Advertise on podcast: The Unschool Space

Today, I am with Alex O’Neill, who lives with her daughter and husband in Essex in the UK. Alex was a teacher and had considered home education for many years, and finally dived in a couple of years ago when her daughter decided that she didn’t want to continue with secondary school. Alex shares her long journey of exploration into learning and alternatives to school, and what she is learning at home as she accompanies her daughter. Connect with Alex https://www.limitlesscommunity.co.uk/ https://www.progressiveeducation.org/ If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode, I am with Alex Kons. Alex is originally from Germany, but is currently living in Peru and has spent many years travelling the world with her now-13 year old son. Alex tells us why she chose initially not to send her son to school, and the isolation from friends and family that came with that decision. And she shares what life has looked like for her and her son and why she has never regretted taking the route that always felt most free and authentic for her.  Connect with Alex https://linktr.ee/wildlifeunschooling If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode, I am joined by Sharon and Heidi, two unschooling mothers from North Yorkshire. Both have neurodivergent children who eventually burned out at school. They describe how incredibly depleting it was to try get their children in to school each day and to advocate for the support they needed. We talk about how the transition was from school to home and the relief of stepping away from a system that isn’t working. And, we talk about why our capacity is so important and how we can keep tending to ourselves. Connect with Sharon and Heidi (The Oxygen Mask) Instagram Facebook Tiktok If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

Today I am chatting with Ruth Rinaldi, a former maths teacher now unschooling parent of two. We talk about what led Ruth not only to home educate her children but also to leave her career as a maths teacher and head of department, which she had worked so hard at. Ruth shares how the experience has looked for her and her family, and what it felt like to make such a huge change. We also talk about maths, of course, and the problems with how it is approached in schools. And Ruth gives us all some great tips for approaching maths without fear! I hope you enjoy the conversation! Connect with Ruth www.joyfulmathswithruth.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/joyfulmathswithruth/ If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

My guest today is Olivia Roff who lives in Sussex with her husband and two children, who are 10 and 5, and both neurodivergent. Olivia had wanted to try home educating some years ago, but wasn’t able to. She talks about how it feels to finally jump into it, the joy of seeing her daughter start to flourish again, and the realisation that she has always been an unschooling parent. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Connect with Olivia https://www.instagram.com/mystical_birthing https://www.facebook.com/share/1DJvVngxfs/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://linktr.ee/oliviaroff If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

My guest in this episode is May Ling Thomas. May Ling lives in London with her husband and two daughters, who are 13 and 10, and who have always been unschooled. May Ling came across the idea of unschooling when her oldest was still a baby, and it felt a natural fit with how she and her husband wanted to raise their children. We talk about what this all looks like and, of course, all the unlearning we have to do. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Connect with May Ling: https://www.maylingthomas.com/ May Ling co-organises the Freedom to Learn forum, which will take place August 13th-17th in the Peak District, UK. See the links below for more information and to book your ticket.  Tickets: https://dandelion.events/e/c27is Website https://www.freedomtolearn.uk/ If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

Today I am joined by Naomi Fisher, a child psychologist and parent of two unschooled teenagers. So, we are talking about the teenage years and how hard it can be particularly for those young people who have left the school system after some stress and difficult experiences. Naomi tells us about her soon-to-be-published book, The Teenager's Guide to Taking Control of Your Education: Learning Beyond School. And we talk about what parents can do to help their teenagers reconnect with themselves and their interests and feel more empowered in their learning and their lives beyond school. Join Naomi's online book launch on Saturday July 18th! https://naomifisher.co.uk/ If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode I am joined by Meghan Suniga-Davies. Meghan has three unschooled children who are now all teens and young adults and she also has extensive experience working with young people in self-directed learning spaces. We talk about her family’s journey to unschooling and her particular deschooling journey. And we talk about what it means to live in partnership with our young people and prioritise our relationship, particularly when they are feeling challenged by something. I hope you enjoy the conversation! About Meghan Meghan is a born and raised Austinite partnered with adult and teen unschoolers, a long time youth rights advocate, community builder and facilitator of alternative programming to conventional school. She has worked with youth for over 15 years and is passionate about youth liberation, promoting autonomy, self-directed education and anti-oppression through collaborative exploration of the city.  She supports  adults moving away from control and toward partnership in both education and relationships. She believes empowering youth in collaborative decision-making within the community paves the way for a future where the personhood of all youth are not reduced to "adults in training" but recognized as fully capable of contributing meaningfully to society.  She has been involved with the unschooling community for more than a decade.  The Alliance for Self-Directed Education and  Mosaic  are organizations she’s been a part of where she brings energy and momentum around  making SDE more accessible to people around the world!  atxflyingsquad.com  itsjusmeghan.com If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode, I am chatting with Megan Arevalo, who lives in Michigan with her husband and two children, who are three and eight. After initially homeschooling, Megan came to unschooling after her daughter’s burnout, when she realised she needed to focus entirely on connection and wellbeing. Megan talks about the subsequent autism diagnoses and her own path from feeling like she had to hold everything together to understanding her own neurodivergence. And we talk about what it looks like to embrace connection over control, let go of perfectionism, and keep learning from our children. I hope you enjoy the conversation.  Connect with Megan: https://megantarevalo.substack.com/ If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode, I am chatting with Carey Kirkella who lives with her husband and eight-year-old son in New York City. They came to unschooling after her son had many struggles at pre-K then in Kindergarten. Though on the outside he seemed to be doing fine, Carey saw how he was becoming more anxious and stressed and had increasing sensory issues.  Carey shares how her son is doing now and how their lives look, along with all the challenges that come with accompanying a child as they recover from burnout, and how that impacts her too. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Connect with Carey instagram.com LinkedIn www.careykirkella.com If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

Today’s episode is a little different as I am chatting with Victor and Eitan, who are 16 and 15 and attend Alcove Learning, a self-directed learning space in LA. They both came to Alcove after many years in public school, and after some mental health struggles. It was really such a joy to talk with them about what it has meant to them to have choice and agency over what they do in their days, and to be part of a supportive community that places wellbeing above all else. They really have so many wonderful and thoughtful insights to share. I hope you enjoy the conversation!  https://www.alcovelearning.org/ If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode I am chatting with Munira Adenwalla, who is an occupational therapist and lives in London with her 14-year-old son. Munira realised when her son was young that school would not be a good fit for him. We talk about how our school conditioning runs deep and the worries that can come when we step away from it. And Munira tells us what unschooling looks like for her son, and how in hindsight she can see how his particular path has unfolded as he has followed his interests. We also talk about why unschooling allows neurodivergent children far more space to understand themselves and to forge a path that feels right for them.  Connect with Munira FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ot4kidswithmunira Parents' FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/helpingkidswrite Website: https://www.ot4kids.co.uk If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

This episode, I am with Zahra Lightway and Patricia Sprenger of Light Way Learning. Both came to alternative education through feeling disilusioned with the education system, Zahra as a teacher whose son had found the system difficult, and Patricia as a parent whose children were struggling at school. We talk about learning looks when it doesn’t look like school, the power of just observing our children, and the amazing things that can happen when they have agency over their own learning. And, they explain why they started Lightway Learning, to help parents with their transition to learning beyond school. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Zahra Lightway, M.Ed, BA Co-founder of Light Way Learning and creator of Famli & Light Way Home Educator Academy. I understand what it's like to watch children lose their spark in traditional schooling. I witnessed it for over a decade as a classroom teacher. That heartbreak led me to spend four years researching how children actually learn best, drawing from 150+ years of alternative education research and real experience with hundreds of families. I created the Light Way Home Educator Academy to give parents what I wished I'd had: a clear, proven framework that honors how children naturally learn while giving families the structure and support they need to feel confident: a course, coaching, community and AI tool to make learning visible, all in one place. My approach weaves together holistic educational principles, emotional intelligence, and collaborative decision-making tools, all designed to help parents create a learning life that feels joyful and sustainable rather than stressful and overwhelming.  You can find out more about our first course, The Foundations Journey, here and/or do our free introductory training here. Patricia Sprenger home educated her two children from ages 10 and 11 through high school, blending her 30-year background as a movement specialist with an academic approach rooted in nervous-system balance, emotional regulation, and organic, interest-driven learning. Drawing on her expertise in the language of the body, she developed a holistic educational model that was intentional yet free-spirited, honoring every curiosity with equal value. Now in their early twenties, her children are thriving—one in his first year of law school at UCincinnati, and the other completing her final year in plant science at Cornell University before pursuing a PhD. Patricia currently serves as a co-founder and academic advisor for Homeschool Directive, a globally recognized accredited home-education program that empowers families to personalize learning and confidently translate student interests into rigorous coursework that is respected by both universities and employers. If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode, I am talking with Sue Patterson, who lives in Austin Texas. Sue is an unschooling coach, author, and the founder and voice behind Unschooling Mom2Mom. Sue has three adult children, who are now in their thirties, and who were all unschooled. Sue tells of how she came to unschooling when her children were young, after seeing how they were failing to thrive in traditional school. We talk about her deschooling process and how important it is to change the stories in our heads, and to focus on the here and now and the connection with our children. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Connect with Sue Unschooling Mom2Mom: http://www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com Creating Confidence Daily App: https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily Unschooling Membership Community: https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-membership Strewing Calendar: https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/strewing-calendars If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode I’m chatting with Jenny Mainwaring who lives near Oxford in the UK. Jenny took her oldest son out of school while still in primary school and suffering from burnout. Jenny describes the slow process of helping him feel safe again and how they have seen him come back to his interests and the things he naturally wants to explore. In fact, Jenny’s son who is now 12 encouraged Jenny to share their story so other children can know that things do get better. A little later, Jenny also took her younger son out of school and we talk about how they try to work together to meet everyone’s needs, what socialising looks like, and the importance of safe adults.  If you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you! The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your Child You can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at: www.esther-jones.com Or, connect with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@estherjones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_esther.jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace