EU276: Unschooling Q&A with Sue Patterson, Part 1
Sue Patterson joins me this week to dive into listener questions! And I’m sure it’ll surprise nobody that our conversation went long, so I’ve split it into two episodes—three questions each.
A quick reminder, these Q&A conversations aren’t about giving anyone a “right” answer. We can’t know that because we don’t intimately know the real people involved. And there probably isn’t just one “right”? answer anyway—we can get where we’d like to go through many different paths. Rather, our conversations are about contemplating the situation from the different perspectives of those involved, through the lens of our unschooling experience. It’s kinda like tilling the soil around the question with an eye to helping not only the questioner, but anyone listening find a connection to their lives, or help them better understand how unschooling works.?
So, whether the situation applies to you directly or not, I encourage you to listen with an open and curious mind. Let it all bubble away for a while—the questions asked, our thoughts, your thoughts—and see what connections and insights might spark for you.
Question Summaries
Since we live in a location that requires reporting, how can I keep track of academic requirements without it affecting our unschooling?
I’m uncomfortable with my children having unlimited screen time. What should I do if I’m not comfortable with the idea of being a “radical” unschooler?
I have a lot of fear about online safety and tend to want to control my kids to protect them. How can I create a more positive, supportive environment for them to explore while I work on my fears?
Things mentioned in the episode
Sue is the founder of Unschooling Mom2Mom, check out her website, her new podcast, and her course for new unschoolers
Two of Sue’s children have been on the podcast, Katie Patterson and Alyssa Patterson
The Facebook group, What my unschooler is learning when …
Evernote, note-capturing software
Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn
Pam’s article, Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Video Games
When Your Kids Push Your Buttons by Bonnie Harris
EU275: Stories with Anna Brown, last week’s podcast episode
Economics of TV Watching in Children by Pam Sorooshian
EU240: Kids Are Capable with Anna Brown podcast episode
Transcript
Video
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