Podcasts have been instrumental in my deschooling journey. They have calmed anxieties – especially in the early days – and introduced me to so many new ideas and incredible people. We wouldn’t be where we are in our journey without them. Listening to a podcast in the car, or when I’m walking on my own or doing chores, remains one of my most used self-care and personal learning practices.
Here are my favourites…
Honey I’m Homeschooling the Kids
The Honey I’m Homeschooling the Kids podcast from Robyn Robertson has introduced me to more people, experts, authors and generally inspiring figures in the unschooling and alternative education world than anything else. The episodes are often interview style and provide a place to hear from others on similar journeys following their passions, and from experts in the fields of education, learning and parenting.
Robyn is herself parenting two unschoolers, now a teen and a tween, so she really gets it.
Unschooling Mom2Mom
The Unschooling Mom2Mom podcast from Sue Patterson provides short pep talks for homeschooling and unschooling parents. She covers a variety of topics, from What Is Strewing? through Unschooling A Teen to Avoiding Holiday Stress. All episodes are less than 10 minutes long so they are super easy to fit into your week and extremely reassuring.
Sue is Mom to 3 grown unschoolers and has been active in the homeschooling/ unschooling community for nearly 25 years. She has so much knowledge to share, and not just from her own experiences.
Fare of the Free Child
The Fare of the Free Child podcast from Akilah S. Richards centers Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color in liberatory living and learning practices, with a particular interest in unschooling and the Self-Directed Education movement.
It’s a must listen for working on deschooling and decolonizing your mindset and I have learnt so much from it.
Life Without School
The Life Without School podcast from Issy of the Stark Raving Dad blog is a newer one that I am really enjoying. With a family of unschoolers in New Zealand, Issy’s tag-line is “[to] help you and your children live the life you want to, not just the one you’re told you should”. I love that Issy does talk about different things working for different families. I find the episodes inspiring even if I don’t agree with 100% of what they do.
Homeschool Together
The Homeschool Together podcast is a new one I’ve found – and have now been interviewed on myself (episode 175).
Ariel and Matt are a working mom and a stay at home dad, secular homeschoolers with a focus on early learners and gameschooling, with episodes a mix of their own discussions and interviews that introduce different topics. The short bites episodes on specific games and books have been helpful to me in deciding what board game to get next!
***edited to add***
Rethinking Self-Directed Education
Rethinking Self-Directed Education is a BRAND new podcast from Bria Bloom of the Alliance for Self Directed Education and PDX Flying Squad , and David Jacobo, also of PDX Flying Squad .
The first episode is a conversation on ‘Parents, Teachers, and Society: who’s influencing our sense of self?’ And it was a lovely listen. Felt more like sitting in on a natural conversation than anything else. But with really cool people! I look forward to hearing what they do with this!
