The Life Without School Podcast

In this episode, I spend some time examining three common perceptions that are unique to unschooling:That unschooling is 'unparenting'That unschooling will create lazy childrenAnd that unschooling means you have no rules or structure whatsoeverIt’s a super interesting discussion that leads us through areas like life rhythms, autonomy and motivation, and regardless of whether you’re unschooling or not I think you’ll find this episode really useful!

In this episode, I'm sharing six ways you can overcome any feelings you have about not being 'enough' as a home educating parent. Not smart enough, organised enough, social enough, qualified enough...I wrote a post recently that started scratching at the surface of this. Today, we're digging deep.

In this episode I'm talking more about something this podcast was literally born from: the idea of children falling behind where they should be.First, I talk about how the world generally views progress in childhood, and why it’s so problematic and broken. And then second, I present a different view of that. A different idea of measurement and benchmarking and progress for our children.Wherever you are in your journey right now, I hope this way of looking at things brings you and your childre...

In this episode I'm going to do something that might feel a bit uncomfortable. But if we want to move education forward in any real meaningful way, the kind of thinking I’m about to take you through is incredibly important.I’m going to take some of the main questions that home educators are traditionally asked - some of the main worries people express when they hear you’re a home educating family - and then I’m very simply going to turn them around.I’m going to ask them of the formal educatio...

With so many families making the decision to leave the formal education system and take their own path through life, it also means there are a whole lot of grandparents out there going...Hold on, what’s happening here?! We have a comprehensive, effective school system designed specifically to educate us in all the areas we’ll need to fully prepare for life. Why on earth would anyone walk away from that? And...what’s going to happen to my grandchildren now that they’ve had the opportunity to g...

The definition of education is being taught, and the learning that results from it. A process that happens, for a child, in a classroom.But if you read that a couple of times, does it sound interesting and inspiring? Does it really sound like it’s centered on our children, designed to help them become independent, life-long learners, who know how to get the best out of themselves?I don’t think it does. So today, together, we’re going to give education a new definition. We’re going to take the...

Will your children be sheltered? How will you educate them properly if you're not a qualified teacher? How will they get a good job when they grow up?Everyone who chooses a life without school will be asked these kinds of questions at some point. In this episode, we chat through the nine most common ones a home educating family will hear, with the goal of empowering you to confidently frame your own answers to them, in your own ways. I hope revisiting this episode from time to time will give ...

We're back with another question and answer episode, where I take a few of your questions and talk my way through them. I really love working on this episode each month, because your questions always reflect the struggles, the worries, and the hopes and dreams, of so many of us. A big thank you to Amy, Jacqui and Kate for taking the time to send in their recordings so we can hear, directly, from this wonderful community.In this episode we talk about:How to avoid comparing our children to othe...

Today, I want to talk about why I believe it’s so important that we - as home educating parents - play the role of coach, and mentor, and guide to our children. I want to take you through the simple, but powerful, framework Kate and I have used to help our children discover, explore, and run with their passions. And I want to talk about some related things, like perseverance and failure.I’m SO excited to have this conversation. I’ve been sent a lot of messages about this kind of thing over th...

Happy New Year, everyone! The Life Without School Podcast is BACK.For the very first episode of 2022, I’m taking you through seven things that will help set your family up for the best possible home educating year. These are all things that, through years of experience and reflection, I’ve found contribute the most to balance, personal growth, and fulfilment in our home.From the importance of time, trust and personal space, to the management of screens, technology and other people’s expectati...