"I want to unschool to give her more freedom. I can't start the journey by forcing her out of school... you can send your kids to school and still be an unschooler in my view. The point is they have the choice” Italy may be Ilaria’s country of origin but she well and truly calls our nations capital home. She and her husband (who fatefully met on the day she arrived in Australia over 23 years ago) are raising their two daughters (ages 14 and 8) on a small farm, that she lovingly describes as a geriatric retirement home for animals. Their unschooling experiment began during the covid pandemic l ..read more

“They spent their preschool years when they were three and four years old playing all the time. But then they went to school and they forgot how to play.” Elisa is a newly minted homeschooler. This is the episode you are going to want to listen to if you are on the precipice of taking the leap into homeschooling or you have found yourself deep in the trenches of deschooling your own children and yourself. The daughter of a teacher who became a teacher herself, Elisa is now a homeschooling mum to twin boys and a daughter (ages 6 and 3) bravely sharing how she’s navigating these new, unchartere ..read more

“Children learn best intrinsically motivated, following their own interests and when adults step back.” One year ago, we hit publish on the first episode of the Australian Homeschool Stories podcast with Vicci Oliver’s story. I was a very nervous first-time interviewer and Vicci was the most gracious, kind and supportive first guest I could have hoped for! Today, to celebrate one whole year of sharing homeschooling stories from across our beautiful country, you are going to hear Nicki Farrell’s story. Nicki is an ex-teacher turned wildschooling, unschooling mum of two boys (aged 11 & 9 ..read more

“That's the beauty of an unschooling lifestyle, it’s just continuing what you’ve always done with your children.” Having always homeschooled and having been homeschooled herself, Debbie’s story spans across both analog and digital generations. Whilst she never set out to become a radical unschooler, she now confidently embraces the path her family have chosen. Along the way she has created a viable small business that has the potential to revolutionise the way we balance working and homeschooling, a dilemma many modern home educating families face. Summary: Homeschooling was a very unusual ..read more

“I hope at the end of all this I’ll have raised two kids who love learning.” If they are not home, chances are Anna and her kids (ages 9 & 4) can be found in their local library. So great is their love for this community haven of literature, living within walking distance of it strongly influenced where they chose to reside in Rockingham, Western Australia. Homeschoolers from day dot, this musical, book loving, nature appreciating family value time together and connection over curriculum.  SUMMARY: Anna was born in Kalgoorlie but has lived in Perth since she was 6 years old. She me ..read more

“Don’t let fear guide you. You’ve chosen this path, lead it with love.” Richa and her husband, who were both born and educated in India, now live in Melbourne and home educate their two children, aged 7 and 2. We cover a variety of topics in this episode including Montessori, minimalism, community building, sibling dynamics and fostering a love of reading, nature and kindness. SUMMARY: When Richa and her husband were house hunting in Melbourne they were ironically drawn to Bayside for the schools, but it was the solace and peace of being next to water that solidified their choice to call thi ..read more

I can think of no better spokesperson for unschooling in Australia than Sara, whose four daughters (aged 15, 13, 10 and 8) have never been to school. This inspiring family of six who call sunny Queensland home, have collaboratively and creatively designed their lives. As well as unschooling, she is a passionate advocate for respectful parenting and children's rights.  SUMMARY Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, Sara went from being private schooled herself to zero percent school for her own children. Once she became a mother, admiring her curious, happy, carefree children, all she could t ..read more

Danika's homeschooling story takes place on opposing sides of the country, beginning on the Gold Coast in Queensland, where she and her children (aged 6 and 3) were born and raised, up to where her family are currently based in Bunbury, Western Australia. Danika is speaking up and sharing her short but intense journey in the hopes that someone listening will hear her story and feel seen.  SUMMARY As a loud, outgoing, social girl, Danika loved school, particularly the social side, and like most parents thought her own kids would follow in her footsteps When her eldest began school, she w ..read more

"These are amazing schools and amazing teachers, but the overarching curriculum that is forced upon them gives them no space to breathe or be creative" Kickstarting season three of the Australian Homeschool Stories podcast, is the owner of Fearless Homeschool, Micarlé. She homeschools her two children (aged 10 & 7) on the Surfcoast of Victoria where they are surrounded by national park, the beach and immersed in nature. SUMMARY How Micarlé and her husband came to be living in Anglesea, her long standing connection to this small seaside town and wanting for her kids what both she and her ..read more

This short and sweet episode is a preview to Season Three of the Australian Homeschool Stories podcast. Dropping in to say a quick hello is me, your host Stephanie, with happy not back to school wishes as well providing an update on the most recent statistics available about homeschooling in Australia today. To read more about the rising percentage trends and state by state breakdowns, take a look at this article here. All this means to highlight is that homeschooling numbers continues to rise, year on year, and that there has never been a better time to home educate than now. Homeschoolers ..read more