When Our Unschooler Tried School

What actually happens when an unschooler decides they want to try school?In this episode, I’m sharing the story of our 9-year-old daughter choosing to go to school. Before that day, she had never once stepped into a classroom. I talk about why we agreed to it. How we prepared. What the transition into a classroom was actually like. How she went socially. What happened academically. What sort of overall impact it had on her. And whether, in the end, it lasted.If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether school might be “worth a try”, or you have a child asking about it and no real sense of how that would play out, this episode will give you a grounded, objective, lived perspective from the inside.For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly research-backed episodes to help you design and live your best possible life outside school, sign up to my full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

I want to put something to you. If you’ve chosen to home educate your children - whatever form that takes, however structured or unstructured you are - there’s a good chance you’re not valuing yourself, or your role, nearly as much as you should.And I say that with no judgement at all. Because I’ve done that too. As has my wife, Kate. In fact, she’s my inspiration for this episode, because as she’s worked hard on that internal messaging over the past couple of years she’s realised how little credit she’s given herself for what she’s taken on. And she would very much like to make sure that the same thing does not happen to you.Because somehow, despite the enormity of what you’ve taken on, it doesn’t feel like a recognised role. A respected role. Not in the way the world treats work. There’s no title. Status. Career path. No salary. Just you, doing the job every day, while the people around you move through careers that are culturally validated.Today I want to show you why I believe you’ve taken on a level of professional responsibility and weight that most people never will. I want to talk about why you probably don’t believe that right now, what affect that’s having on how you see yourself (and how you show up for your children), and how to step back and reframe your role. Your importance. Your value.I believe that what you’re doing deserves to be recognised as a *career-level responsibility*. And I also believe that once you see it that way, it will change your life.For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly research-backed episodes to help you design and live your best possible life outside school, sign up to my full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

For all of human history, childhood has been a time of preparation for an adulthood you could see, and understand, and picture yourself living.You could look ahead and see the kind of adult you were likely to become. You could picture the work you'd do, the way life would look, the shape it would take. Things would always get more modern, but between your childhood and your adulthood they didn’t change all that much. Not really.That has been true for every generation in human history. Until right now.Because now, for the first time in our history, children are growing up without a future they can clearly see. This is the impact AI has had on the world. We’re at a very significant turning point - one that anyone working in software or technology can see clearly, but one that most parents don’t yet fully understand.So, as someone with a platform like this that a lot of parents listen to - and as someone with access to the technology conversation that can sometimes feel a bit inaccessible - I believe I have a responsibility to lift our collective awareness of what the coming years are going to look like for our children.If you know my work, you’ll know I’m the furthest thing from alarmist and click-chasing. But I promise you - we’re facing a huge change to the world, and our children are not prepared.Please listen, and please share it with every parent you know.For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly research-backed episodes to help you design and live your best possible life outside school, sign up to my full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

In this episode, I’m unpacking one of the biggest questions home educating families face: how do I know this whole thing is actually working?I explore:Why the “gaps” in your child’s learning might be their greatest strength.How traditional benchmarks can (no, will) hold your child back.What real signs of growth and progress look like, and how to spot them.If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing your approach, or wondering if your child is learning enough without all the usual school structures, this episode will give you clarity, encouragement, and a completely new way of making sure you're on track.You'll find all my weekly episodes right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/tag/mini-episodes/And the episode I mention on genuinely preparing your kids for adulthood, here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/what-really-prepares-your-child-for-adulthood-because-academics-wont/

In this episode, I'm digging deep into what could be the most important commitments we make as home educators this year. I explore:How to confidently reject any and all expectations that don't serve your familyBuilding genuine confidence as your child's primary educatorBreaking free from the pressure to make learning look "educational"Setting goals that actually matter to your familyProtecting your own energy to create a sustainable journeyWhether you're feeling the weight of expectations at the start of this year, or you're ready to build a clearer, more intentional path forward - this one's for you. 🎯For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly mini-episodes covering all sorts of helpful things, sign up to the full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

In this episode, I’m digging deep into one of the biggest challenges facing homeschooling families today: finding balance with tech and screen time.I explore:What the latest research really says about the impact of screens on our kids (it's not as simple as 'good or bad').How to create screen-free boundaries that actually stick.How my family found our own balance with technology, and what you might want to borrow for your own.If you’re struggling to make screens a positive part of your life without them taking over, or want some help dialing your balance, this one's for you! 👏🏼For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly mini-episodes covering all sorts of helpful things, sign up to the full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/🎧 Get weekly episodes just like this one, delivered privately and ad-free. Join The Life Without School Collection → https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

In this episode, I spend some time examining three common perceptions that are unique to unschooling:That unschooling is 'unparenting'That unschooling will create lazy childrenAnd that unschooling means you have no rules or structure whatsoeverIt’s a super interesting discussion that leads us through areas like life rhythms, autonomy and motivation, and regardless of whether you’re unschooling or not I think you’ll find this episode really useful!For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly mini-episodes covering all sorts of helpful things, sign up to the full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/🎧 Get weekly episodes just like this one, delivered privately and ad-free. Join The Life Without School Collection → https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

In this episode, I'm sharing six ways you can overcome any feelings you have about not being 'enough' as a home educating parent. Not smart enough, organised enough, social enough, qualified enough...I wrote a post recently that started scratching at the surface of this. Today, we're digging deep.For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly mini-episodes covering all sorts of helpful things, sign up to the full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

In this episode I'm talking more about something this podcast was literally born from: the idea of children falling behind where they should be.First, I talk about how the world generally views progress in childhood, and why it’s so problematic and broken. And then second, I present a different view of that. A different idea of measurement and benchmarking and progress for our children.Wherever you are in your journey right now, I hope this way of looking at things brings you and your children some comfort, some reassurance, and some *confidence*.For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly mini-episodes covering all sorts of helpful things, sign up to the full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/

In this episode I'm going to do something that might feel a bit uncomfortable. But if we want to move education forward in any real meaningful way, the kind of thinking I’m about to take you through is incredibly important.I’m going to take some of the main questions that home educators are traditionally asked - some of the main worries people express when they hear you’re a home educating family - and then I’m very simply going to turn them around.I’m going to ask them of the formal education system that’s currently in place almost globally. And I’m going to put some pressure on that system to give us honest answers to those questions.I think you’ll find this conversation, and the questions it asks, both interesting and challenging - whether you’re home educating or not!For regular encouragement and support just like this, including weekly mini-episodes covering all sorts of helpful things, sign up to the full Life Without School Collection right here: https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/support-my-work-while-i-support-you/