When I first heard the term child-led learning I thought it was wonderful. Letting children take the lead in their learning was a new and exciting concept for me 8 years ago. But in the past few years, that phrase started to bother me. I want my kids to be self-directed learners. I want their…
Tag: Interests
Why You Shouldn’t Ask Your Kids “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?”
Have you ever asked your children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question most kids are asked at one time or another. And I think most adults mean well when they ask this question. When we ask that question, we’re really implying that our children aren’t doing anything important…
The ABCs of Our Not Kindergarten Year
This afternoon I had a few quiet hours to write while the kids when to their grandparents’ house to earn some money. Right now they’re very interested in things they can do to earn money, so their grandparents offered to give them a few jobs to do. So, as I started to write, it hit…
My May Unschooling Fun & Resources
What a month! Lots of new games, fun trips to thrift stores and a few places visited. I’m gearing up for the next three months that will be heavy on travel, going places with friends and family, and taking advantage of all the festivals and other fun free programs that take place during the summer…
10 Out-of-the-Ordinary Summer Activities
Summer is almost here! We have exactly three weeks left until the first official day of summer. I’m sure you have a lot of great summer fun already planned. You probably have things like swimming, hanging at friends’ houses, parks and beaches on your list. If you’re looking for a few more ideas…. Here are…
10 Memorial Day Activities to do with your Family
Next Monday in the United States, we’ll be celebrating Memorial Day. For many children and families, it can simply mean a day off of school and work. But it can also be so much more than that. It’s a perfect time to introduce ideas and concepts to your kids that they might not have considered…
Why Kids Need to Take More Risks Not Less
One day last summer I took the kids to a nearby park. I was enjoying a rare moment of reading alone when I heard a woman gasp. I glanced up at her, and she looked over at me with a scared look on her face. “Oh my goodness! Is that your son?” she asked. I…
How and Why We Monitor Screen Time
A few people have asked me questions in the past few months about our rules about screen time in our family. It’s a tricky subject and one that I’ve had to think about for awhile. It’s been hard for me to come up with a concrete, simple answer because we don’t have any hard and…
Chasing Rabbit Trails…and Finding Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite books when I was about 8 or 9. I’d sit by myself in the attic, reading it out loud, and acting out the story. I’d line up stuffed animals to be the Mad Hatter and the Door Mouse. I’d push two chairs close together and jump down…
A Year in the Life of an Interest-Led Learner 2011-12 (video)
Each month I share with you the activities and resources our family uses on our interest-led, unschooling journey. But I don’t usually share pictures of my family. It’s not that I don’t want to share. I do. It’s just that I decided the major focus of this site will be to talk about ways we…