Pam Laricchia's Blog, page 27
December 12, 2018
EU154: Unschooling Dads and Documentaries with Jeremy Stuart
Jeremy Stuart joins Pam for an engaging conversation about unschooling, documentaries, and life. Jeremy is an unschooling dad and video editor who also directed and co-produced the documentary film, Class Dismissed, which was released in 2015. Since then, it has been screened in more than 60 countries and translated into five languages. He’s now in the home stretch of producing a new documentary, Self-Taught, which looks at the question, “What happens when they become adults?”
Questions for Jeremy
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
What has surprised you most so far about how unschooling has unfolded in your lives?
In 2015, you released the wonderful documentary film, Class Dismissed. It’s the fascinating story of a family’s choice to pull their two children from school and the journey that follows as they take their children’s education into their own hands. What inspired you to tell this story?
I got goosebumps when, nearer the end of the film, the mom shared, “I think I’m starting to kind of let go and relax a little bit. I’m amazed at how much I’m learning now. It’s not that I have more opportunities to learn now, but I’m taking more opportunities to be part of learning and to engage with life in a more rich and fulfilling way.” It’s the return of curiosity for the parent, isn’t it? It’s like a re-awakening to the joy of learning and truly embracing that learning is not just for the kids—it’s a lifelong thing. Which, almost paradoxically, helps us better understand why this lifestyle is such great way for our kids to learn. That’s such a valuable step on the journey, isn’t it?
What is your favourite part of the film?
You’ve been working on a new documentary for a couple of years now, Self-Taught. Can you share what it’s about and the inspiration behind it?
You’re in the production home stretch right now and running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the final stages. Can you share a bit of information about the campaign and where people can check it out?
As an unschooling dad, what piece of advice would you like to share with dads who are considering or just starting out on this journey?
Links to things mentioned in the show
John Holt’s book, How Children Fail
Homeschool Association of California’s homeschooling conference
Jeremy’s first documentary, Class Dismissed
check out Jeremy’s Kickstarter campaign for Self-Taught
more info about the upcoming documentary, Self-Taught
Episode Transcript
December 5, 2018
EU153: Unschooling the Holidays with Pam and Anna
Anna Brown joins Pam to talk about navigating the holiday season through the lens of unschooling.
As we move into the holiday season, things can get challenging. Maybe you’re deep into deschooling and questioning everything—including holiday traditions—to see how well they really fit your family. Maybe you’re the lone unschooling family and anticipating uncomfortable visits with extended family as the holidays gear up. And then there’s the general stress that seems to build, both in the people around us and sometimes in ourselves, as we feel the growing weight of the expectations of the season—no matter how you celebrate.
Let’s talk about ways to bring more JOY to the season!
Discussion Points
First, I want to dive into the idea of holiday traditions. I remember that a-ha moment when I realized that I didn’t have to try to twist my family into all the holiday traditions that I—and my husband—grew up with. That everything was a choice—even around holiday traditions. It was another layer of deschooling for me and it felt so freeing! How has that perspective unfolded for you, Anna?
So, maybe there’s a holiday tradition in our extended family that doesn’t mesh well with us, yet they are expecting us to participate. Let’s chat about ways to navigate those kinds of situations.
Now, let’s say we have plans to visit with extended family. How can we set things up so it’s a fun experience?
Now we’re there—at our parent’s home, or our in-laws, or even a cousin’s place. Let’s talk about how can we support our children and their relationships with their relatives.
And finally, let’s brainstorm things we might do if, in the midst of our visit, someone decides to challenge us about our unschooling lifestyle.
Links to things mentioned in the show
Anna’s other podcast episodes: Ten Questions, Ordinary Unschooling, Diving into Parenting, and the Q&A episodes
Episode Transcript
November 28, 2018
EU152: Ten Questions with Vicky Bennison
Vicky Bennison and her husband always unschooled their two children—now young adults. I met Vicky years ago and we’ve stayed connected online ever since. We have a wonderful conversation diving into her unschooling journey, including what she found to be most challenging, the importance of being curious ourselves, what has surprised her most along the way, stretching her comfort zones, and lots more!
Questions for Vicky
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
What did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
What did you find to be the most challenging aspect of moving to unschooling?
What was your husband’s journey to unschooling like?
As you watched your children in action, what kind of things did you discover got in the way of their learning?
I think one of the challenges for parents as they move to unschooling is reawakening their own curiosity and wonder about the world. Did you find that to be a valuable aspect of unschooling?
What surprised you most about how unschooling unfolded in your lives?
Was there ever an interest or activity that one of your kids wanted to pursue that stretched your comfort zone? How did you move through that?
As your children have become young adults, have you found that your definition of “success” as a parent has changed since you began your unschooling journey?
Looking back, what has been the most valuable outcome from choosing unschooling?
Links to things mentioned in the show
Vicky mentioned the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents
Pam’s talk, A Family of Individuals
Vicky’s family business, Stick to the Story, is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
And you can find Vicky on Facebook
Episode Transcript
November 21, 2018
EU151: Escape Adulthood with Kim and Jason Kotecki
Kim and Jason Kotecki are unschooling their three children, and they are also the brains and the fun behind escapeadulthood.com! We have a fantastic conversation, diving into their journey to unschooling, how they got into the work of fighting adultitis, how encouraging people to see their days through a more child-like lens is remarkably similar to deschooling, the joy of bringing curiosity and imagination into our adult lives, how it all weaves together so beautifully with unschooling, and lots more!
Questions for Kim and Jason
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you guys discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
I really love your website, escapeadulthood.com, and your slogan, “Break free from the life you’ve been told to live. Create the life you were made for.” I think it describes deschooling in a nutshell! Deschooling is all about questioning many of the conventional so-called rules we’ve grown up with to see if they truly make sense and mesh with the life we want to live. I’d love to know the story behind how you guys chose to focus on this work.
In your book/journal, The Escape Plan, you make the point that this is about re-programming our grown-up selves to see life through a different lens. It’s about becoming more child-LIKE. I’d love to know some of the benefits that you guys have seen from recapturing the spirit of childhood and living your grown-up days through that lens. Why is this such a valuable shift to make?
Another unwritten rule is that curiosity and imagination is the playground of childhood. In one of your newsletters last month, you made a great case for why this isn’t so. We talk so much on the podcast about the value of curiosity for adults and children alike, I’d love if you could share that insight here.
From the outside looking in, your work encouraging people to create the life they were made for seems to weave together so beautifully with unschooling. Has that been your experience?
Many listeners are in the early stages of their unschooling journey and are in the midst of discovering the extent of the Adultitis epidemic. It’s like, once you see it, it can’t be unseen. To help get them started on the road to recover, can each of you share something fun they can try over the next few days to shake things up?
Links to things mentioned in the show
Kim and Jason’s website, escapeadulthood.com
Check out The Escape Plan, aka their guide to deschooling, with all 40 challenges listed
You can sign up for their weekly Insider email
You can also join their online community of Adultitis Fighters
You can find Sawyer Fredericks on Instagram and Facebook
Episode Transcript
November 14, 2018
EU150: Stories of an Unschooling Family with Sue Elvis
Sue Elvis and her husband Andy have eight children, seven living, ranging in age from 14 to 31. Sue hosts the podcast, Stories of an Unschooling Family, as well as a website and blog. We have a lovely conversation, diving into her family’s move to unschooling, the difference between unschooling and unparenting, how unschooling has grown into a lifestyle for the whole family, what has surprised her most along the way, and lots more!
Questions for Sue
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
I’d love to talk about the difference between unschooling and unparenting. You recently wrote a blog post on the topic and I was recently in a conversation where this misconception soon became obvious. How do you explain the difference?
What was the most challenging aspect for you as you gradually embraced unschooling?
You also host a podcast, Stories of an Unschooling Family, and in a recent episode you and your daughter Sophie chatted about another unschooling misconception: that it means drifting aimlessly through your days. In contrast, what has been your family’s experience?
One of the fascinating things for me about unschooling was how it soon grew into a way of life for the whole family—it became intricately woven into every aspect of our lives. I’d love to hear a story about how you’ve seen the unschooling mindset weave into your adult lives—you or your husband.
What has surprised you most about your family’s unschooling journey?
Links to things mentioned in the show
Registration for the Childhood Redefined Unschooling Summit closes Tuesday November 20
Sue’s podcast, Stories of an Unschooling Family
Sue’s website and blog storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com
John Holt’s Growing Without Schooling magazine archive
Suzie Andres’ books, Homeschooling with Gentleness and A Little Way of Homeschooling
Sue’s blog post about the difference between unschooling and unparenting
Sue’s podcast episode about the idea of a balanced and productive unschool life
Episode Transcript
November 7, 2018
EU149: Deschooling with Tatiana Plechenko
Tatiana Plechenko is an unschooling mom with two children. I met Tatiana online pretty early in her unschooling journey and then had the pleasure of connecting with her in person a few times at unschooling events. We have a really fun conversation, diving into her deschooling experience, including her most challenging area, how her relationships with her kids have changed, what has surprised her most, her favourite thing right now, and lots more!
Questions for Tatiana
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
What was the most challenging area of deschooling for you? How did you work through it?
Can you share a bit about your husband’s journey? Was this style of parenting and learning all new for him?
How has your relationship with your children changed since you began unschooling?
What has surprised you most about your journey so far?
What’s your favourite thing about your unschooling days right now?
Links to things mentioned in the show
registration is now OPEN for the Childhood Redefined Unschooling Summit
Naomi Aldort’s book, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves
Pam’s email series became a free book: What is Unschooling?
Ryan Holiday’s book, The Obstacle is the Way
Tatiana’s blog, soulfulconnections.ca and her Facebook page
Episode Transcript
October 31, 2018
EU148: The Value of Relationships for Learning
When I began unschooling my three children in 2002, it wasn’t long before I came across the idea that strong relationships with my children were essential for unschooling—and learning in general—to thrive. At first, I thought, sure, that’s a worthwhile goal, but what exactly does that have to do with their learning? That became clear over the next months and years as I continued to question the conventional wisdom around parenting and how children learn. So, let’s explore why connected and trusting relationships with our children lie at the heart of their learning.
The Value of Relationships for Learning is a talk I originally wrote for the Canadian Online Homeschool Conference and I’m excited to share it with you guys now!
Episode Transcript
October 24, 2018
EU147: Unschooling as Flow with Robyn Robertson
Robyn Robertson is an unschooling mom with two children and host of the podcast, Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids. We have wonderful conversation, diving into her family’s early travels, their move to unschooling, figuring out what unschooling looks like for them, her favourite thing about the flow of their unschooling days, and lots more!
Questions for Robyn
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
When your kids were young, you and your husband decided to embrace travel. How did that come about?
My understanding is that you guys began homeschooling while travelling because it made sense. How did you eventually discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
When we were emailing before the call, you described unschooling as being more about the flow of your family. I loved that and would like to dive into that idea. Let’s start with the challenge of defining unschooling in the first place. In unschooling circles it’s pretty common to hear that unschooling looks different for different families. And on one hand, the freedom of that is great! But on the other, it doesn’t help much if you’re newer to the idea of unschooling and trying to figure out what it does look like. What did that part of the journey look like for you?
Something that I eventually came to find fascinating about unschooling is how the flow of our days changes over time. Like the flow of a river changes over time. Has that been your experience?
What’s your favourite thing about the flow of your unschooling days right now?
You host the podcast, ‘Honey! I’m Homeschooling the Kids.’ I’d love to hear the story behind that project!
Links to things mentioned in the show
Robyn’s website, home to her podcast, Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids: imhomeschooling.com
Pam was a guest on Robyn’s podcast, back in episode five, titled, Exploring Unschooling
Robyn’s active on Instagram, with both Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids and her personal account
Episode Transcript
October 17, 2018
EU146: Common First Questions About Unschooling with Sue Patterson
Sue Patterson, a long-time unschooling mom with three now-adult children, continues to encourage and support unschooling parents through her website and Facebook group, UnschoolingMom2Mom. In this episode, we have a great time tackling some of the common questions people ask when they are first exploring unschooling.
Questions for Sue
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
Let’s dive into some of the common questions people ask when they are first exploring unschooling. Isn’t this just for religious people or super crunchy people?
Am I going to make my kid weird?
Am I ruining their future chances of success?
What if we get on each others’ nerves spending all this time together?
Do we have to commit to unschooling everything right away? Can we get into it slowly and see what happens?
Links to things mentioned in the show
Sue’s earlier podcast appearance, EU003: Unschooling Teens with Sue Patterson
Pam’s book, The Unschooling Journey
Mary Griffith’s books, The Unschooling Handbook and The Homeschooling Handbook
Susan Schaeffer Macaulay’s book, For the Children’s Sake
Sue’s book, Homeschooled Teens: 75 Young People Speak About Their Lives Without School
Sue’s UnschoolingMom2Mom website, Facebook page, Facebook group, and Instagram
Sue’s personal website, suepatterson.com and her Patreon
Episode Transcript
October 10, 2018
EU145: Healing and Unschooling with Caren Knox
Caren Knox is a long-time unschooling mom who found that, while she has been in and out of therapy over the years, nothing has been more impactful and life-changing for her than becoming a good unschooling mom. We dive into her family’s move to unschooling, when her healing journey began, her healing process and what she found helpful, how she wove healing into their unschooling days, and lots more.
Questions for Caren
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
What was most interesting a-ha moment for you as you were deschooling?
I’d love to dive into our topic of healing and unschooling. Was your healing something you were working on before you began unschooling, or was it a need you discovered as part of your unschooling journey?
You mentioned to me that you’ve been in and out of therapy and have explored many types of healing modalities. Can you share a bit about that process and what you’ve found to be helpful?
How did you weave your healing work into your family’s unschooling days?
Looking back now, what do you most appreciate now about choosing unschooling?
Episode Transcript
coming soon
