the 13 episodes that are already available.

Keep up with Nick and Christina over on Instagram:

@casterstudios

@gusplusus

You can learn more about their studio here:  https://casterstudios.com/

And find the show, Gus Plus Us, here: https://gusplusus.com/

And on KidoodleTv here: https://www.kidoodle.tv/2403/gus-plus-us

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Follow Let ‘em go Barefoot on Instagram @letemgobarefoot and join me live over on The Barefoot Playground where we turn theory into practice and connect with one another as we create joyful, supportive learning environments for our kids.

Look for my writing over on Substack: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled.

Welcome to episode 22 with Sheila Rumble!

Did you know the idea of archetypes goes back a very long time? They are patterns of behavior that are innate, universal, and across cultures. 

Sheila has done an in-depth study of archetypes and does energy and healing work through her practice Rowan Holistic Healing & Wellness.

On the podcast we discuss:

• Survival Archetypes and how they impact us and our society

Sheila is offering a discount to listeners. Book a private session with her and learn about your archetypes! Follow this link: http://rowan-wellness.com/archetypal-consultation/  and use code: LGB15 

Follow Sheila @sheilarumble_quantumhealing on Instagram for more great insights on healing thyself.

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In other news, The Barefoot Playground is kicking off the year on February 16th at 6pm EST with author, speaker, and micro school creator, CINDY GADDIS. It will be a wonderful gathering about how to support your right-brained learners. 

Please reserve your spot here: https://barefootcoaching.as.me/playground

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Look for my writing over on Substack: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled.

Welcome to episode 21 with Ann Hansen of @innerparentcoaching (on Instagram)

Ann co-runs an alternative therapy space on a 33-acre farm in Oregon. She is the mother of two grown unschoolers, a developmental specialist, and parenting coach. I invited Ann on to talk about her work, to share her journey from public school to unschool, and to discuss attachment theory and how it plays out through the teen years.

Here are some things we cover:

• The therapeutic, farm program she runs with her friend

And more!

Find Ann on Instagram @innerparentcoaching  and www.innerparentcoaching.com

Find more Missy by joining the Great Educational Awakening over on Substack: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase the beautiful, 43-page ebook Ann and I wrote! Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

Welcome to episode 20! My conversation today is with Emily Gregoire, a homeschooling mom of 4 and creator of a microschool located in Las Vegas, NV.

Emily and I met very early on in my foray into Instagram and it has been a pleasure to watch her journey and to now share with you Emily’s mission, values, and goals.

The microschool movement has really taken off since the pandemic began and what Emily is providing for her community is something I think more parents are yearning for.

We talk about her journey to create a space for her kids and other families to enjoy. We discuss how she was encouraged to get it going and the values that shape the way she operates.

We discuss creating an environment where children can flourish and feel comfortable and safe. We discuss the importance of community and encouraging our children to lead. And Emily also shares how she hopes to expand and help other who are interested in doing something similar in their hometowns.

Also, at the end, Emily asks me some questions about what to expect in the teen years.

It was a fun conversation and I'm grateful we were able to connect.

Enjoy!

Follow Emily's adventures on Instagram @rainbow.learning.co

Information referenced during the show:

https://www.michaelgurian.com/

Kerry McDonald articles on microschools:

https://fee.org/articles/how-microschool-networks-are-activating-education-entrepreneurs/

https://fee.org/articles/how-microschools-are-reshaping-k-12-education-in-south-florida/

https://fee.org/articles/microschools-remain-a-popular-back-to-school-option-this-year/

If you are offering alternative education options in your area, I'd love to learn more. Please reach out through Instagram or send me a message at [email protected]

You can find my writing over on Substack: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

Welcome to episode 19 of the Let ‘em go Barefoot Podcast. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to my first couple interview! Nicky and Davone are so fun to talk to and the enthusiasm they have for the life they live is contagious, which is exactly what drew me in when I started following along their journey on Instagram @princefamilytravel (formerly @life.long.learners)

These kindred spirits met in college and while Nicky went the way of a master’s degree and working in her field of study, education, for 7 years, Davone chose a myriad of jobs and kept his eye on living a life of flexibility and freedom. Things came to a head when Davone went to pick Nicky up from her school one day and saw she was responsible for 70 kids! They started reevaluating things and got back to what really mattered…being together, living a life they enjoyed, and living rent free.

In our conversation we talk about their journey to renovate an old school bus (the symbolism of this is not lost on me!) and the cross country travel they do while raising their two girls.

We also talk about making choices that align with our values, freedom from debt, being creative with our finances, meal planning, scheduling our days, and even how we use the spaces we inhabit.

And we talk about being scared to step outside of the norm, but how liberating it can be when we answer the call of our soul.

The Prince Family is definitely showing up with a grateful heart and teaching us how to be passionate about parenting and love.

Enjoy!

To find more of Missy's work go to www.letemgobarefoot.com

Writing on Substack here: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

Welcome to Episode 18 where I get to share a moving, deep, and open conversation with the lovely Emma Hosfeld. Emma writes moving and beautiful pieces on parenting, education, and healing. I was immediately drawn to the way she can get to the heart of things.

In our conversation, Emma talks about showing up to life with radical responsibility and radical joy.

We talk about her struggle with drugs and alcohol, her sobriety journey, becoming a mother, her active choice to be a healthy role model for her kids, and the importance of building an intentional community for ourselves and our children. 

We also talk about the fear and worry we carry around as humans, but how vital it is to accept it as it is and move forward anyway.

We discuss being brave enough to take the next step in whatever situation or challenge we are facing. 

Emma talks about people who have inspired her and how social media can positively impact us and change the trajectory of our lives in a good way.

We discuss the beauty and magic of watching our children learn by following their curiosity and so much more. 

It's a powerful episode.

Here are people and books mentioned in our conversation:

Nagoski sisters

January Harshe @Birthwithoutfear

Empowered Birth Project on Instagram

Jacko Willink Podcast “Good”

Pam Laricchia’s Free to Learn

Peter Gray’s Free to Learn

Naomi Fisher’s Changing Our Minds

John Taylor Gatto https://www.johntaylorgatto.com/

To find more of Missy's work go to www.letemgobarefoot.com

Writing on Substack here: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

Welcome to episode 17 of the Let ‘em go Barefoot podcast.

My guest today is Julie Walter also known as @familyyields on Instagram. I invited Julie on to talk about creating intentional community and to share with us the purpose of the forest and farm school she created and runs with her husband on their 50-acre farm in Canada.  

Community is something we all need and yet many of us struggle with finding a community (or keeping one). And when you chose to homeschool, sometimes you just have to go and create one to meet the needs of your kids and your family.

In this episode we talk about things to consider when being in community, including the need for like-mindedness around a purpose, but ALSO diversity of ideas and perspectives.

We discuss her experiences as a teacher for 16 years.

Why she chose to homeschool.

Social-emotional learning and why it is important.

The need for buy in when kids are learning new things.

The global competencies she is aiming to help children develop.

How the principles of permaculture permeate through her life, and so much more.

There’s also a story she shares that illustrates the power of curiosity and interests that you don’t want to miss.

Julie is insightful, thoughtful, and I love how she is showing up with intention and purpose. I think you will too.

Find more of Julie here: https://familyyields.com/about/

To find more of Missy's work go to www.letemgobarefoot.com

Writing on Substack here: https://letemgobarefoot.substack.com/

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Emily Splichal, a functional podiatrist who calls herself “barefoot friendly”.

This designation may seem odd for a foot doctor, but because of the fear-based medicine in our western society, she has witnessed the unreasonable fear of the natural (bare) foot amongst some of her colleagues.

Her book, Barefoot Strong, aims to bring the importance of foot health back into the forefront. She wants to literally uncover our feet and help us learn how valuable foot health is for our nervous system and our brain development.

We cover a lot of ground (no pun intended) in our conversation. We get into the science of bare feet, the benefits to overall health, considerations for kids with special needs, products you can use to stimulate the feet and nervous system, the amount of time you should aim to be without shoes, the different surfaces to go barefoot on and why, why shoes are so common, athletes and barefoot training, and so much more.

https://www.dremilysplichal.com/

http://barefootstrong.com/barefoot-strong-the-book/

http://barefootstrong.com/foot-types-quiz/

https://www.naboso.com/

For more insights on mindful parenting, homeschooling, and educational freedom, follow along on Instagram @letemgobarefoot or at www.letemgbarefoot.com

and now you can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

Welcome to episode 15! My guest is Kelly Edwards. Kelly is the creator of the 90-minute school day and co-creator of How to Be an Awesome Homeschooler. Kelly is also a mother to 3 foster-adopted girls and is a trauma-informed parent.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why deschooling is an important process to go through if you are transitioning to homeschool.

And so much more!

Some books mentioned:

How Children Learn by John Holt

For the Children’s Sake Susan Shafer McCauley

Montessori: A Modern Approach (1972)

Find more of Kelly at https://90minuteschoolday.com/ on Instagram @90minuteschoolday

Thank you for listening!  

You can now purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.  Find more of Missy's writings @letemgobarefoot and www.letemgobarefoot.com