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The Unschool Space
Unschooling isn't just about education, it's a life choice! For most parents, embracing unschooling requires some serious unravelling of old paradigms around parenting, learning and childhood, and that can be both challenging and exhilarating.
Join me, Esther Jones, a mindful parenting coach and unschooling mother-of-three, as I take a look at the many opportunities for reflection that naturally arise in an unschooling home. Each episode, I chat with other parents about their family’s experiences.
From self-care, neurodiversity and mindfulness, to how to live consensually and trust our children, this podcast is here to help parents navigate the everyday challenges so they're free to create a healthy, nourishing and enriching space for themselves and their family.
Thanks for listening!
Join my mailing for regular offerings and updates at: www.esther-jones.com
or get in touch with me at:
contact@esther-jones.com.
Instagram: @_esther.jones
Facebook:@theunschoolspace
Episodes
78 episodes
#78 When unschooling is a healing journey, with Essie Richards in Cornwall, UK
In this episode I'm chatting with Essie Richards from Cornwall in the UK. Essie’s family came to unschooling nine years ago after realising that school was not a place where their childre, who were 8 and 11 could thrive. Later, Essie began an A...
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53:57
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#77 Following the golden threads, with Shannon Stoltz in Houston, Texas
I am very happy to be chatting in this episode with Shannon Stolz from Texas. Shannon has four children who are now all in their 20s. Shannon describes how in their early years, as their dad wasn’t yet onboard with unschooling, they would have ...
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Season 1
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Episode 77
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50:47
#76 Life and learning alongside John Holt, with Pat Farenga in Massachusetts, US
INTROI'm chatting in this episode with Pat Farenga from Massachusetts. Pat is the father of three now adult unschooled daughters, and he worked with the late John Holt—the New York Educator who coined the term unschooling and wrot...
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Season 1
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Episode 76
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46:42
#75 Following our own rhythms—unschooling with PDA, with Rose from Oxfordshire, UK
In this episode, I'm chatting with Rose from Oxfordshire in the UK. Rose lives with her husband and her six-year-old son who is Autistic PDA. They chose not to send him to school, realising that it was just not an environment that could work fo...
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Season 1
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Episode 75
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56:38
#74 Connection, understanding and creating our own paths, with Coralie Steadman in Cambridgeshire, UK
My guest today is Coralie who lives in Cambridgeshire with her partner and two children who are 9 and 5. Coralie’s own experiences of school made her realise that life and learning need to feel meaningful and driven by our own unique passions a...
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Season 1
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Episode 74
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49:32
#73 Allowing our children to be who they are, with April Scully in South Carolina
My guest today is April Scully. April is a former teacher, who is originally from Toronto but now lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children who are 6 and 9. We talk about how doing well at school doesn’t necessarily help us know...
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Season 1
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Episode 73
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50:48
#72 Unschooling and PDA—connection, patience and safety, with Helen Stuart, Rochdale, UK
Today I’m chatting with Helen Stuart of Rochdale in the UK. Helen lives with her husband and between them have six children. Although the older five children had challenges at school, it wasn’t until their 7-year-old daughter who is Autistic PD...
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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45:12
#71 Consent-based living and learning, with Alice Bramhill in Nottingham, UK
My guest today is Alice Bramhill, a psychotherapist from Nottingham in the UK, who lives with her husband and two sons who are ten and 13. They went to mainstream school until six years ago, then after trying a Steiner school for six months, fi...
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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49:11
#70 A journey to authenticity, with Dr Nicole Vito, in California
Today, I’m chatting with Nicole Vito who lives in California with her husband and 6-year-old daughter. Nicole describes how she began to question how we rush children when her daughter was just two, realising that everything that needed to happ...
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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44:40
#69 From burnout to thriving, with Lizzie in Hampshire, UK
My guest today is Lizzie, who lives with her husband and three children, aged 8, 9 and 12 in Hampshire in the UK. Lizzie’s family came to unschooling three years ago when their youngest son, who is diagnosed Autistic PDA was in burnout af...
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54:55
#68 Unschooling and neurodiversity—the power of community and keeping our own balance, with Melissa Crockett-Joyoue in New Zealand
Today I'm chatting with Melissa Crockett-Joyoue from New Zealand. Melissa was on the podcast about two years ago, so it’s great to catch up with her again. Melissa and her partner have two neurodivergent children, who are now 6 and 9 and they c...
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Season 1
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Episode 68
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52:44
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#67 A journey back to ourselves, with Francine Wise in Kent, UK
My guest today is Francine Wise. Francine lives in Kent in the UK with her husband and two daughters, who are 8 and 6. They chose this route when their eldest daughter was four years old and school just didn’t feel right. Francine tells us abou...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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48:34
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#66 From Silicon Valley to roadschooling, with Stacey Yates Sellar in Scotland
I’m chatting today with Stacey Yates Sellar, a Conscious Parenting Coach and author of Conscious Parenting Your ADHD Child. Stacey and her husband have two boys, who are 13 and 10. Until four years ago, they lived and worked in California, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 66
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45:07
#65 Helping our children follow their joy, with Melissa Miles McCarter in Missouri, US
Today, my guest is Melissa Miles McCarter, who lives in Missouri with her husband and her 8-year-old daughter Willakate. Melissa worked as a college professor and chose not to put her daughter in school, realising that it wasn’t a system she wo...
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44:49
#64 Living, learning and healing, with Linsey, in the East Midlands, UK
My guest today is Linsey, who lives in the UK with her partner and three children who are 10, 6 and 1 and a half. Her family’s journey to unschooling started when they decided to take their eldest son out of school after two years extremely dif...
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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49:22
#63 Finding our balance, embracing rest, and lots of self-compassion, with Claire Windmill in Devon, UK
Today I’m chatting with Claire Windmill who lives in Devon in the UK with her husband and two children, who are seven and nine. Claire was a social worker and early years teacher and is now a parenting mentor and coach. She shares how her famil...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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52:20
#62 Trusting our children, and learning to value rest and play, with Robyn Tamlin-Lea in New Zealand
My guest today is Robyn Tamlin-Lea. Robyn is South African but now lives in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand, with her husband and two children who are seven and three and a half. Robyn took her daughter out of school when she saw that already ...
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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46:45
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#61 Honouring our children and learning to let go, with Danii Oliver in Texas
This episode, I’m chatting with Danii Oliver, who lives in Texas with her husband and two children who are almost 6 and 11. Danii shares her story of leaving New York City behind in search of something new for and her and family, and to live a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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46:45
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#60 Unschooling and playful living, with Heidi Steel in West Sussex, UK
In this episode. I’m delighted to chat with Heidi Steel who was first on the podcast in 2021. Heidi is a former teacher and has four children who are 16, 15, 12 and 9 and who have never been to school. Heidi shares what unschooling looks like f...
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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44:50
#59 Four of the most-asked questions I get about unschooling, with Esther Jones
Once in a while it felt like it could be helpful to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions that I get. Of course, every family is completely different, so if any of these questions or worries are relevant to you, you might wa...
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28:38
#58 Unravelling our own stories to raise empowered children, with Adrienne Miller in Vancouver
My guest today is Adrienne Miller who lives in Vancouver with her husband and three children who are 10, 7 and 4. Adrienne was a teacher, and realised when her oldest child turned school age that it wasn’t a choice they wanted for him. After gr...
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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53:17
#57 Embracing the ease of natural learning, with Julie Walter in Ontario, Canada
In this episode, I’m chatting with Julie Walter from Ontario, Canada. Julie has three children who are 9, 11 and 13 and have never been to school. As a former teacher, Julie talks about how impacted she was by the differences between the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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52:43
#56 Older unschoolers and the value of practising being yourself, with Missy Willis in North Carolina
My guest today is Missy Willis from Charlotte, North Carolina. Missy is a former teacher who lives with her husband and two children, who are now 21 and 16. They chose to unschool when their eldest child reached school age as it felt like a bet...
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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52:39
#55 Deschooling and moving beyond our limiting beliefs, with Lucy Aitkenread in New Zealand
In this episode, I'm chatting with Lucy Aitkenread. Lucy is originally from the UK, but 10 years ago, set off travelling with her partner Tim, and their two young daughters. They settled in New Zealand, which is where they live now. Their...
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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51:10
#54 Nature, freedom and slowing down, with Ruth Macallan in Zambia
Today, my guest is Ruth Macallan. Originally from Edinburgh, Ruth now lives for most of the year in Zambia with her husband and her two children, who are 2 and 5. We talk about what Ruth’s child-led days look like, what it means to allow a chil...
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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53:45
