by Lehla Eldridge in
01 Alternative Education and Learning, 06 homechooling, 07 Unschooling, 08 self-directed learning, 32 Mindfulness, 37 Mental Health

Unschooling and the Fear of Failing

I heard a lovely interview on the radio the other day with a man whom I think is brilliant. He is Sugata Mitra and he won the TED Prize to work on something called S.O.L.E. projects. Which stands for Self-Organised Learning Environments. He believes that children learn very well by themselves, with a computer. Look him up if you can, as he and his project I think are very interesting. The interviewer said something along the lines of  ‘Do you know that a lot of people think that what you

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by Lehla Eldridge in
01 Alternative Education and Learning, 07 Unschooling, 08 self-directed learning, 16 The healthy child, 31 Technology, 37 Mental Health

Teachers, We Need to Talk about the Children.

I come from a family of teachers and have been an unofficial teacher myself in many ways, including a spell of homeschooling my own children. Now I find myself to be an unschooling parent but if you were a teacher and I was at your side before the kids enter the room this would happen. Firstly I would say how much I admire what you do. Secondly I would make you a cup of coffee or tea and if I had biscuits I would offer you one. Thirdly I would

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by Lehla Eldridge in
01 Alternative Education and Learning, 07 Unschooling, 08 self-directed learning, 09 For Parents, 16 The healthy child, 37 Mental Health

Why Our Children UNSCHOOL.

Why am I doing it? I didn’t plan to be an unschooling parent, I was the one who said “I wouldn’t have the patience to unschool my kids, I am not that parent.” We are doing it, from my perspective because I believe that learning is not linear and that intelligence, creativity and curiosity are all interlinked and because I believe that the world is changing faster than school systems are.  I also want my children to be able to look an adult in the eye and not feel undermined,

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by Lehla Eldridge in
01 Alternative Education and Learning, 07 Unschooling, 08 self-directed learning, 09 For Parents, 21 For Mothers, 22 For Fathers, 37 Mental Health

Unschooling and the art of letting go of fear.

It is so easy to be gripped by fear. Fear is like a witch casting spells over everything. I can excel in hooking on to her skirt of anxious thoughts, I can fly with her but, in the land of unschooling or homeschooling, she is not welcome as she is so destructive. She is the angry teacher in the room who is handing out bad marks. She is the law that is going to close us down. She is the voice that tells me the kids are going nowhere and

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by Lehla Eldridge in
04 Family Wellbeing, 07 Unschooling, 08 self-directed learning, 13 Working at Home with Kids, 16 The healthy child, 017 Happy Healthy Parents Introduction, 36 Community, 37 Mental Health

Unschooling, parenting and getting help.

I cannot do unschooling on my own. So I don’t. I open up the doors, and let other people in. I have an in-built hero habit, where I try to do it all which ultimately serves no one, least of all the kids. So, when I find myself trying to do too much, I get help. I have signed up to a great website called WorkAway and I reply to requests from there. Through opening up the doors we have had the most incredible people come and help us. These people are part of

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by Lehla Eldridge in
04 Family Wellbeing, 09 For Parents, 18 Self Care for Parents, 28 Self Care, 017 Happy Healthy Parents Introduction, 37 Mental Health

Four Points to Fearless Living…

Fear and I have been really good mates, the fearful lady has lived rent free in my head for a long time, in fact the fearful lady over the years has entertained my inner gremlins and had a party in my head almost way back since I can remember. I am not sure when she first joined me, maybe I was a teenager, or maybe it was the day my parents’ marriage fell apart when I was a kid. Or maybe not, it could have been school…who knows, or even

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