homeschooling

202: Tough or Unconditional Love?

Do good parents stay firmly in control of their children, demanding obedience, good behaviour and respect? Do they practise tough love? Or are there problems with this method of parenting? Is there some other way of raising kids to be good people who want to do what is right? Is it okay to parent with unconditional love?
 
This week, I’m sharing a few stories on this topic. I also have a request or plea for help.
 
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post,  Tough or Unconditional Love?Parent or Friend?  It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 

201: Unschooling, Drifting, Planning and True Freedom

Is unschooling about drifting aimlessly through each day?
Do unschoolers waste time? Or do they live intentionally responding to their needs and making sure they achieve the things that are relevant and important to them?
Do unschoolers direct their lives instead of letting life direct them? Is that the meaning of true freedom?
Does the word ‘planning’ have a place in unschooling?
This week, I’m discussing these questions and more while telling a few stories.
 
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post,  Do Unschoolers Drift Aimlessly Through Each Day? It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
 
 

200: Unconditional Love and Parenting

It is what it is. An interesting episode or not. I don’t suppose it matters. All that’s important is love.
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post, Preventing Childhood Trauma with Unconditional Love. It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
 

199: Should We Trust and Unschool Teenagers?

Is it irresponsible to trust and unschool teenagers? When unschoolers reach the teenage years, is it time for something else? Or could unschooling be exactly what our older kids need? Could it keep them safe?
This week, I’m discussing these questions and more, sharing lots of thoughts, stories and resources.
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post,  Could Unschooling Be Exactly What Teenagers Need to Do? It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
 

198: Should Children Be Responsible for Their Own Educations?

Should children be responsible for their own educations? Or is that an irresponsible idea?
This week, I’m exploring lots of questions including:
Is learning an active activity that needs the learner’s cooperation? Is it impossible to force knowledge into a child without resorting to teaching methods that ultimately destroy their natural love of learning?
Is forced learning real learning?
Is it better to unschool and let children learn what’s important to them?
But if we choose unschooling, will our kids, one day, accuse us of side-stepping our duty and not providing them with a good education?
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post, Who Should Be Responsible for a Child’s Education, the Parent or the Child? It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 

197: What Do Unschoolers Do Each Day?

Is unschooling about staying in bed late, spending lazy days in the forest, and baking cookies?  Or is there more to unschooling than that? What does a typical unschooling day look like? Will it be different in different families? Will it change over time? Whatever it looks like, will it always be packed with deep learning, the kind that matters and makes a difference?
I discuss these questions and more in episode 197.
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post, What Do Unschoolers Do Each Day? It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page

196: Unschooling, Video Games, and Freedom

Are kids more likely to suffer mental health problems if they experience excessive control?
Could video games provide safe spaces for kids to retreat to when life becomes too difficult?
If we insist kids leave their games and they get upset, could it be the real world that we’re forcing them to return to that’s the problem and not the video games?
And if kids do have genuine trouble handling games and protest loudly when we take them away, how will they learn to deal with their feelings if they’re not allowed to play?
I discuss these questions and more in episode 196.
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post, Video Games, Control, Mental Health and Freedom. It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page

195: What is Unschooling?

This week, I’m going back to basics: I’m discussing the question, What is Unschooling? I’m also sharing several stories to illustrate my definition:
What Is Unschooling?
Why Unschooling Isn’t a Method of Homeschooling
What Is Unschooling? A Transcript
I also share some links to other unschoolers’ definitions of unschooling.
 
Show Notes
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family, to read my post, Unschool Basics: What Is Unschooling? It contains today’s show notes.
 
My Unschooling Books
The Unschool Challenge: Kindle
The Unschool Challenge: paperback
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page

192: The Stories of Our Lives

In episode 192 of my Stories of an Unschooling Family podcast, I talked about:
Homework for Life
Generating writing ideas
Creating second brains
Homeschool records, including strewing and planning notebooks and family journals
Social media and other online distractions
Also:
I shared Matthew Dicks’ book, Storyworthy and Tiago Forte’s book,  Building a Second Brain.
I told two stories of my life, one about a kangaroo and the other about trees topped with a bright green fuzz of new leaves.
I read my blog post, The Writing Game: No Shortage of Writing Ideas.
And I discussed the note-taking apps, Apple Notes, Evernote and Notion.
Please visit my blog, Stories of an Unschooling Family to read the associated post that includes a list of resources.

190: Clock Watching, Short Lessons and Curious Questions

After a long break, I’m back!
 
In this episode,
I read one of my stories called Clock Watching and comment on it.
I share some news, including some about the future of my blog and podcast. 
I mention a couple of resources that I hope you’ll find interesting.
And, along the way, I share loads of unschooling thoughts!
 
Show Notes
 
Things mentioned in this episode:
Blog post: Clock Watching
Podcast episode 178: Strewing Unschooling and Charlotte Mason 
Blog post: Unschooling when Charlotte Mason Appeals to Our Hearts
Book: The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery 
Book: Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham
Documentary: Aspergers and Me by Chris Packham
 
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
Where You Can Find Me
Youtube: Sue Elvis
Blog: Stories of an Unschooling Family
Instagram: stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
Thank you for listening to this episode!
 
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