The Life Without School Podcast

A lot of parents are sensing that the gap between school and the real world has become very large. But many are having a hard time pulling all the threads together to work out why that gap feels so vast, and what the impact on their children might end ...

What actually happens when an unschooler decides they want to try school? In this episode, I’m sharing the story of our 9-year-old daughter choosing to go to school. Before that day, she had never once stepped into a classroom. I talk about why we agre...

I want to put something to you. If you’ve chosen to home educate your children - whatever form that takes, however structured or unstructured you are - there’s a good chance you’re not valuing yourself, or your role, nearly as much as you should. And I...

For all of human history, childhood has been a time of preparation for an adulthood you could see, and understand, and picture yourself living. You could look ahead and see the kind of adult you were likely to become. You could picture the work you'd d...

In this episode, I’m unpacking one of the biggest questions home educating families face: how do I know this whole thing is actually working? I explore: Why the “gaps” in your child’s learning might be their greatest strength. How traditional benchmark...

In this episode, I'm digging deep into what could be the most important commitments we make as home educators this year. I explore: How to confidently reject any and all expectations that don't serve your family Building genuine confidence as your chil...

In this episode, I’m digging deep into one of the biggest challenges facing homeschooling families today: finding balance with tech and screen time. I explore: What the latest research really says about the impact of screens on our kids (it's not as si...

In this episode, I spend some time examining three common perceptions that are unique to unschooling: That unschooling is 'unparenting' That unschooling will create lazy children And that unschooling means you have no rules or structure whatsoever It’s...

In this episode, I'm sharing six ways you can overcome any feelings you have about not being 'enough' as a home educating parent. Not smart enough, organised enough, social enough, qualified enough... I wrote a post recently that started scratching at ...

In this episode I'm talking more about something this podcast was literally born from: the idea of children falling behind where they should be. First, I talk about how the world generally views progress in childhood, and why it’s so problematic and br...

In this episode I'm going to do something that might feel a bit uncomfortable. But if we want to move education forward in any real meaningful way, the kind of thinking I’m about to take you through is incredibly important. I’m going to take some of th...

With so many families making the decision to leave the formal education system and take their own path through life, it also means there are a whole lot of grandparents out there going... Hold on, what’s happening here?! We have a comprehensive, effect...

The definition of education is being taught, and the learning that results from it. A process that happens, for a child, in a classroom. But if you read that a couple of times, does it sound interesting and inspiring? Does it really sound like it’s cen...

Will your children be sheltered? How will you educate them properly if you're not a qualified teacher? How will they get a good job when they grow up? Everyone who chooses a life without school will be asked these kinds of questions at some point. In t...

We're back with another question and answer episode, where I take a few of your questions and talk my way through them. I really love working on this episode each month, because your questions always reflect the struggles, the worries, and the hopes an...

Today, I want to talk about why I believe it’s so important that we - as home educating parents - play the role of coach, and mentor, and guide to our children. I want to take you through the simple, but powerful, framework Kate and I have used to help...

Happy New Year, everyone! The Life Without School Podcast is BACK. For the very first episode of 2022, I’m taking you through seven things that will help set your family up for the best possible home educating year. These are all things that, through y...

The global home educating community has grown like crazy in 2021. More families are choosing a life without school than ever before, and it’s never been more important - as we go into the new year - to lift each other up, and encourage, and support, an...

In this episode I want to help you build your de-schooling muscle. The process of taking everything you know about education, wiping your mental slate as clean as possible, and coming at the whole idea of how children learn as fresh as you can. To do t...

Welcome back to another question and answer episode - where I take some time to dig into things you all want to hear more about it. They might be things you’re personally struggling with, or worried about, or planning for...and I really love having the...