Learning through dogs
My daughter was never a fan of busy playgrounds. For a couple of years, from when she was around three years old, she preferred the local...
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Mar 1, 20218 min read
Learning to trust myself
I've recently begun to feel a deep sense of freedom. My life is much the same as it has been for the last year, with nothing shifting...
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Feb 1, 20215 min read
What did we do today?
I wonder at our role as parents right now. Without the usual activities going on, and with the additional emotional challenges that...
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Oct 19, 20206 min read
A different kind of strength
I'm writing this post from the perspective of a parent of an autistic child with PDA. That isn't to say that my child's autism/PDA...
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Sep 22, 20204 min read
How to do nothing
My daughter is painting a picture and is intensely focused. The picture is of a castle on a hill, with the sun setting in the background....
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Sep 6, 20204 min read
That September feeling...
It's been a good few years since we last went back to school, but September energy is powerful. The idea that this is the month of new...
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Aug 25, 20205 min read
All about conversation
Some years ago, when my eldest son was still a toddler, I came across a book about learning at home. The author had interviewed many...
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Aug 10, 20205 min read
Maths, just for fun
It’s 10pm on a Tuesday night and we're in the sitting room quietly doing maths by candlelight. We look like some austere homeschooling...
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Jul 28, 20206 min read
What is unschooling?
There's a lot of buzz right now around children learning without school, and the different terms used can be confusing. I see the word...
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Jul 23, 20205 min read
Why unschooling works for PDA children
Time outs, naughty steps and reward charts were never on my radar. None of that has ever made any sense to me. Even so, when my eldest...
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Jul 18, 20205 min read
Money, money, money...
We've spent a few days with money on our minds. Mostly because we've just moved house, so there are lots of tempting ways to spend too...
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Jul 6, 20204 min read
Is it fun or is it learning? Does it matter?
There are many things about living without school that continue to fascinate me. Although, when I see these things in action, what...
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Jun 18, 20206 min read
When unschooling means exams
What happens when an unschooler wants to go into higher education? How does a child who has spent years following their interests...
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Jun 5, 20205 min read
Structures and freedom
A few days ago, just before she went to bed, my daughter decided to write down her morning routine. She felt like her mornings would be...
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May 28, 20204 min read
Trusting the quiet moments
Sometimes, it's easy to feel confident. Seeing a child curled up reading a book, looking up ingredients to do some baking, or just...
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May 17, 20203 min read
What did we do today?
Well, life in semi-lockdown goes on, and we've had plenty of time to settle into new rhythms. Human beings are certainly adaptable...
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May 11, 20204 min read
Truth to power? Sure, let's bring it on
I was at an event in a local primary school with D and C a few months ago. It was friendly and cheerful enough with lots of colourful...
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Apr 29, 20206 min read
Self compassion in lockdown times
I started this post about self compassion a while ago and, for some reason, never got round to finishing it. Now feels like a good time....
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Apr 21, 20205 min read
The many benefits of unschooling for children with special needs
I hear a lot of doubt around whether unschooling can work for children with special needs. Perhaps it's because many of these children...
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Apr 13, 20206 min read
Things I wish I had known
A friend asked me recently what I wish I had known when we began unschooling. It's an interesting question. There were lots of things...
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