Dealing with External Pressure: Staying Confident in Your Gentle, Unschooling Family Choosing gentle parenting and unschooling means forging a path guided by empathy, respect, and trust in your child’s innate curiosity. But what happens when your approach is met with skepticism, criticism, or unsolicited advice from others? This blog post delves into the real-life challengesContinue reading “Gentle Parenting & Unschooling in Public: Navigating Judgments and Staying True to Your Values”
Author Archives: Julia
Parenting Outside the Lines Poem: The Messy, Unseen Truth Behind Raising Kids (and a Business) Your Way
Parenting is never easy—but when you’re doing it differently, it can feel downright impossible. Add running a business to the mix, and suddenly you’re juggling tantrums, staff call-outs, and the never-ending pile of laundry. In the thick of it, love often feels lost in the chaos, and it’s hard to know if you’re even doingContinue reading “Parenting Outside the Lines Poem: The Messy, Unseen Truth Behind Raising Kids (and a Business) Your Way”
Not Just Homeschooling: The UK’s Child-Centred ‘Home Education’ Movement
There is a nuanced distinction in terminology and philosophy between the US and UK approaches, emphasising that in the UK “home education” is a broader, more flexible, and child-led concept compared to the more school-like connotation of “homeschooling”.
Home Education: When Community Looks Different—Honouring Every Child’s Path
While home education collaboratives are often celebrated for their vibrant community and social opportunities, the reality is that every family’s journey is unique—especially for those with shy, sensitive, or introverted children. The stereotype of the isolated homeschooler sometimes fits, not because home education is failing, but because some children simply thrive in quieter, smaller settingsContinue reading “Home Education: When Community Looks Different—Honouring Every Child’s Path”
Poem: What I Tell My Children
Sometimes, the stories we carry from our own childhoods are a tangled mix of light and shadow. When my young kids asked me to share my earliest memories, I found myself walking a delicate line — wanting to protect their innocence while honouring the truth of my past. This poem is a glimpse into thoseContinue reading “Poem: What I Tell My Children”
Poem: Splitting In Three
Bedtime in our house has always been a journey—sometimes sweet, often challenging, and lately, more emotional than ever. As a parent of three, I’ve found myself pulled in different directions, wishing I could be everywhere at once to comfort each of my children through their nighttime fears and worries. Over the years, we’ve tried everyContinue reading “Poem: Splitting In Three”
Poem About Unschooling: The Way We Wander
In a world that often measures success by grades and schedules, unschooling offers a gentle, heart-centred alternative that honours each child’s natural curiosity and unique path. For our family, this approach means embracing learning through life’s everyday moments—whether it’s picking up litter to protect wildlife, exploring new places, or simply playing freely and safely atContinue reading “Poem About Unschooling: The Way We Wander”
Hold Onto Your Kids: An Ode to Dr. Gordon Neufeld
Why I Hold Onto Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s Wisdom: A Poetic Tribute In a world where childhood often feels overshadowed by peer pressure and social calendars packed with endless play dates, it can be challenging to share a different perspective on what children truly need to thrive. For over two decades, Dr. Gordon Neufeld has beenContinue reading “Hold Onto Your Kids: An Ode to Dr. Gordon Neufeld”
Poem: Strings and Wings
For much of my life, I felt like a puppet—my actions dictated by fear, perfectionism, and a constant urge to please. Growing up in an authoritarian home where affection was conditional and expectations unyielding, I learned early to silence my true self for the sake of harmony and approval. It took years of struggle, loss,Continue reading “Poem: Strings and Wings”
Poem: The (W)hole of Me
My life so far has been a powerful and moving story—one not widely known. For years, I struggled to find a way to set it free. This poem was born from that journey, inspired by the idea of transforming “the hole of me” into “the whole of me,” a concept I embraced after taking aContinue reading “Poem: The (W)hole of Me”
Gentle Parent 