Just living and learning
Thursday morning began gloriously. The weather was beautiful and, for the first time in a couple of weeks, there were no activities to drive anyone to. The day's plan amounted to baking bread then, after lunch, picking up Belle, the dog we walk, and heading with her to the beach for a swim. I got... Continue Reading →
I realised, when my oldest son was just a baby, that following his rhythm was infinitely easier than attempting to impose anything of my own. It felt right and it also felt just a bit lazy. Occasionally, I would try for something a little more orderly, influenced perhaps by all the people I knew whose... Continue Reading →
One of the most profound shifts I have experienced over these years has been in my understanding of neurodiversity. As with just about everything else, moving away from a mainstream perspective has allowed me to relax into living and observing life in a way that is both far more nuanced and far simpler at the... Continue Reading →
For no particular reason, today felt like a perfect day. E headed out early for a drama workshop, D got up later and was busy with the things that are occupying his mind right now—coding, watching a Catalan satire programme, learning Korean, some business ideas—passing the time until his activities start up again next week.... Continue Reading →
My guest this episode is Naomi Fisher. Naomi is a clinical psychologist and mother of two. Her children were unschooled for six years and now attend a self-directed learning centre. Naomi has just published a wonderful book about self-directed learning, entitled Changing our Minds, which explores the theory and research behind autonomous learning, alongside lots of... Continue Reading →
My daughter was never a fan of busy playgrounds. For a couple of years, from when she was around three years old, she preferred the local dog park (we didn't have a dog). This was essentially a dusty enclosure with a couple of benches and a water fountain, in the centre of the Spanish town... Continue Reading →
