Unschooling Mom2Mom

Text Sue what you think! Summer has a funny way of making homeschooling parents feel like they should have a plan. Even unschooling parents can start worrying about filling the time, finding a routine, or doing... more. Being between one school year and the next can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Maybe it's the extra space. In this episode, we're exploring why those in-between seasons...

Text Sue what you think! When your kid won't get off screens, even a simple request can quickly turn into a battle.  Many homeschooling and unschooling parents find themselves caught in this frustrating pattern. What starts as "time for dinner" or "we need to leave" suddenly becomes an argument, leaving everyone wondering why it escalated so quickly. In this episode, Sue P...

Text Sue what you think! What if fear is influencing more of your homeschooling decisions than you realize? When we're anxious about our children's future, it's easy to mistake fear for wisdom and urgency for insight. In this episode, Sue Patterson explores how fear can cloud our judgment, shape our homeschooling decisions, and make it difficult to separate what we're actually...

Text Sue what you think! They're playing all the time - is there anything worthwhile that we can count for homeschooling transcript?  The answer may surprise you.  In this episode, Sue Patterson explores how gaming can support learning in subjects like history, science, math, philosophy, leadership, and communication—and shares real examples of how those experiences can be documented on a tra...

Text Sue what you think! Are you wondering whether it's time to make a change in your child's education? Many parents spend the whole summer questioning what's working, what's not, and whether a different approach to learning might be a better fit for their family. Some are considering leaving the school system. Others are rethinking traditional homeschooling. Still others are...

Text Sue what you think! Are we preparing kids for adulthood… or preparing them for school expectations? Parents worry about grades, gaps, transcripts, screen time, and whether their kids will be successful adults. But real adult life often depends on something else entirely: adaptability, communication, confidence, initiative, emotional regulation, and problem solving. In this episode, Sue Patter...

Text Sue what you think! Mother's Day can be a lot of things — wonderful, disappointing, emotional, or somewhere in between. For unschooling and homeschooling moms, there's an added twist: your kids aren't sitting in a classroom getting reminded to make something for you. No teacher. No craft. No school newsletter nudging dad to pick up flowers. So this year? You become the Mother&a...

Text Sue what you think! What does an unschooling day actually look like? If you’ve been searching for a routine, a schedule, or some kind of structure you can follow… and keep coming up empty, this episode will give you something more useful. Instead of a rigid plan, we’re walking through real-life examples of unschooling days—what it looks like for younger kids, older kids, and teens—and why it...

Text Sue what you think! What does unschooling look like day to day—and how do you know it’s enough? This is where most parents start to second-guess everything. If you’ve ever lwondered, “Is this enough?” —you’re not alone. We’re unpacking one of the most common fears in unschooling: What learning actually looks like when it doesn’t look like school. With no worksheets, no visible lessons, and no...

Text Sue what you think! How do unschoolers learn math without a curriculum? Can kids really learn math without school—and how do you know it’s enough? Here's a real “day in the life” of an unschooling teen. See exactly where math shows up—hour by hour—without worksheets, textbooks, or formal lessons. If you’ve been wondering:  how do kids learn math without curriculum   is real life math eno...

Text Sue what you think! “If we don’t use a curriculum... how do we plan anything?” It’s the number one question new unschoolers ask. If stepping away from traditional lesson plans makes you feel like you’ve lost your roadmap, this episode is for you!  Welcome to Season 6 of the Unschooling Mom2Mom podcast! This week, host Sue Patterson explains why planning as an unschooling parent isn’t about de...

Text Sue what you think! Pi Day is one of those holidays parents often try to make “fun.”  But sometimes the issue isn’t the activity — it’s the hype. Here's a quick unschooling perspective on Pi Day and why kids often respond better to curiosity than to pressure. Instead of trying to convince kids something is fun, unschooling families often offer ideas lightly — letting interest show up nat...

Text Sue what you think! What can unschooling families learn from the neurodivergent community? In this episode, Sue Patterson looks at how our understanding of “quirky” kids has changed over the years—and why many unschooling parents are learning from approaches developed within the neurodivergent community. Even families without a diagnosis can benefit from these ideas when kids struggle with ex...

Text Sue what you think! Do you need to revisit deschooling as your child gets older? Many unschooling and homeschooling parents start worrying about learning gaps, grade levels, falling behind, and whether unschooling is “working.” Deschooling is often treated as a beginning phase of homeschooling. But school conditioning doesn’t disappear once. It resurfaces in layers. In this episode, we talk a...

Text Sue what you think! If you’re an unschooling or homeschooling parent struggling with doubt, internal criticism, or wondering if you’re doing enough, this episode is for you. We talk about how unschooling confidence is built through daily reinforcement — not one-time inspiration. Start your free week of Creating Confidence Daily here: https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-dail...

Text Sue what you think! You feel steady about unschooling…  and then one comment, one comparison, one tired day — and you spiral. Why does confidence disappear so fast? Let's unpack why unschooling confidence doesn’t “stick” — even when you understand the philosophy. Confidence doesn’t grow on autopilot. It comes from intentionally brining it back to the front of our minds. Rhythm and repeti...

Text Sue what you think! When the Olympics roll around, it’s easy to feel pressure to “do something educational.” You don’t need a unit study, curriculum, or lesson plan for real learning to happen. Big cultural events like the Olympics are already rich with opportunities for curiosity, connection, and noticing — if you let them be. In this episode, Sue talks about how to strew the Olympics: leavi...

Text Sue what you think! Feeling lost about teaching is common when you step away from school. Sue Patterson explores why the urge to teach more keeps showing up — and why learning doesn’t depend on parents doing more teaching, but on staying focused on the learner. __________________ “I want to do more to teach, but I feel lost.” If that thought has crossed your mind, you’re not the only one. Tha...

Text Sue what you think! How do kids really learn without curriculum? What if learning is hiding in the things we almost dismiss as “just for fun”? Let's use Appreciate a Dragon Day as a real-life example of how learning shows up naturally — through curiosity, imagination, conversation, and play — without planning lessons or following a curriculum. Parents exploring unschooling or questioning...

Text Sue what you think! Many parents expect deschooling to work like a big reset button — pull kids out of school, give it a little time, and everything will fall into place. But when kids seem to be “vegging out,” parents often panic: Is this really how it’s supposed to work? In this episode, I unpack what’s actually happening in those moments — and why that panic makes sense. Leaving school doe...

Text Sue what you think! When traditional homeschooling stops working, there’s nothing wrong with exploring your options. The Unschooling 101 mini-course can help. Let’s talk about what’s going on together. -> Unschooling 101 -> Creating Confidence Membership ( Unschooling 101 is included) ___________________________ If you’ve been homeschooling for a while — especially in a more traditional...

Text Sue what you think! This post-holiday stretch can make even confident homeschooling and unschooling parents second-guess everything. But winter isn’t the time to push harder — even though everything around us insists we need to ‘get back on track. So what if we took a different approach? If the last semester felt less than stellar, it may not need a complete overhaul. It often just means real...

Text Sue what you think! Unschooling in December doesn’t mean “taking a break from learning.” In this episode, Sue Patterson shares what typical unschooling days really look like during the holidays—slow mornings, cozy rhythms, spontaneous learning, busy outings, and the kinds of meaningful life experiences that traditional schooling often pushes aside. If you’ve wondered how unschooling families...

Text Sue what you think! If you're having doubts or feeling overwhelmed, I have some options for you! You're not the only parent who enters December feeling confused about their homeschooling or unschooling choices. Sue Patterson shares nearly 30 years of experience here, offering reassurance and perspective. And even if you do need to pivot, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Unscho...

Text Sue what you think! Does unschooling feel like a roller coaster — some days confident, other days full of doubt? You’re not alone. This episode explores why the early stages feel so shaky and what actually helps parents feel steady again. We’ll talk about:  • why deschooling feels so emotional and up-and-down  • the hidden pressures that make you second-guess yourself  • why doing this alone...