Catholic

135: A Gradual Approach to Unschooling and More

This week, I'm talking about how unschooling can be approached in a gradual way.
I'm sharing a story: A Gradual Approach to Unschooling.
And discussing the following questions:
Is a gradual approach the best way for many families to begin unschooling?
Is mutual trust between parent and child essential?
Is it really okay if our kids spend all day in front of screens?
Why do some kids have trouble self-regulating their screen time?
Is it wrong if parents want their kids to exercise and go outside?
How can we encourage kids to leave their screens?
 
Show Notes
Blog Posts
A Gradual Approach to Unschooling
Is It Really Okay to Give Unschooling Kids Unlimited Access to Screens and the Internet
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Perhaps you'd like to tell me what you think of my new look blog. Or just stop by and say hello!

134: Do Unschoolers Need Holidays?

This week, I'm sharing my story Funny How Things Change. It's about school term time and holidays. It's also a typical day story.
I'm also discussing the questions:
How did our attitude towards holidays change when we became unschoolers?
Do unschoolers need holidays?
If we want our kids to respond to our strewing invitations, do we need to respond to theirs?
Do we have to be prepared to give our time and full attention to our kids?
Also:
I talk about homeschool record keeping
I have some resources to share
I reveal what happened to my Catholic Radical Unschool Cheese blog
And I tell you about some changes to my unschooling blog
 
Show Notes
 
Blog post
Funny How Things Change
 
Resources
Novels
To Love a Sunburnt Country by Jackie French
The Billabong Books by Mary Grant Bruce
The Far Side of the Loch by Melissa Wiley
 
Poem
Clancy of the Overflow by Banjo Paterson
 
Videos
Secrets of the Castle
The Hollow Crown
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Perhaps you'd like to tell me what you think of my new look blog. Or just stop by and say hello!

133: A Balanced and Productive Unschool Life

This week, I'm chatting with my teenage daughter Sophie. 
We start with these conversation prompts:
Something we've been thinking about
Something we've found difficult
Something we've enjoyed
Something we've read or listened to
Something we've watched
And we end up talking about:
Why making rules can be dangerous
Balancing work, passions, and taking care of ourselves
How unschooling isn’t about drifting aimlessly through the day
An easy way to keep a journal
Intentionally seeking joy in our lives
Becoming happier and more positive people
How we can all make a difference to other people’s days
Resisting the temptation to check apps and waste time
Creativity
Growing and developing as people
Show Notes
 
Podcasts
episode 10: Should a Child Be Given the Freedom to Choose
 The Accidental Creative
 
Blog post
Unschoolers Talk About Freedom to Choose
 
Books
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
Louder Than Words by Todd Henry
 
TV Series
Agents of SHIELD
Call the Midwife
 
Sophie's Blog
Tough Turtle
 
My Youtube Channel
Sue Elvis
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by and say hello!

132: When an Unschooler Isn't Interested in Maths

This week, I'm sharing and discussing the post When an Unschooler Isn't Interested in Maths. It's the promised update to my daughter Gemma-Rose's unschooling maths story. 
Also, I have a maths resource to share.
And I tell a couple of stories. One involves a huge kangaroo and the other ponders the questions: What is success? How do we measure it?
 
Show Notes
Blog Post
When an Unschooler Isn't Interested in Maths
 
Maths Youtube Channel
Eddie Woo
 
My Youtube Channel
Sue Elvis
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by and say hello!
 

131: Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case

This week, I'm sharing a story called Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case. And I'm discussing the main points in it.
Is it sensible to make all kids learn maths just in case they might need it?
What if kids need maths to go to university?
What if they decide they want to go to school?
 
Show Notes
 
Blog post
Making Unschooled Kids Learn Maths Just in Case
 
Videos
Are You a Curious Unschooler?
What Will You Strew Today?
 
Youtube channel
Sue Elvis
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by and say hello!

130: Are You a Curious Unschooler?

This week, I'm sharing a story called Are You a Curious Unschooler?
I'm also discussing the following questions:
Is everyone curious?
Or can we lose our curiosity?
Can we strew verbally?
Do we have to be good examples of learning for our kids?
Does our curiosity make homeschool recordkeeping easier?
How can we unschool and also be registered homeschoolers?
 
Show Notes
 
Podcast
Episode 58: Responding to Unschooling and Other Critics
 
Blog posts
Are You a Curious Unschooler?
Saying Yes: Unschool Bits and Pieces
 
A Resource
The House with Annabel Crabb
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by and say hello!
 

129: Unschoolers Earning Money, Following Passions

In this week's episode, I'm talking about:
How my daughters are earning money while they continue to pursue their passions
Why it's okay not to finish everything we start
What I've been doing recently
Why I left Instagram
Why Gemma-Rose is painting the interior of our house
Imogen's first novel and where you can buy a copy!
 
As usual, I have some stories to share and a resource as well.
 
Show Notes
Imogen
Blog: Write, Rewrite, Read
Novel: The Crystal Tree, available as a paperback or Kindle ebook.
TV Series
The Great Interior Design Challenge
You might find some episodes on Netflix or other sites.
Podcast
Episode 86: Are You an Unschooling Multipotentialite?
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by and say hello!

128: Hitting the Pause Button and The Colin Show

This week, Cricket is my unschooling guest podcaster.
 
The Colin Show
Cricket tells us about her family
She shares their journey from school-at-home homeschooling to unschooling
Cricket recorded her guest podcast with her son Colin’s help. Please visit Colin’s Youtube Channel, The Colin Show, and subscribe!
 
Hitting the Pause Button
I share some of the responses from my Stories of an Unschooling Family survey
I respond to some constructive criticism 
I talk about some changes I could make
I tell you what I'm going to do next, how I'm hitting the pause button for a while and taking a break
I also talk about:
Accepting ourselves as well as our kids
Quiet times and how they are essential
How we can make a big difference by doing little things
The importance of feedback
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. 
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by to say hello.
A big thank you to Cricket for being this week's guest podcaster!
 

127: Thankful and Facing Facts

This week, Venisa McAllister is my guest podcaster. 
 
Thankful
Venisa is talking about:
 
Her own educational and childhood experiences
How her family moved from homeschooling to unschooling
Her children and how they have their individual learning styles
The reasons she is thankful her family is unschooling
 
Facing Facts
I'm talking about:
 
How perfectionists like me don't always face facts
What I discovered when I was brave enough to look at my blog, podcast and video stats
How data can help us do better work
A survey I'm hoping you'll fill in so that I can find out if what I'm doing is helpful.
Changes I could make
 
Show Notes
 
Website
Cal Newport
 
Book 
Finish by Jon Acuff
 
Survey
Stories of an Unschooling Family Survey
 
Patreon
My Stories of an Unschooling Family Patreon page
 
Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. Maybe you'd also like to support my work and receive some exclusive content by becoming a patron.
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by to say hello.
A big thank you to Venisa. If you'd like to be a guest podcaster, please let me know!
 
 

126: My Number One Unschooling Fan

This week, I'm chatting with my teenage daughter Sophie.
 
We're discussing lots of questions including:
What extra content am I producing for my Patreon patrons?
What has Imogen been doing instead of making music videos?
Why have I asked my daughters Imogen and Sophie to be regular contributors to my blog?
Why should we take an interest in our kids' passions?
Do I present my children in an honest and truthful way?
How do we encourage our kids to be themselves and not follow the crowd when they go out into the world?
Why would Sophie become a patron of my blog and podcast (if she were an unschooling parent)?
 
Show Notes
 
Podcasts
Episode 110: An Interview with a Teenage Radical Unschooler
Episode 34: Learning from My Daughter and Other Unschool Stories
 
Video 
How I Got My Mother to Do a 100 Squat Challenge
 
Blog Post
Confident to Be Me
 
Youtube
Sophie Elvis
Imogen Elvis
Sue Elvis
 
Patreon
My Stories of an Unschooling Family Patreon page
 
Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
sophie_elvis
write.rewrite.read
 
Fitness
Fitness Blender
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. Maybe you'd also like to support my work and receive some exclusive content by becoming a patron.
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Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or just stop by to say hello.