The Unschool Space

• #86 Putting our children's mental health and happiness first, with Lizz Mears in Dorset, UK

  In this episode I am chatting with Lizz Mears from Dorset in the UK. Lizz has two children, who are  21 and 13. After many difficult school years that took their toll on her older child’s mental health and on her own, Lizz chose to take her younger child out of school when she was unable to cope with the move to secondary. Amongst lots of other things, we talk about how they transitioned from a more curriculum style learning to unschooling, and the challenges that come with letting go of how we think learning should look. We talk about why our children’s mental health has to be the most important part in all of this, the courage it can take to walk away from a system that doesn’t work for you and why that can be healing for everyone. Connect with Lizz:https://linktr.ee/Lizzmears https://www.ndparentrevolution.com You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: @_esther.jonesFacebook:@theunschoolspace

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• #85 Slowing it all right down, with Ruth Macallan in Zambia

  My guest today is Ruth Macallan, who I also chatted with in episode 54. Ruth is originally from the UK but she and her family live for most of the year in Zambia where her husband runs an NGO. Today, amongst other things, we talk about boredom and how to help our children navigate those tricky moments, and we talk about the huge value in just slowing down and enjoying the present moment. And, Ruth tells us about their unschooling life in Zambia. I hope you enjoy the conversation.Connect with Ruth on InstagramYou can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: @_esther.jonesFacebook:@theunschoolspace

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• #84 Intentional living and learning in the Canadian Boreal Forest, with Erin Cummings in Ontario

  My guest this episode is Erin Cummings. Erin grew up in Ottawa and now lives with her husband who is of the indigenous Métis community and their three young sons, in the boreal forest in Treaty 3 Territory of Northwest Ontario. Here they live on a 200-acre piece of land where they farm, own livestock and are building their family home. Erin talks about their choice of living an intentionally simple life which centres on their relationships with each other and with the land, and of her experiences as a school teacher. And we chat about how important our own happiness and fulfilment is as parents, and why embracing our own interest is a wonderful model for our children and a far more satisfying way to live. I hope you enjoy the conversation!See here for more information about the Métis NationYou can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: @_esther.jonesFacebook:@theunschoolspace

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• #83 Redefining success and learning to trust our children, with Dana Huraimi in Dubai

  Today, I am with Dana Huraimi. Dana is Palestinian and grew up in Kuwait and Jordan. She now lives in Dubai with her husband and two sons who are almost 10 and 13. Today we talk about Dana’s deschooling journey, how she is letting go of her conditioning around education, learning and what success looks like. We talk about how she sees natural learning unfold in such different ways in her two children, and why compliance is not what we need to be cultivating for a better world. And we talk about the challenges of choosing this way of life in a culture which is heavily school-centred. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Follow Dana on Instagram You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: @_esther.jonesFacebook:@theunschoolspace

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• #82 Slowing down and watching life and learning unfold. With Fiona Sim in Scotland

  This episode I am with Fiona Sim who is from Scotland. Fiona lives with her husband who is from Lithuania, and their two daughters who are 3 and 6. This is their first official year of home education since their older daughter would have started school last September. We talk about how easy it is to overplan the days, and how good it can feel to let go of the busyness and just embrace the gift of time. And we talk about that other big learning edge of working out when we should step in and when we should hold back. And, Fiona shares how profoundly this way of life has changed her.Connect with Fiona on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_fionasim/You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: @_esther.jonesFacebook:@theunschoolspace

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