The School Year Is Starting Without Us—Why Does It Feel So Weird? | 224

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1. 

   S6 · E229 · 15 Sep 2026 · 13 min

   What the Homeschool Socialization Question Misses | 229

   Everyone asks, “But what about socialization?” Usually, they mean: Will your child have friends? But sometimes they’re asking something much bigger: Without school, who will teach your child how to fit in? And that raises a question we rarely stop to ask: What kind of socialization are children actually getting at school—and is all of it something we want to recreate? Because spending every day with same-age peers doesn’t teach children only how to make friends. It also teaches them about po...

2. 

   S6 · E228 · 8 Sep 2026 · 10 min

   You Don’t Need Curriculum to Make Learning Happen | 228

   Looking for fun homeschooling ideas that don’t require curriculum? Discover how unschooling and strewing help children learn naturally through everyday activities and interests. Your September Calendar is ready for you! In this episode, Sue explores how learning can weave through playful September possibilities—from making Rice Krispie treats to investigating rabbits or noticing the changing daylight around the Autumn Equinox. She explains how strewing introduces interesting ideas without ass...

3. 

   S6 · E227 · 3 Sep 2026 · 12 min

   How to Stay Confident About Unschooling—Before a Crisis Hits | 227

   Looking for unschooling support that will help you stay confident without adding another overwhelming plan or curriculum to your life? In this episode, Sue Patterson explains how a simple daily “unschooling workout” can protect your confidence from the school-centered messages surrounding you. You’ll hear: Why unschooling confidence can disappear even when everything is going wellHow school expectations gradually creep back into our thinkingWhy you shouldn’t wait for a crisis to reconnect wit...

4. 

   S6 · E226 · 25 Aug 2026 · 9 min

   Six Months Ago, I Tried An Unschooling Experiment | 226

   Daily unschooling support can help homeschooling parents build confidence before doubts, comparisons, and outside pressure take over. Six months ago, I created a small Daily Support app as an experiment. Those one- or two-minute morning voice notes became something much more useful than I expected. In this episode, I’m sharing: Why brief, daily support can have such a powerful impactHow unschooling confidence can quietly erode when life gets busyWhy we shouldn’t wait for a crisis to reconnect...

5. 

   S6 · E225 · 21 Aug 2026 · 6 min

   School Refusal: A Mom-to-Mom Reframe When Your Kid Is Miserable | 225

   My Kid Won't Go Back to School — What If We Didn't Make Them? Every school-refusal article this week says the same thing: watch for the warning signs, then find gentler ways to get your kid back in the building. But what if that's not the only option? In this episode, Sue talks — mom to mom — about the real question underneath the panic of school refusal: not "how do I get compliance," but "what if my kid's distress is actually information worth listening to?" Sue shares her own story o...

6. 

   S6 · E223 · 13 Aug 2026 · 13 min

   My Child Isn’t Going Back to School—Now What? | 223

   Is your child not going back to school? Here’s how to start homeschooling—or explore unschooling—without rushing into curriculum or recreating school at home. Once you’ve made the decision to leave school, a new worry often moves in: What are we supposed to do now? In this episode, Sue Patterson shares five practical ways to begin: Handle your state’s legal requirements without mistaking them for an educational planConsider what your child may need to recover from after leaving schoolAvoid le...

7. 

   S6 · E222 · 30 Jul 2026 · 10 min

   The Cons of Unschooling: Where Homeschooling Parents Need to Pivot | 222

   A recent Parents.com article explaining the pros and cons of unschooling raises an important question: Are these really problems with unschooling—or signs that we’re still defining learning through a school lens? In this episode, Sue Patterson looks at the concerns raised about basic skills, parental involvement, free time, and schedules—and explores where homeschooling parents may need to pivot. Are children really learning only when they’re completing lessons? Does making them study subject...

8. 

   S6 · E221 · 27 Jul 2026 · 5 min

   Unschooling Course or Resource Library: Which One Fits You? #221

   Would an unschooling course you can work through step by step—or a library of resources you can pull from when you need them—fit you better? Some unschooling parents want a clear path they can follow from beginning to end. Others want trusted help waiting for them when questions about deschooling, technology, math, or doing enough appear. In this short episode, Sue explains the difference between two kinds of self-paced unschooling support: • The Unschooling Starter Bundle—with Unschoolin...

9. 

   S6 · E220 · 24 Jul 2026 · 11 min

   Maybe Timelines Are Why Unschooling Feels So Hard | 220

   Why does it feel like unschooling isn’t working—even when you can see learning happening? The problem may be the school timelines you’re still using to measure your child. Many homeschooling and unschooling parents worry that their children aren’t reading, doing math, becoming independent, or preparing for the future soon enough. We may have left school behind, but its milestones can still shape how we define progress—and turn ordinary uncertainty into fear. In this episode, Sue looks at why ...

10. 

    S6 · E219 · 16 Jul 2026 · 14 min

    Is My Child Behind? Or Am I Using the Wrong Timeline? | 219

    Is your child really behind... or are you comparing them to the wrong timeline? When we leave school, do we have to carry the school's timeline with us? Doesn't the freedom to learn outside a classroom give us a different way to measure growth? In this episode, we're exploring one of the most common fears homeschooling and unschooling parents face: the worry that their child is falling behind. But before we answer that question, I want to challenge the assumptions behind it. If you've ever fo...