Self Directed

Missy Willis invited Ann Hansen to be a guest on her podcast Let 'Em Go Barefoot - and since then, they have been close connected. In sync as they are. Together they have written the book 'Life Unschooled: Living & Learning without School.' We invited both of them to a talk. Imagine taking the responsibility for your child's life into your own hands, breaking away from the...

In 2022 Ema Werner reached out to Jesper and asked if he was up for answering many questions in an Instagram live. He said yes, and Ema agreed that we could share the recording as a little extra episode to our podcast.  You can find Ema on Instagram and Substack under the name Earth Ozina; where she is writing and honoring motherhood. In this episode, we uncover the concept of self-directed learni...

School sucks! And on Wild Life, we talk about why education outside the traditional school system is so beneficial - not only for our kids but also for us as parents. This is the intro for Alexandra Kons Podcast, ' Wild Life - The Unschooling Podcast'. Which we recently guested.  Alexandra has been so kind to let us share the episode with you all through our podcast. So here it is! Thank...

Are you ready to take the leap toward your true passion and find fulfillment?  If the answer is yes, this episode is for you. We are thrilled to have NY Times Bestseller Janet Attwood, a guiding light in our quest for freedom and fulfillment, join us.  Janet unveils her origin story and introduces the Passion Test - a potent tool that helps you discern your true desires and harmonize with your hig...

This is an episode to celebrate Learn Nothing Day. Sandra Dodd's birthday is on July 24th, and as a joke, she started 'Learn Nothing Day,' - which now is an international holiday for unschoolers. A day where we each year try to learn nothing and fail. As Sandra Says: "Unschoolers need a holiday. When people ask if they homeschool in the summer, they say yes. When people ask whe...

Sari González and Becka Koritz: unschooling moms and hosts of the podcast Radical Learning Talks. They share a passion for unschooling and have created a Self Directed Learning center in Mexico. Their focus lies at the intersection of unschooling, parenting, relationship building, and community development, all aimed at nurturing children's self-directed learning, autonomy, and freedom. As ad...

What if the traditional education system is doing more harm than good? In our conversation with Summer Jean, a 34-year-old grown unschooler, we explore her unique upbringing and how it has shaped her life. Raised by a mother who trusted her children's innate ability to learn without any required academia, Summer Jean and her three brothers grew up free from workbooks, curriculums, and traditi...

Chris  is the co-author of the internationally acclaimed NY Times bestsellers "The Passion Test - The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Destiny" and "Your Hidden Riches - Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose." If it weren’t for Chris entering our lives, we would probably not be living our passions today. In this episode, we explore the power...

Have you ever wondered how unschooling could unlock your child's passions and potential?  Join us for an inspiring conversation with Mary Griffith, where we explore her family's journey with unschooling, fencing, and homeschooling. Mary shares how fencing became a significant part of their lives, allowing her daughters to pursue their interests without the constraints of school involveme...

Imagine sitting down with someone you think you don't like and realizing, after just two hours, that they're actually an ally. In a powerful conversation, we chat with our longtime friend and Human Library founder, Ronnie Abergel, about how his unique project has the remarkable ability to break down barriers and change people's perspectives. We journey through Ronnie's passion...

In our conversation with parenting expert, author, and counsellor Naomi Aldort, we reveal her powerful philosophy of raising ourselves to raise our children, allowing them to flourish in a supportive environment. Naomi shares her journey from being a piano teacher to helping families. We also tackle some challenging topics, such as finding a balance between parental expectations and children'...

What does it truly mean to embrace radical parenting and homeschooling? This week - we are the “guests” on our own podcast. Katrina Bieler contacted us with a kind letter, and we said yes, asking us if she could ask us all her questions. “Dear Cecilie & Jesper... I want to thank you for your podcast. I am homeschooling my own children and feel a constant need to do so from the deepest truths,...

What do selling cable packages and caricature art have in common?  For our guest Samuel KingDavis, these experiences paved the way to mastering his craft and becoming an influential street artist. Join us as we discuss how Samuel KingDavis transitioned from a cable salesman to a hot dog vendor and finally found his true calling as a caricature artist, thanks to his wife's suggestion. We dive...

What if you could reimagine education for your children, breaking free from the traditional school system and embracing their natural curiosity?  Join us as we chat with Sandra Dodd, a prominent figure in the unschooling community, about her journey from skepticism to advocacy for this unconventional approach to learning. Throughout our conversation with Sandra, we explore her experiences with des...

Have you ever felt the weight of loneliness or struggled to find your place in the world? Join us for a conversation with homeschool dad Martin Cooke. Together, we discuss the impact of creating safe spaces for men to open up, share their experiences, and form connections that can combat feelings of isolation. Martin Cooke is a stay-at-home day we got to learn at World School Summit in Granada, Sp...

What if the key to raising well-adjusted, connected children lies in the practices of our ancestors?  Join us as we explore the evolved nest with Darcia Narvaez, diving into the fascinating world of natural birth, mothering, and the importance of soothing perinatal experiences. Through stories of our own births and parenting experiences, we'll uncover the consequences of our modern, medicaliz...

What if you could form a connection so deep with an animal that it changes your entire perspective on life?  Our friend Rohit Wadwadi joins us to share his incredible journey working with animals at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, where he raised a baby chimp named Flavor and formed a bond like no other.  Rohit's story is a testament to the profound impact animals can have on o...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to leave the hustle and bustle of city life and embrace the wild?  This episode features an incredible conversation with Lucy AitkenRead, a nomadic adventurer who shares her family's journey from London to off-grid living in New Zealand.  Lucy AitkenRead is a mother, activist, bestselling author, and an unschooling advocate and runs Disco Learning....

Join us as we chat with Pat Farenga, who shares his journey with John Holt and Growing Without Schooling Magazine.  We first met Pat Farenga when he interviewed us for the John Holt Growing Without Schooling website in 2018. Since then, we have become friends, and now it is our pleasure to introduce you to this wonderful man who has done so much for spreading the knowledge of unschooling and for J...

Shannon Hayes, from Sap Bush Hollow Farm, holds a Ph. D. in sustainable agriculture and community development from Cornell University and a bachelor's in creative writing from Binghamton University. She is the author of seven books, including The Grassfed Gourmet, Radical Homemakers, and Redefining Rich. Shannon is also a fantastic unschooling advocate. See show notes at TheConrad. Family/Sel...

Imagine traveling the world for over 1,680 days with your family – exploring new cultures, learning from unique experiences, and embracing a minimalist lifestyle. Sounds like a dream, right?  Join us as we chat with Sarah and Massey, world travelers and parents to three amazing kids, who've done just that! From navigating tricky roads in Costa Rica to living in a van during the pandemic, we d...

What happens when you step off the beaten path of traditional schooling and embrace the world as your children's classroom? In this episode, we are joined by Robin Robertson, a homeschooling and unschooling mom who shares her family's journey into alternative education. Discover how Robin and her husband were inspired to pull their children out of the conventional school system and provi...

Listen to our conversation with Juliet Silveira, a mother of three, unschooler, and former educator, as we delve into her journey from teaching in charter schools to discovering the world of unschooling and alternative education. Juliet is a consultant in parenting, education, and organizational culture, and she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master's in Education Research. We stumbled o...

What if your child could thrive outside the traditional school system, learning self-direction and social skills through play and exploration? Peter Gray is such a clear voice regarding understanding the power of unschooling and playing as a tool for learning.  We have for a long time wanted to talk with Peter and are happy to here share with you our dialogue with him. In our conversation with Pet...

Have you ever wondered about the challenges and rewards of homeschooling your children?  Join us as we sit down with Jae Williams, the founder of Black Dad's Journey, to discuss his inspiring transition from being a teacher to becoming a homeschool dad. Jae shares his passion for education, as well as his struggles and successes as a stay-at-home parent. We explore the importance of building...