Unschooling Mom2Mom

Summer has a funny way of making homeschooling parents feel like they should have a plan. Even unschooling parents can start worrying about filling the time, finding a routine, or doing... more.

Being between one school year and the next can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Maybe it's the extra space.

In this episode, we're exploring why those in-between seasons make us want to rush into decisions—to buy something, fix somethin...

When your kid won't get off screens, even a simple request can quickly turn into a battle. 

Many homeschooling and unschooling parents find themselves caught in this frustrating pattern. What starts as "time for dinner" or "we need to leave" suddenly becomes an argument, leaving everyone wondering why it escalated so quickly.

In this episode, Sue Patterson explores why screen time battles happen, what children experience when th...

What if fear is influencing more of your homeschooling decisions than you realize?

When we're anxious about our children's future, it's easy to mistake fear for wisdom and urgency for insight.

In this episode, Sue Patterson explores how fear can cloud our judgment, shape our homeschooling decisions, and make it difficult to separate what we're actually observing from what we're afraid might happen.

If you've ever wondered whet...

They're playing all the time - is there anything worthwhile that we can count for homeschooling transcript? 

The answer may surprise you. 
In this episode, Sue Patterson explores how gaming can support learning in subjects like history, science, math, philosophy, leadership, and communication—and shares real examples of how those experiences can be documented on a transcript.

Many parents worry that gaming is "just...

Are you wondering whether it's time to make a change in your child's education?

Many parents spend the whole summer questioning what's working, what's not, and whether a different approach to learning might be a better fit for their family. Some are considering leaving the school system. Others are rethinking traditional homeschooling. Still others are exploring unschooling for the first time.

They aren't just looking for answers abo...

Are we preparing kids for adulthood… or preparing them for school expectations?

Parents worry about grades, gaps, transcripts, screen time, and whether their kids will be successful adults. But real adult life often depends on something else entirely: adaptability, communication, confidence, initiative, emotional regulation, and problem solving.

In this episode, Sue Patterson explores how real-life experiences, play, curiosity...

Mother's Day can be a lot of things — wonderful, disappointing, emotional, or somewhere in between. For unschooling and homeschooling moms, there's an added twist: your kids aren't sitting in a classroom getting reminded to make something for you. No teacher. No craft. No school newsletter nudging dad to pick up flowers.

So this year? You become the Mother's Day Fairy. 🧚‍♀️

In this episode, Sue Patterson — mom to three n...

What does an unschooling day actually look like?

If you’ve been searching for a routine, a schedule, or some kind of structure you can follow… and keep coming up empty, this episode will give you something more useful.

Instead of a rigid plan, we’re walking through real-life examples of unschooling days—what it looks like for younger kids, older kids, and teens—and why it can feel so unstructured (even ...

What does unschooling look like day to day—and how do you know it’s enough?This is where most parents start to second-guess everything.

If you’ve ever lwondered, “Is this enough?”—you’re not alone.

We’re unpacking one of the most common fears in unschooling:
What learning actually looks like when it doesn’t look like school.

With no worksheets, no visible lessons, and no clear b...

How do unschoolers learn math without a curriculum?
Can kids really learn math without school—and how do you know it’s enough?

Here's a real “day in the life” of an unschooling teen. See exactly where math shows up—hour by hour—without worksheets, textbooks, or formal lessons.

If you’ve been wondering:

•  how do kids learn math without curriculum 
•  is real life math enough&n...

“If we don’t use a curriculum... how do we plan anything?”

It’s the number one question new unschoolers ask. If stepping away from traditional lesson plans makes you feel like you’ve lost your roadmap, this episode is for you! 

Welcome to Season 6 of the Unschooling Mom2Mom podcast! This week, host Sue Patterson explains why planning as an unschooling parent isn’t about deciding what your chil...

Pi Day is one of those holidays parents often try to make “fun.” 

But sometimes the issue isn’t the activity — it’s the hype.

Here's a quick unschooling perspective on Pi Day and why kids often respond better to curiosity than to pressure.

Instead of trying to convince kids something is fun, unschooling families often offer ideas lightly — letting interest show up naturally.

Sometimes kids lean ...

What can unschooling families learn from the neurodivergent community?

In this episode, Sue Patterson looks at how our understanding of “quirky” kids has changed over the years—and why many unschooling parents are learning from approaches developed within the neurodivergent community.

Even families without a diagnosis can benefit from these ideas when kids struggle with expectations, pressure, or social dynamics.

In ...

Do you need to revisit deschooling as your child gets older?
Many unschooling and homeschooling parents start worrying about learning gaps, grade levels, falling behind, and whether unschooling is “working.”

Deschooling is often treated as a beginning phase of homeschooling. But school conditioning doesn’t disappear once. It resurfaces in layers.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why deschooling isn’t one-a...

If you’re an unschooling or homeschooling parent struggling with doubt, internal criticism, or wondering if you’re doing enough, this episode is for you. We talk about how unschooling confidence is built through daily reinforcement — not one-time inspiration.

Start your free week of Creating Confidence Daily here:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-daily

Unschooling doubt doesn’t disappe...

You feel steady about unschooling…
 and then one comment, one comparison, one tired day — and you spiral.

Why does confidence disappear so fast?

Let's unpack why unschooling confidence doesn’t “stick” — even when you understand the philosophy.

Confidence doesn’t grow on autopilot. It comes from intentionally brining it back to the front of our minds. Rhythm and repetition. 

Today,...

When the Olympics roll around, it’s easy to feel pressure to “do something educational.”
You don’t need a unit study, curriculum, or lesson plan for real learning to happen.

Big cultural events like the Olympics are already rich with opportunities for curiosity, connection, and noticing — if you let them be. In this episode, Sue talks about how to strew the Olympics: leaving learning invitations avai...

Feeling lost about teaching is common when you step away from school. Sue Patterson explores why the urge to teach more keeps showing up — and why learning doesn’t depend on parents doing more teaching, but on staying focused on the learner.

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“I want to do more to teach, but I feel lost.”

If that thought has crossed your mind, you’re not the only one. That feeling often shows up ...

How do kids really learn without curriculum?

What if learning is hiding in the things we almost dismiss as “just for fun”?

Let's use Appreciate a Dragon Day as a real-life example of how learning shows up naturally — through curiosity, imagination, conversation, and play — without planning lessons or following a curriculum.

Parents exploring unschooling or questioning traditional homeschooling can learning how ...