family

66: The Fear of Failing

This week, I discuss the following questions:
Are we reluctant to try new things because we fear we might fail? 
Why do we fear failure when we know we learn from our mistakes?
How can we encourage our kids to give new things a go?
How do we react when they do make mistakes?
And are some people afraid to try unschooling?
I also share some stories and a few resources.
 
You can find the show notes on my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family.
If you have time, please consider writing an iTunes review of my podcast. I'd appreciate it very much!
And if you share my link, we can spread the word about unschooling!
 
Podcast music: 60's Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 
 

65: Dealing with Our Fears and the Critical Comments of Other People

This week, I ask:
 
How do we respond to the critical comments of other people?
Do our fears about unschooling increase when we are faced with negative opinions? How do we deal with that?
 Are communication skills important? How can we pass on good skills to our kids?
Is it really possible for an unschooled child to direct her own learning?
Do a parent's words and fears affect a child?
How can we encourage a child to write? Would free-writing help a reluctant writer?
Can a visit to the doctor be recorded as real life maths?
You can find the show notes on my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family.
Please feel welcome to comment on this episode. I hope you'll share the podcast link. And if you have time, I'd be grateful for an iTunes review.
Thank you for listening! Podcast music: 60's Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)

64: The Joy and Love of Living an Unschooling Way of Life

This week, I answer these questions: 
What was it like recording Imogen's latest music video with an unexpected audience?
If we are experiencing dark and difficult times, is there hope? Will joy return to our days?
Isn't it wonderful watching kids working with confidence and skill?
Why would an unschooling teenager choose to go to school? (We ponder, but maybe we don't have all the answers because we're not unschooling teenagers who want to go to school!)
I also talk about
the joy of living an unschooling way of life
our recent videos
zombies and running
a few resources
the joy of living in the moment
how I'm going to cope when time moves on and I'm no longer living life as it is today
how we all need a feeling of belonging
You can find the show notes on my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family
 
Please take a look at Imogen's latest music video, Hallelujah- Leonard Cohen
 
Podcast music:  60's Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 
Thank you for listening, and Happy Easter!
 
 

63: Wasting Time Watching Too Many Movies?

This week:
 
I talk about movies: 
Are movies educational? 
If a child watches lots of movies, won't she be missing out on other things? 
Can we tempt our kids away from the screen? 
And how can we turn movies into notes for our homeschool records book?
Also:
Can we use websites designed for traditional homeschooling/schooling in an unschooly way?
Is there such a thing as too many resources?
I share a story about kids and joy.
Should I be embarrassed by my early podcasts which are far from perfect?
Should I get upset when I think about my mothering mistakes?
I also share lots of resources.
You can find the show notes on my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family Podcast Music: 60's Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 

62: Young Adult Unschoolers, Dreams, Love and Marriage

My young adult daughter Imogen joins me for this episode.
 
We talk about:
 
 
Do parents need to continue trusting their young adult children while they are pursuing their dreams?
Imogen tells us about her dream of becoming a successful online musician.
She shares her thoughts on a classical musical education. Is she glad she worked her way through the exam system?
Imogen describes how she and her sisters record the music, and then film and put together their music videos.
What is the best way to learn? Do we need to ignore the possibility of criticism and get out there and learn on the go?
Imogen shares her thoughts on marriage, love, and children, and how these relate to her own career dreams.
Is it important for children to see mothers using their talents?
Was Jane Austen a modern woman ahead of her time?
We talk about Imogen's latest music video, a frightening moment with a huge kangaroo, and how a team of kids can do fantastic things.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You can find the show notes on my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family. You can find my children's novel, The Angels of Abbey Creek on Amazon.
 
 

61: Maths, Chores, and Thanking Our Kids

 
This week, I discuss the following questions:
 
Why do little kids love doing chores but older ones don't?
Should we thank our kids more often?
Should we avoid talking to people about their grief? Perhaps it's better not to upset them?
What's wrong with a lot of real life maths resources (in my opinion!)?
 
I also share some maths and geography resources including games, videos, podcasts and websites.
 
 
 
You can find the show notes on my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family.
You can find my children's novel, The Angels of Abbey Creek on Amazon.
 
Music: 60's Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
 

60: Listening to Kids

In this week's episode, I talk about:
Celebrations and joy: Why should we celebrate the small everyday things in life?
Cake: Did I make my kids adopt a sugar-free diet? Do we no longer eat cake?
Perfection: Are we a perfect family? Do we need to be perfect if I'm sharing my family's experiences on the Internet?
Mistakes: If I do make mistakes, am I going to lead you astray? What if I tell you something that's wrong?
Christian unschooling: Are we an obnoxious religious family? Is unschooling not a very Christian thing to do?
Listening: How do we encourage kids to talk to us? How can we improve our listening skills?
Popularity: Do I want to be popular? 
I also tell my mean kids story, the one I forgot to talk about last week! You can find the show notes on my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family.
You can find my children's novel, The Angels of Abbey Creek on Amazon.
Music: 60's Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)