Anna Brown and Erika Ellis join me again this week to dive into listener questions! We talk about navigating a dyslexia/dysgraphia diagnosis, sharing unschooling information and parenting ideas with grandparent caregivers, and the mental overwhelm that can occur at the beginning of the deschooling journey.
As always, our Q&A conversations aren’t focused on giving anyone the “right” answer, because there isn’t a universal “right” answer for any given situation that will work for everyone. Instead, our focus is on exploring different aspects of the situation and playing with the kinds of questions we might ask ourselves to better understand what’s up. We’re sharing food for thought through the lens of unschooling.
Click here to submit your question for a future Q&A episode
Question Summaries
Our first question is a quick one. The listener is wondering how to report to the state as an unschooler.
Our second question is concerning a dyslexia and dysgraphia diagnosis. The listener wonders how to approach the recommended tutoring plan if the child doesn’t have any interest.
Our third question comes from the parents of a one-year-old who is regularly cared for by both sets of grandparents. They wonder how they should approach sharing what they’ve learned about unschooling with the grandparents and what to do when their parenting approaches clash.
Our final question is from Brittany, who is brand-new to unschooling. She is feeling ungrounded with all of her swirling thoughts and wanting some “me time.”
Podcast Update
I mention this in my intro, but want to share it here too. I’m going to be changing up the podcast, at least for the next while.
I have some projects that I want to free up some time to work on. Things like producing and releasing audiobook editions of my books, and actually publishing the book I shared on the podcast a few months ago to celebrate reaching episode 300.
So, for now, the podcast is going on a bit of an hiatus. That doesn’t mean it’s ending though! There is such a rich library of incredible content that so many newer listeners haven’t yet had the chance to hear. And the podcast audience continues to grow. Over the last month there have been 7,689 unique listeners from 60 different countries. That’s wonderful!
So, I’m still going release an episode every week, but many will be curated from the archive. That said, sometimes there will be new episodes. Surprise! For example, you’ll still be able to submit questions for Q&A episodes and as we get new questions, Anna, Erika and I will record and release new Q&A episodes. Those are definitely listener favorites. I’ll probably put together and release some compilation episodes, inspired by questions I’m receiving. Maybe more unschooling in context episodes. And I do have some interviews scheduled over the next month that will also come out. But, for now, I’ll be creating and releasing them when they bubble up in the flow, versus having a strict ‘new episode every week’ schedule.
And I’m excited to be reviewing and curating amazing episodes from the library to share with you! As I’ve mentioned before, even if you heard the episode when it first came out, it can be so valuable to listen again. You’ve grown and changed since then, and with your now more experienced lens, I’m almost certain you’ll make new connections, deepening your understanding of unschooling and of yourself. And if you haven’t yet heard the episode, you’re in for a treat.
Things mentioned in the episode
Submit your own question for a future Q&A episode
blog post: “Learning to Write is About Communicating”
EU317: Unschooling in Context (Boundaries, Comfort Zones, and Capacity)
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
EU324: Open and Queerious with Ellie Winicour
blog posts: “What to Do Instead of School, Part 1” and “What to Do Instead of School, Part 2”
EU201: Unschooling and Self Care with Erika Ellis
Episode transcript
Video
The Living Joyfully Network community
The Network is a wonderful online community for parents to connect and engage in candid conversations about living and learning through the lens of unschooling. Our shared goals are to embrace lifelong learning, develop strong and connected relationships with our children, and cultivate a thriving unschooling lifestyle in our families.
This month, our theme is Embracing Beginner’s Mind and we’re exploring it through the lenses of release and explore.
If you’re curious to learn more, click here!
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I deeply appreciate all my patrons. Your generous support helps pay for the hosting and transcription, as well as my time spent creating new episodes each week. It’s instrumental in keeping the podcast archive freely available to anyone who’s curious and wants to explore the fascinating world of unschooling. If you’d like to join my community of patrons and scoop up some great rewards along the way, check out the Exploring Unschooling page on Patreon.
... an online resource for parents who are curious about unschooling. If you're passionate about exploring the world with your children, this site is for you. I'm Pam Laricchia, the author and owner of this site. Thanks for inviting me along on your unschooling journey!
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