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Welcome to the overview and introduction to Alternative education and learning.The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride for us all. The world is changing; societies are changing, and education, technology, the way we work, and the way we live are all changing.A new era is upon us. If you have or are about to have children then compelling questions are upon us as well.How do we parent for this fast-approaching ...
I love Ken Robinson’s talk but do schools kill creativity? To me the answer to that is yes and no, to me creativity never went away in the first place. Do Schools Kill Creativity? I don’t really think so, as I don’t think you can kill creativity. It is like a heartbeat or the wind, to be alive is to be creative. Creativity doesn’t stop just because you go to school, you ...
Welcome to the overview and introduction to Parenting and Working.In recent years, more and more parents have become disillusioned with the traditional schooling system. From standardized testing and rigid curricula to the stress of crowded classrooms and the increasing pressure to conform, many parents are seeking alternative paths to education that align more closely with their values and their children's needs and for our rapidly changing world. For some, this journey leads ...
Welcome to the overview and introduction to Family Wellbeing.Embracing Well-Being and Self-Directed LearningWhat do we mean by well being?How is well being brought about?What does well being mean for parents?What is well being for kids?How do we deal with stress and anxiety?How do we cultivate a free mind?How do we embrace non coercion?Embracing Well-Being and Self-Directed LearningThe concept of well-being is often discussed in the context of health, happiness, and fulfillment. But ...
Welcome to the overview and introduction to Parenting for the Future for a new era....The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride for us all. The world is changing; societies are changing, and education, technology, the way we work, and the way we live are all changing.A new era is upon us. If you have or are about to have children then compelling questions are upon us as well.How do we ...
As I lie here in bed with my laptop on my knees, I am not feeling great, it’s nearly 10am and yes I am still in bed. I feel inclined to pretend I am up, awake, having done a run and meditation, had breakfast, got dressed but none of that would be true. I am here in my jammies and the thought of walking down the corridor to the bathroom and doing ...
When we went to live in Italy, I was the one who could speak Italian. There was a moment where I didn't understand a joke that the kids were sharing in the car with their friends. In that instant I knew that they had surpassed me in their Italian, I knew from then on I would always be keeping up with them. That they are now fluent in two languages is, to ...
How do kids learn things that connect with their souls and set their imagination on fire?How do the fireflies of inspiration spark their spirits? Can I help keep those iridescent lights of creativity shining?I ask myself these questions...they are big questions.I know that for me putting the kids in a schooling environment stopped being an option when I saw them shrinking and the sparkle diminishing from their eyes.I also know that this may ...
My husband tells me that according to a book that he has just read that monkeys raise their young not always knowing who is who, they look after each child like it was their child. That years ago before the age of agriculture patriarchy and that the need for one’s own child was irrelevant, that men looked after other children as if they were their own.That children were raised in troupes or ...
How we show up is so important for our children and we are shaping who they are to become. I was struck by this thought the other day. I am raising children that will most likely go on to have children and I am modelling for them how to be as a parent. We as parents have a choice as to how we show up and we can change script for future ...
This is a question I get asked a lot and there is a very big difference between the two. Have a look below as here is an excerpt from our book that breaks it down from our persepective. Home schoolingHome schooling is teaching school subjects and following a curriculum outside of a learning institution such as a school, usually at home. Home schooling parents may collaborate with other home-schooling families. A home-schooling family ...
I stopped worrying about making my daughter learn to read, at aged 10, once I listened to her words. She said 'Please can you stop worrying about me reading and just leave me alone' and this was unheard of for me, as I hadn't quite got the unschooling thing. I was chasing her around, trying to get her to sit down with me, the stress levels were high, I was being annoying. ...
I am sitting here at my desk, it is grey outside and I am thinking back to my schooling, it was a long time ago. I struggled at school. That is where I used to think all learning happened. But as this unschooling journey has unfolded I have realised that schooling is not the only way.Kids just keep learning whether they are in school or not, they are designed to learn, they ...
This is a post I am writing in seven parts, so my aim is to do one a day for a week, as a reminder to myself as well as to other homeschooling/unschooling parents who are out there doing their best to raise their kids at home. Right now some of you have been thrown in to this crazy but beautiful world. It isn't always easy, so here is day one!! This ...
If you are totally overwhelmed with homeschooling or unschooling and what is going on in the news right now, connect up with others. I hear this a lot from parents who are isolated and who are not in connection with other people. I think community is so very important, even if you are physically a long way from any one else. Use the phone, the internet, zoom, whatsapp. Don’t tough it out ...
This applies to everybody. If I am not nice to myself as a mother I am not really nice to anyone else around me. So this means listening to what I need to do for myself. So this can be anything as simple as making time to jump into a candlelit bath at night, to going for a walk at some point in the day to taking time to meet a friend ...
Sometimes, having one or both parents at home means that your finances can run extremely low, resources can totally deplete and this can be stressful. Make use of what you have, this sounds simple but it is true, that the less I have in life, the more I make use of what I do have. You don’t have to spend a fortune to feel good, so even if it means buying something ...
From where I am sitting right now, everything is perfect, I am surrounded by families having lunch, chatting, smiling and laughing. I am the odd one on her computer amidst a restaurant full of people eating, in fact the waiters may ask me to leave in a minute... If I take a quantum leap into the unknown and believe what I have been reading (Thank you Jonathan Safran Foer for talking about ...
A loving reminder/question for all of you entering in to the Christmas season with family and friends. Can you stay in your truth and not get triggered? Can you be aware when you are getting stressed?This can be a time of year when tensions rise. So for any of you out there who are mixing with the button pressers remember this, breathe through any awkward questions. Remember to lovingly keep your boundaries and ...
A quick story about when our girls took their first exams. This morning I woke up at 6am in an Airbnb room, the girls were asleep and I was convinced that I had left the lights on in the car and that the battery would be flat and that I wouldn’t be able to get to the exam room on time. Like in a bad dream. In a panic, I stepped outside ...
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