Christian

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.
 

125: Connecting Unschooling and Ageing

This week, I'm talking about ageing and unschooling. 
I share the reasons why I'm finding my ageing appearance difficult to accept. Maybe you are a lot younger than me. You could think this conversation isn't relevant to you. However, this episode, despite first impressions, is about unschooling. If everyone lived an unschooling way of life, would the problems associated with ageing disappear? Does the world need unschooling?
 
Show Notes
 
Blog posts
Ashamed of Being Ashamed of Looking Older
Playing for Ian
 
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. I hope you will!
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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.
 

124: Does Unschooling Work?

This week, I'm discussing the question Does Unschooling Work? The answer, of course, depends on what we mean by the word 'work'.
I'm also talking about:
 
My fabulous Patreon patrons and the work I hope to do with their help
Camp NaNoWriMo
How kids learn new things when they have a need
How younger siblings think they are just as capable as their older siblings
How sorting out a problem isn't always as difficult as it seems
A new podcast idea which involves collaborating with other unschoolers
 
Show Notes
 
Patreon
My Patreon page
 
My Instagram Account
stories_ofan_unschooling family
 
My Unschooling Newsletter
 
Blog posts
Does the World Needs Unschooling?
Are We Incomplete Without Our Passions and Interests?
 
Youtube channels
Sue Elvis
Imogen Elvis
Sophie Elvis
 
Videos
What is Unschooling?
Mission: Surviving Holy Week
 
Music
Podington Bear's Sound of Picture
 
Writing
'NaNoWriMo
Camp NaNoWriMo
4theWords
 
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 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.
 
 

123: Epic Plans for My Podcast and Blog (and Other Things)

This week,
I'm sharing my new BIG idea. I'm joining Patreon! I hope you will join me as I set out on this next chapter of my unschooling adventure.
 
I'm also talking about:
The need for us to take risks
How the world needs unschooling
Instagram
How we shouldn't lose our playful spirit as we grow older
How Sophie filmed a Passion Play on Good Friday
And other Easter news
 
Show Notes
 
Patreon
My Patreon Page
Video: Join Me On My Patreon Adventure
 
My Instagram Account
stories_ofan_unschooling family
 
Blog post
Does the World Needs Unschooling?
 
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 by becoming a patron!
.
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment on this episode. Or just stop by to say hello.
 
Podcast music: Twombly by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 

121: Kids, Needs, and Church

This week, I'm talking about:
 
The importance of trying to see the world through our kids' eyes
How we're not giving in to kids when we respond to their needs
How we should respond to the needs of our kids even if it's inconvenient or difficult
How making kids feel welcome at church isn't a matter of tolerating their crying during the service
Should we force unschooled kids to go to church? Why this might be the wrong question
The trials of aspiring authors
How we have to be brave and do things without worrying about the opinions of others
 
I'm also sharing some stories about:
 
Kangaroos and dogs and the late rising sun
A child who cried in a restaurant because he couldn't cope
 
A Note
When it comes to sharing our faith with our kids, I am talking from my own experience which may be different from yours. My husband Andy and I share a faith. We both go to church. When it comes to passing on our beliefs, I'm sure we have it easy compared to families where spouses have differing religious beliefs or levels of commitment.
 
Show Notes
 
Game-Making Website
Stencyl: Create Amazing Games Without Code
 
Blog Posts
The Wobbly Moments of Life
When A Child Can't Cope
 
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 on this episode. Or just stop by to say hello.
 
Podcast music: Twombly by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 

120: Unschooling and University: Learning from Our Own Experiences

This week, I'm sharing my husband Andy's and my university experiences, and what we learnt from them:
 
The Opportunity to Discover, the Freedom to Learn
My Dean's Medallist of a Husband
 
I discuss the following questions:
 
Can unschooled children study successfully at university?
What is the best motivation for successful learning?
Should unschooling teenagers be allowed to continue exploring their interests?
Or should we structure their education in the final years so that they are prepared for university?
Is it ever too late to follow our dreams?
Is it ever too late to learn new skills?
 
Something I didn't mention: If a child knows what she wants to do, making a plan in order to achieve that goal seems to be a sensible thing to do. My daughter Imogen made a plan for getting into university. And it was successful.
 
My Youtube Videos:
Imogen Talks About Unschooling
From Unschooling to University and Work (Part 1)
From Unschooling to University and Work (Part 2)
 
Unschooling and university is a big topic. I didn't cover all aspects of it in this podcast, but maybe I offered a few ideas we can discuss.
 
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 on today's episode. Or just stop by to say hello!
 
Podcast music: Twombly by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 

118: Dragon Mothers and Parenting Mistakes

 
This week, I'm talking about the times when we don't like who we are and the way we're parenting our kids. I answer the following questions:
How did I get the nickname The Dragon Mother?
How did I get on top of my quick-temper and become a more calm and patient mother?
Am I now a perfect mother or do I still make mistakes?
How did my first child cope with her inexperienced dragon mother? Was she irreversibly affected by my far-from-perfect parenting?
Do we actually need to be perfect parents?
Is the unschooling life perfect?
 
I also tell a lot of stories during this episode.
 
Show Notes
 
Blog posts
Confessions of a Former Quick-Tempered Mother
Memories of an Inexperienced Mother
An Unschooling Imposter
 
Imogen
Youtube channel, Imogen Elvis.
Facebook: Imogen Elvis
Instagram: Imogen Elvis
Imogen's Mad World music video
The Mad World behind-the-scenes video
 
Podcast music 
Twombly by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider writing a review or rating this episode and 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 on today's episode. Or just stop by to say hello!

117: Christian Unschooling and Other Things

This week, I'm talking about:
Christmas in summer
Evernote planners
My blogging/podcasting plans for 2018
Christian unschooling
My faith story
Being open-minded
Doing the impossible
Letting go of control
How life can change in a moment
Snakes
Family news
 
Show Notes
 
Blog posts
Bringing God into the Unschooling Picture
Letting Go of Control
An Impossible Adventure
 
Imogen
Youtube channel, Imogen Elvis.
Facebook: Imogen Elvis
Instagram: Imogen Elvis
 
My Youtube channel
Sue Elvis
 
Podcast music 
Twombly by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider writing a review or rating this episode and 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 on today's episode. Or just stop by to say hello!