Unschooling

It’s All in the Image

Recently we became the proud owners of a beautiful new Bengal kitten named Misty. He came into our lives because of my daughter Katy's deep and abiding passion for cats. For a long time, we didn't see a cat in our future (mainly because of the … Read More...

From Wheezing to Why Not?: Supporting Children’s Passions

This weekend, our new kitten, Misty, joined our family. He was a long time in coming - and I'm not just talking about the 10 weeks we had to wait until he was weaned and ready to leave his mama. No, for us the journey to our kitten was long and … Read More...

Unschoolers Rock!

A month ago today, my family attended the Life Rocks! unschooling conference in beautiful North Conway, NH. It was five days of non-stop, jam-packed festivities. To be among like-minded people was, for many of us, a blessing, a respite, a sanctuary … Read More...

Silent No More: How Unschooling Gave My Son a Voice

I recently remembered a bizarre and painful phenomenon that occurred in my elementary school years. Although I had plenty to say at home (a fact to which my harried mother would have attested!), I recoiled at the prospect of speaking at school. I … Read More...

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Radical Unschooling

Empty Nest

Our three-year old, Maggie, has always co-slept with us. But a little over a year ago we discovered the amazing benefits of co-sleeping as an entire family. For 13 blissful months, we all slept like babies. Seriously... I hadn't been so well rested … Read More...

Cool Quotes about Sparkly Sneakers

My book is officially one week old! I have a copy sitting next to my laptop, and every once in a while I pick it up, gaze at the cover, and marvel to my husband, "Isn't it amazing: it looks just like a real book!" to which he responds - with … Read More...

Trick or Treat: A Post About Authenticity

Halloween is my children's favorite time of year. Seriously. They love it more than their birthdays. More than Christmas, even. We literally start counting down the days until Halloween in August. Finding the perfect costume is always high on the … Read More...

When You Don’t Know What Else to Say…Say “Thank You”

I've been sitting here staring at my computer screen for the past five minutes trying to figure out what to write about the fact that I just wrote a book. Maybe what I've heard is actually true: maybe we really do get just a certain amount of words … Read More...

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Unschooling Thought For The Day

We judge and evaluate [a child] in a place where he has not been comfortable enough to engage in good conversations. In school, he has felt in need of repairs. I must always assume, with any child, that school is the source of whatever problems exist in school before looking elsewhere. -Vivian Gussin Paley, from… [Continue Reading]

Parenting – despite our fears – is not usually an emergency. Usually, in parenting and in life, the best response to upsetting emotions is to reflect, not react. In other words, don’t take action while you’re triggered. -Dr. Laura Markham, from Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting

Children are subject peoples. School for them is a kind of jail. Do they not, to some extent, escape and frustrate the relentless, insatiable pressure of their elders by withdrawing the most intelligent and creative parts of their minds from the scene? -John Holt, from How Children Fail

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