Virtual Kitchen Table

How much novelty do children need? How much do we need and how do we work it out within a family rhythm? Although we realize each person is individual, it’s something we’ve noticed involves observing and listening, planning and yet holding those plans loosely. We are considering time out versus time at home, outdoor time versus indoor, social opportunities versus being alone. How much money to spe...

Home educating while travelling can play out in a variety of ways and is different for each family. It often brings to mind the idea of high excitement and far-flung locations. While that sometimes might be true, there are other styles of adventure as well. It was an absolute joy to have Alice Griffin joy us for a conversation about what family travel looks like in her family and how it weaves tog...

Our conversation continued … (listen to Part One  here ) When people first hear the word “deschooling,” they might assume it is all about the children, but they soon realize it can have a whole lot to do with parents as well! We were so happy to have Sue Elvis join us as we discussed deschooling alongside an overview of her newest book,  The Unschool Challenge . Sue has a blog and podcast at Stori...

When people first hear the word “deschooling,” they might assume it is all about the children, but they soon realize it can have a whole lot to do with parents as well! We were so happy to have Sue Elvis join us as we discussed deschooling alongside an overview of her newest book,  The Unschool Challenge . Sue has a blog and podcast at  Stories of an Unschooling Family . She is also the author of...

Do we deserve joy? That might sound like a strange question because smiling and happiness are very valued, but it seems we’re less comfortable with deep and ongoing joy. When people make choices that lead in the direction of less stress or more joy, sometimes questions arise. Life is supposed to be tough – who do people think they are living boldly and joyfully? Do we allow ourselves to fully feel...

This was originally a conversation recorded for and posted to the  Stories of Unschooling Families  online community in Spring of 2022 and we decided to include it as an episode. Ashley and Erin had an opportunity to talk to Jenna Reich of  Rogue Learner  podcast and website and  Jenna Reich Photography  about Ashley’s and Jenna’s journey into beginning home education, specifically unschooling or...

This was originally a conversation recorded for and posted to the  Stories of Unschooling Families  online community in Spring of 2022 and we decided to include it as an episode. Ashley and Erin had an opportunity to talk to Jenna Reich of  Rogue Learner  podcast and website and  Jenna Reich Photography  about Ashley’s and Jenna’s journey into beginning home education, specifically unschooling or...

Episode #6: The State of Flow in Learning It is a fascinating thing to observe our children in a state of flow with their learning. Fully focused and engaged in an interest or task, a sense of time and space is lost as they dive into the deep development of an idea or skill. As adults we can get into a flow state ourselves and it’s interesting to explore the process. Join us as we discuss our obse...

Kindness and unconditional love are things that most parents hope to have and give to their children. In fact they are valued by almost all people. What do they have to do with unschooling? Join us as we explore what kindness and unconditional love have meant for each of us and the role they might play in our unschooling families. We were so grateful to have Sue Elvis chat with us about this topic...

Kindness and unconditional love are things that most parents hope to have and give to their children. In fact they are valued by almost all people. What do they have to do with unschooling? Join us as we explore what kindness and unconditional love have meant for each of us and the role they might play in our unschooling families. We were so grateful to have Sue Elvis chat with us about this topic...

When things are rosy and our days seem to flow, it’s easy to feel confident and comfortable in the choice to be a home educating family. During harder times, it can feel shaky. Parents want to bring their best for their child but sometimes life circumstances make that challenging. What happens then? How do we ask for support? What does self-care look like? What growth do we notice in our children...

Most families find their children are happier and healthier when the place they spend their days is a good fit for who they are. For some children, this might be a public school. However, for many others, it isn’t. What learning opportunities already exist in our communities? How can home educating parents and other interested people collaborate with community spaces to offer even more? Could soci...

Episode #2: Unschooling A-ha Moments When families begin an unschooling way of life, they often dig into all the resources – books, articles, blogs, podcasts, social media, in-person connections – and gather as much information as they can. Then, over time, they begin to develop awareness's of their own from actually living this life with their family. Some of this new information might be spe...

Episode #1: What do our Unschooling Days Look Like? Part 2 Many unschooling families find they develop a rhythm to their days and weeks over time. Some aspects might be natural and others more intentional, but almost always, connection and the individual needs and desires of the people in the family are the foundation. Join us at our Virtual Kitchen Table as we chat about what those rhythms look l...

Episode #1: What do our Unschooling Days Look Like? Part 1 Many unschooling families find they develop a rhythm to their days and weeks over time. Some aspects might be natural and others more intentional, but almost always, connection and the individual needs and desires of the people in the family are the foundation. Join us at our Virtual Kitchen Table as we chat about what those rhythms looks...