“If we don’t use a curriculum... how do we plan anything?”

It’s the number one question new unschoolers ask. If stepping away from traditional lesson plans makes you feel like you’ve lost your roadmap, this episode is for you! 

Welcome to Season 6 of the Unschooling Mom2Mom podcast! This week, host Sue Patterson explains why planning as an unschooling parent isn’t about deciding what your child must learn next. It’s about shaping an environment where curiosity has room to grow. 

When you let go of the need to control the learning, you remove the friction in your home. We're shifting the focus from "planning school" to "planning for connection." 

In this episode, you’ll learn 3 simple planning tools unschooling parents use:

• The "Look at the Week" Conversation: How to build a natural family rhythm based on real life, not an imaginary school schedule.
• The "Idea Parking Lot": A stress-free way to offer invitations to learn (strewing) without assigning tasks.
• The "Just Data" Review: A simple weekly habit to help you step back, notice the learning that is already happening, and stop the "Are we doing enough?" panic spiral.

Learning doesn’t need nearly as much management as we were taught. Tune in for your 10-minute pep talk to help you build a life where learning naturally fits!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Need more daily support or a community of like-minded parents to help you brainstorm? You don't have to do this alone!

• Join the Creating Confidence Membership:  https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-membership
• Get Daily Reassurance with the Creating Confidence App:  https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily
• Strewing Calendar Ideas DAILY!  https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/strewing-calendars

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

Pi Day is one of those holidays parents often try to make “fun.” 

But sometimes the issue isn’t the activity — it’s the hype.

Here's a quick unschooling perspective on Pi Day and why kids often respond better to curiosity than to pressure.

Instead of trying to convince kids something is fun, unschooling families often offer ideas lightly — letting interest show up naturally.

Sometimes kids lean in.
Sometimes they don’t.

And both are completely normal.

Sue Patterson also shares a simple way to introduce Pi Day at home without turning it into a big event. 

Just remember, real learning doesn’t need a sales pitch.

Huge collection of Pi Day ideas here:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/pi-day

Blogpost:
The Reality of Pi Day for Unschooling Families

🎧 Unschooling Mom2Mom
Helping parents build confidence in unschooling and learning outside traditional school.

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

What can unschooling families learn from the neurodivergent community?

In this episode, Sue Patterson looks at how our understanding of “quirky” kids has changed over the years—and why many unschooling parents are learning from approaches developed within the neurodivergent community.

Even families without a diagnosis can benefit from these ideas when kids struggle with expectations, pressure, or social dynamics.

In this episode:

• Reassurance for parents of neurodivergent children
• How the conversation around neurodivergence has evolved
• Why many families turn to unschooling when school isn’t working 
• What parents can learn from neurodivergent-informed parenting approaches
• Resources for neurodivergent families

Sue also shares details about the Unschooling Summit, where many speakers will be discussing neurodivergence in unschooling families.

🎟 Free tickets to the Unschooling Summit:
 https://www.theunschoolingsummit.org/a/2148243842/xzoAT2Ao

📱 Try the Creating Confidence Daily app (7-day free trial):
 https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily

Read the Transcript: Quirky Kids? Unschooling and Neurodivergence  https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/quirky-kids-unschooling-neurodivergence

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

Do you need to revisit deschooling as your child gets older?
Many unschooling and homeschooling parents start worrying about learning gaps, grade levels, falling behind, and whether unschooling is “working.”

Deschooling is often treated as a beginning phase of homeschooling. But school conditioning doesn’t disappear once. It resurfaces in layers.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why deschooling isn’t one-and-done
 • How grade-level thinking creeps back in
 • Why independence can trigger anxiety
 • Common fears about gaps and timelines
 • How to recalibrate without returning to school-at-home structure

If you’re homeschooling without curriculum, exploring unschooling, or noticing old school-based fears resurfacing, this episode will help you pause, recognize the pattern, and revisit deschooling with steadiness instead of urgency.

Deschooling isn’t finished. It evolves as your child grows.

____________________________

RESOURCES: 

Creating Confidence (private community or daily app) https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily

Deschooling Toolkit https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/product/Deschooling-Toolkit

Read Transcript at the Blog  https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/deschooling-isnt-something-you-finish

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

If you’re an unschooling or homeschooling parent struggling with doubt, internal criticism, or wondering if you’re doing enough, this episode is for you. We talk about how unschooling confidence is built through daily reinforcement — not one-time inspiration.

Start your free week of Creating Confidence Daily here:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily

Unschooling doubt doesn’t disappear just because you left school.

Old scripts — about productivity, laziness, timelines, and “doing enough” — are still there criticizing you.

And when real life gets loud, those voices get louder.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to grow your confidence
• How old school-conditioned thinking resurfaces under stress
• Why reinforcement matters more than motivation
• What it looks like to “practice perspective”
• And why adding a steady voice into the mix can change everything

You don’t have to silence the critical voices completely.

But you don’t have to let them be the only ones speaking. 

I want to be in there too —elbowing them out of the way.

If daily reinforcement would help you stay grounded in your unschooling values, Creating Confidence Daily was built for exactly that — short, steady reminders that fit into real life.

Try it free for a week here:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily

I’ll see you there — and I’ll be back here next week.

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

You feel steady about unschooling…
 and then one comment, one comparison, one tired day — and you spiral.

Why does confidence disappear so fast?

Let's unpack why unschooling confidence doesn’t “stick” — even when you understand the philosophy.

Confidence doesn’t grow on autopilot. It comes from intentionally brining it back to the front of our minds. Rhythm and repetition. 

Today, we'll talk about:
 • Why doubt resurfaces in cycles
 • The difference between insight and daily reinforcement
 • Why bingeing encouragement doesn’t work
 • How 10–15 intentional minutes can steady your thinking

If you’ve ever thought, “I know this… so why am I still worried?” — this one’s for you.

NEW UNSCHOOLING RESOURCE:

Creating Confidence Daily opens February 22.
 A simple daily reset to help you stay steady instead of riding the emotional rollercoaster.

Learn more:
 https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily

Read the transcript:
 https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/the-real-reason-your-unschooling-confidence-disappears-and-how-to-strengthen-it

Happy unschooling.

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

When the Olympics roll around, it’s easy to feel pressure to “do something educational.”
You don’t need a unit study, curriculum, or lesson plan for real learning to happen.

Big cultural events like the Olympics are already rich with opportunities for curiosity, connection, and noticing — if you let them be. In this episode, Sue talks about how to strew the Olympics: leaving learning invitations available without turning them into lessons or checklists.

You’ll hear what strewing actually looks like in everyday life, how to follow interest without forcing it, and why resisting the urge to document or capture learning often creates more space for it to happen naturally.

Whether your kids are glued to the events or barely paying attention, this conversation will help you relax and trust that learning doesn’t need to be organized to be meaningful.

Resources mentioned:
The Strewing Guide and Strewing Calendar — both included inside the Creating Confidence Membership.

• Strewing Guide
• Strewing Calendar
• Creating Confidence Membership

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

Feeling lost about teaching is common when you step away from school. Sue Patterson explores why the urge to teach more keeps showing up — and why learning doesn’t depend on parents doing more teaching, but on staying focused on the learner.

__________________

“I want to do more to teach, but I feel lost.”

If that thought has crossed your mind, you’re not the only one. That feeling often shows up when you step away from school-based learning and realize you’re still carrying old ideas about what teaching is supposed to look like.

Let’s talk about why parents feel lost when they start on the unschooling path, how we’ve been conditioned to believe learning only happens when someone is teaching, and what to focus on instead when your days don’t look like school. This is a calm, reassuring conversation for parents who are doing something unconventional — and want steadier footing without more pressure.

Additional Unschooling Support:

If you’d like more examples and a little support, you’ll find related resources here: Blogpost: "I Want to Do More to Teach" — Why that feels so confusing

Deschooling Toolkit (for that 365 Days of Deschooling guide)

 Creating Confidence membership

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

How do kids really learn without curriculum?

What if learning is hiding in the things we almost dismiss as “just for fun”?

Let's use Appreciate a Dragon Day as a real-life example of how learning shows up naturally — through curiosity, imagination, conversation, and play — without planning lessons or following a curriculum.

Parents exploring unschooling or questioning traditional homeschooling can learning how to notice learning instead of trying to engineer it.

You’ll hear about:

• How everyday interests connect to real learning
• Why play, storytelling, and imagination matter
• What learning without curriculum actually looks like
• How to see subjects woven into ordinary moments

For more ideas and specific ways to weave multiple subjects into a day, check out the blogpost with 

10 creative ways unschooling shows up through dragons here:

https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/what-do-dragons-and-homeschooling-have-in-common

You can read the transcript at this link too.

 📅 Want daily sparks like this — without having to come up with them yourself?
The Strewing Calendar delivers interesting ideas and everyday celebrations that invite curiosity and connection all year long:

https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/category/Strewing-Calendar-Subscriptions
 

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

Many parents expect deschooling to work like a big reset button — pull kids out of school, give it a little time, and everything will fall into place.

But when kids seem to be “vegging out,” parents often panic: Is this really how it’s supposed to work?

In this episode, I unpack what’s actually happening in those moments — and why that panic makes sense.

Leaving school doesn’t automatically erase the habits we learned growing up. Even when unschooling feels right, school-shaped ideas about productivity, pace, comparison, and structure can quietly shape how we interpret learning at home.

We’ll talk about:

• Why deschooling isn’t instant — and why that’s normal
• What kids are actually doing when it looks like “nothing”
• Why deschooling is active parent work, not passive waiting
• How connection, partnership, and shared life replace school-based frameworks
• Why successful deschooling doesn’t lead kids back to school thinking — it helps school fade into the background entirely

Deschooling isn’t about rejecting learning.
 It’s about letting go of patterns that belonged to a system built for sameness — not real families.

Read Transcript at the Blog
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/why-deschooling-is-really-for-parents

____________________________

DESCHOOLING TOOLKIT - for kids and parents!

The practical support resource for parents who find themselves in that in-between space — where unschooling makes sense, but school-shaped thinking keeps creeping back in.

The Deschooling Toolkit is a collection of parent supports designed to walk alongside you as you step away from system-focused ideas and sort through what actually supports your family’s learning now. It includes:

• 365 Days of Deschooling — gentle, real-life prompts for kids and families
• A Parent Deschooling Guide — to help you recognize school-conditioned habits and rethink them intentionally
• Deschooling Affirmation Cards — steady reminders for moments when doubt or outside pressure shows up

There’s no schedule to follow and nothing to “complete.” You can return to it whenever old patterns surface.

The Deschooling Toolkit is included with Creating Confience Membership, or as a standalone resource.

Learn more at:
 https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/product/Deschooling-Toolkit

Let me know what you think of this!

Support the show

_____________________________________________________

You don't have to do this alone.

Try Creating Confidence free for 7 days.

Whether you prefer daily encouragement or a supportive community with live coaching, you can explore it all and see what fits your family best.

Choose the level of support that fits you best—from daily encouragement to live coaching and community.

Come spend a week with us!

• Creating Confidence Options
• UNSCHOOLING 101 Course
• Math WITHOUT Curriculum Course
• Unschooling Transcript Course
• Seasonal Unschooling Guides 
• Private 1:1 Coaching with Sue
  
  Stay Connected:
  Free Email List with weekly unschooling resources

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com