- 8 minutes 20 secondsHomeschool Burnout? Try These November Strewing Ideas (Done for You!) | 234
Homeschool burnout creeping in? Before you quit, try strewing: curiosity-driven learning with no curriculum required.
Kids rolling their eyes and your fuse running short?
Sue Patterson shares fun November ideas to bring the joy back.
In this episode, Sue explains why curiosity-driven learning sticks better than a standardized approach, how something as simple as Sandwich Day can spark real learning, and why you don’t need to have all the answers to make it work.Whether you’re a traditional homeschooler looking for something new or an unschooler who needs a little structure, the Strewing Calendar gives you a fun idea for every day of the month, plus learning objectives and links to explore.
Try it month-by-month for $9.🔗 Get the Strewing Calendar
https://cc.unschoolingmom2mom.com/checkout/strewing-calendar
🔗 Fun November Strewing Ideas at the blog:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/fun-november-strewing-ideasperfect-when-homeschool-burnout-is-creeping-in
🔗 Get the Fall Seasonal Guide for even more!
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/product/Seasonal-Unschooling-Guide-FallLet me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.2 November 2026, 5:00 pm - 10 minutesDaylight Saving Time: Real-Life Learning Without Worksheets
Daylight Saving Time is a surprisingly fun way to explore math, science, history, and geography with your kids — no homeschool worksheets required! When we fall back an hour, everyday curiosity opens the door to all kinds of real-life learning.
Why do we change the clocks? Who came up with the idea? And why doesn't everyone participate?
In this Unschooling Mom2Mom episode, Sue Patterson shares 10 weird facts about Daylight Saving Time, along with simple ways to explore time zones, Earth's tilt, circadian rhythms, and even a little politics with your kids.
Whether you're homeschooling, unschooling, or simply looking for ways to make learning part of everyday life, this is a perfect example of how everything counts — even changing the clocks!
Want more fun facts and ideas to explore with your kids?
Read the accompanying blog post:
10 Weird Facts About Daylight Saving Time: A Real-Life Learning Opportunity.Let me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.30 October 2026, 5:00 pm - 5 minutes 41 secondsLearning Accumulates - Why Everything Counts | #232
Homeschooling parents worry they're not doing enough for their children's education. That concern intensifies when you unschool!
You can see your child learning. You’re just not sure it’s enough.
What if the little moments you keep dismissing are adding up?A conversation. A game. A question about something you passed on the road. None of it looks like a complete science unit or a finished history assignment. So how does it become an education? How is it ENOUGH?
In this episode of the Unschooling Mom2Mom Podcast, Sue Patterson explores accumulation: how children gather experiences, revisit ideas, and make connections that may only become visible much later.
If you’re homeschooling without curriculum—or trying to get comfortable with unschooling—listen for a different way to understand:
• Why everyday learning can feel too small to count.
• How brief encounters become context for future understanding.
• Why learning doesn’t have to follow a school timeline.
• What changes when you stop expecting immediate proof.🌻 Want help recognizing the learning at your house?
Explore Everything Counts: Kids Edition, Sue’s new $9 PDF for parents of children 12 and under, with everyday examples across six familiar subject areas.🆕 Everything Counts- Kids PDF
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/product/Everything-Counts-Kids
Read the transcript at the blog:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/learning-accumulates-because-everything-countsLet me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.19 October 2026, 12:00 pm - 11 minutes 19 secondsUnschooling Anxiety: That "Am I Doing Enough?" Treadmill | 231
Why does unschooling leave you wondering, “Am I doing enough?” Let’s talk about the exhausting pressure to prove your kids are learning—and five ways to step off that treadmill.
After thirty years of unschooling and helping families, I’ve seen how school expectations, relatives’ questions, and homeschool social media can keep parents second-guessing themselves. In this episode, we’ll look at who you’re trying to prove yourself to, when comparison makes things worse, and how to recognize the learning already happening.
Read the Transcript:
The Treadmill of Unschooling AnxietyLet me know what you think of this!
_____________________________________________________
You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.15 October 2026, 7:00 pm - 7 minutes 18 secondsFeeling Untethered with Unschooling? | 230
Unschooling can leave you wondering, “Am I doing enough?”—even when you can see your child learning. Why do worksheets, schedules, and grade levels still feel like proof that you’re doing your job?
That’s the "untethered" feeling. You’ve stepped away from school’s rules, but when you’re worried, the old ways of measuring a day can still feel reassuring. A hard week, a question about grade levels, or a glimpse of another homeschooling family’s routine can bring them right back.
In this episode, I talk about how to tell the difference between a child who needs help and a parent caught in comparison. We’ll look at what you can notice about your child’s learning, and what your role can look like when there’s no checklist to mark off. Whether you’re new to unschooling or have been at it for a while, you may recognize that pull toward the familiar.
“Am I doing enough?” is our October theme inside Creating Confidence Daily. You’ll get a short voice note from me each day, and we’ll talk through your questions on an end-of-month group coaching call.
Not sure whether it’s right for you?
Book a free ten-minute clarity call with me
https://suepatterson.as.meLet me know what you think of this!
_____________________________________________________
You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.29 September 2026, 6:00 pm - 12 minutes 44 secondsWhat the Homeschool Socialization Question Misses | 229
Everyone asks, “But what about socialization?”
Usually, they mean: Will your child have friends?
But sometimes they’re asking something much bigger:
Without school, who will teach your child how to fit in?And that raises a question we rarely stop to ask:
What kind of socialization are children actually getting at school—and is all of it something we want to recreate?
Because spending every day with same-age peers doesn’t teach children only how to make friends. It also teaches them about popularity, conformity, peer pressure, and where they’re expected to fit in.
In this episode, Sue untangles socializing, social skills, and socialization—and explains why they’re not interchangeable.
You may never answer the socialization question the same way again.
Ready to dive deeper:
Sue's Creating Confidence Membership has DAILY voice messages from her this month all about socialization! You won't want to miss it. AND the new Tier 1 Membership offers the 1 live monthly group call on the theme of the month!
FREE PDF:
Social Stuff Nobody ExplainsREAD AT THE BLOG:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/what-the-homeschool-socialization-question-misses
RELATED PODCASTS:
#26 What about Socialization? (How will they make friends?)Let me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.15 September 2026, 7:00 pm - 10 minutes 21 secondsYou Don’t Need Curriculum to Make Learning Happen | 228
Looking for fun homeschooling ideas that don’t require curriculum? Discover how unschooling and strewing help children learn naturally through everyday activities and interests.
Your September Calendar is ready for you!
In this episode, Sue explores how learning can weave through playful September possibilities—from making Rice Krispie treats to investigating rabbits or noticing the changing daylight around the Autumn Equinox.
She explains how strewing introduces interesting ideas without assigning lessons, controlling the outcome, or requiring every activity to become a major project.
You’ll also hear how the Strewing Calendar makes this easier with a printable monthly calendar, daily links and ideas, and learning objectives that help parents recognize—or document—the academics already woven through real life.
Your children don’t need days packed with educational activities. They need an interesting life with plenty of possibilities.
Learn more about the Strewing Calendar:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/strewing-calendarsExplore Creating Confidence Community Support:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-sign-upLet me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.8 September 2026, 5:00 pm - 11 minutes 44 secondsHow to Stay Confident About Unschooling—Before a Crisis Hits | 227
Looking for unschooling support that will help you stay confident without adding another overwhelming plan or curriculum to your life? In this episode, Sue Patterson explains how a simple daily “unschooling workout” can protect your confidence from the school-centered messages surrounding you.
You’ll hear:
- Why unschooling confidence can disappear even when everything is going well
- How school expectations gradually creep back into our thinking
- Why you shouldn’t wait for a crisis to reconnect with unschooling
- How two or three minutes a day can strengthen your perspective
- Why connecting with other unschooling parents matters—even if you’re an introvert
- How to decide between Creating Confidence Daily and Full Community Support
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.
Related Podcast:
Episode #226 for the story behind Sue’s “little unschooling experiment”—and why new members can benefit from it now.Let me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.3 September 2026, 1:00 pm - 8 minutes 30 secondsSix Months Ago, I Tried An Unschooling Experiment | 226
Daily unschooling support can help homeschooling parents build confidence before doubts, comparisons, and outside pressure take over.
Six months ago, I created a small Daily Support app as an experiment. Those one- or two-minute morning voice notes became something much more useful than I expected.
In this episode, I’m sharing:
- Why brief, daily support can have such a powerful impact
- How unschooling confidence can quietly erode when life gets busy
- Why we shouldn’t wait for a crisis to reconnect with what we believe
- What Daily Support has grown to include
- The new Creating Confidence — Daily and Full Support options
Creating Confidence pricing changes on Labor Day.
Join before then to keep the current monthly rate:- Daily Support: $8.99/month
- Full Community Support: $49/month
Choose your support: Here
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/creating-confidence-sign-upMaybe tomorrow morning, we’ll have our coffee together. ☕️
Read the transcript here
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/daily-unschooling-supportLet me know what you think of this!
_____________________________________________________
You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.25 August 2026, 5:00 pm - 6 minutes 11 secondsSchool Refusal: A Mom-to-Mom Reframe When Your Kid Is Miserable | 225
My Kid Won't Go Back to School — What If We Didn't Make Them?
Every school-refusal article this week says the same thing: watch for the warning signs, then find gentler ways to get your kid back in the building.
But what if that's not the only option?In this episode, Sue talks — mom to mom — about the real question underneath the panic of school refusal: not "how do I get compliance," but "what if my kid's distress is actually information worth listening to?" Sue shares her own story of never planning to homeschool, why "unschooling" doesn't have to be a scary word or an identity you adopt, and why a plan that wasn't working at school probably won't magically work at your kitchen table either.
If you're standing at the edge of a decision you never expected to be making, this episode is for you.
Want to talk it through?
Book a free call with Sue — no program, no pitch, just mom to mom:
Use this link for a 30-minute Quick Call:
https://suepatterson.as.me/Quick-30New episodes exploring what comes after this decision — coming soon.
Follow the show so you don't miss them.Let me know what you think of this!
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You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.21 August 2026, 8:00 pm - 7 minutes 56 secondsThe School Year Is Starting Without Us—Why Does It Feel So Weird? | 224
The school year is starting, but your child isn’t going back. Even when homeschooling is the right decision, back-to-school season can stir up doubt, mixed feelings, and the urge to suddenly make a bigger plan.
In this episode, we talk about why August can feel so strange when your family steps outside the school calendar, why your child may miss parts of school without wanting to return, and how old school expectations can creep into your thinking before you realize it.
If you’re new to homeschooling or unschooling and wondering why this transition feels harder than expected, this episode will help you recognize what’s really happening—and why you don’t need to rush to recreate school at home.
Not Back to School 7-Day ChallengeIf you’re ready for some help figuring out what comes next, join me for the Not Back to School 7-Day Challenge.
We’ll spend a week looking at:- how your home and your days can support this new way of living
- how to recognize the learning already happening
- which school expectations you may still be carrying with you
- how to handle outside questions and opinions
- how to create a beginning that actually fits your family
Join the challenge: https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/nbts-challenge
Let me know what you think of this!
_____________________________________________________
You don't have to do this alone.🌻 Creating Confidence Community Support!
Build your unschooling confidence with daily voice notes, coaching, and community in the Creating Confidence membership:
https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/membership
Now 2 Tiers available for community support!
Tier 1: Monthly themes, Daily posts/audios from Sue, discussion threads @Circle, 1 monthly group call (month-by-month $39)
Tier 2: Full support, 8 group calls per month, extensive library (+Tier 1 benefits)
$99 month-by-month or $49 in 6 month pkgs.18 August 2026, 5:00 pm - More Episodes? Get the App