Conscious Parenting & Deschooling

January 22, 2022

Re-examining how we live, learn and parent.

Welcome to episode 116. This episode is a recording of my December Clubhouse room with Tira Hunter, Erika Kesliman and Missy Willis. Our theme ~ Conscious Parenting and Deschooling goes deeper into our journey of learning and self reflection.

Tira Hunter is an unschooling mom to 18 year old Zoi. Tira decided to homeschool Zoi part way through elementary school and after trying to replicate school at home with misery, they found the path to unschooling. With unschooling, Zoi was able to exercise her independence and creativity. Zoi works as a commissioned artist and is currently writing her own comic. Tira is an advocate for the deschooling process.

Erica Kesilman is an unschooling mom to 3 children, ages 2, 5 & 7. She is a previous public school educator and is now a certified conscious parenting coach. She feels that conscious parenting and reflection is a necessary part of the deschooling process.

Missy Willis is an unschooling mom to her 2 children, ages 19 and 14. They have unschooled for 13 years and counting. She is a former teacher and now supports parents through her writing and conversations at Let ’em Go Barefoot.

Deschooling~ A quick definition

I define deschooling as the concept of living life and learning outside of the ideas of the traditional institution of school. The idea of learning and school is often synonymous. The belief that is supported is that learning is only done within the walls of the classroom and top down with certain people. Instead we start to look at learning as an internal process, inclusive with community, at different times and stages. Living and learning comes together. Getting comfortable with allowing learning to happen in a different way than we have done it.

In This Episode

This episodes shares personal reflections from 3 parents that found their way to unschooling and why deschooling has been such an important part of their family’s transition from school. This is what you will hear in this episode….

Words that defined our conversation- flexibility, retooling, space, wisdom, power, sovereignty, respect, self worth, trust, connection, worthiness, intentions, values, genius, agency and relationship.