Sue Elvis and her husband Andy have eight children, seven living, ranging in age from 14 to 31. Sue hosts the podcast, Stories of an Unschooling Family, as well as a website and blog. We have a lovely conversation, diving into her family’s move to unschooling, the difference between unschooling and unparenting, how unschooling has grown into a lifestyle for the whole family, what has surprised her most along the way, and lots more!
Questions for Sue
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
I’d love to talk about the difference between unschooling and unparenting. You recently wrote a blog post on the topic and I was recently in a conversation where this misconception soon became obvious. How do you explain the difference?
What was the most challenging aspect for you as you gradually embraced unschooling?
You also host a podcast, Stories of an Unschooling Family, and in a recent episode you and your daughter Sophie chatted about another unschooling misconception: that it means drifting aimlessly through your days. In contrast, what has been your family’s experience?
One of the fascinating things for me about unschooling was how it soon grew into a way of life for the whole family—it became intricately woven into every aspect of our lives. I’d love to hear a story about how you’ve seen the unschooling mindset weave into your adult lives—you or your husband.
What has surprised you most about your family’s unschooling journey?
Links to things mentioned in the show
Registration for the Childhood Redefined Unschooling Summit closes Tuesday November 20
Sue’s podcast, Stories of an Unschooling Family
Sue’s website and blog storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com
John Holt’s Growing Without Schooling magazine archive
Suzie Andres’ books, Homeschooling with Gentleness and A Little Way of Homeschooling
Sue’s blog post about the difference between unschooling and unparenting
Sue’s podcast episode about the idea of a balanced and productive unschool life
Episode Transcript