What's new at A Life Unschooled
More on my vision, and what's coming up in the Spring and beyond..
Hello friends,
I wanted to dedicate a whole post to the ways I am working on making this Substack an informative, supportive, non-dogmatic community - and some things that are coming up that might be new and interesting for you!
Free subscribers - I am now at around 1.4k of you reading what I write, and I want to tell you a little story.
When I was a child, as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote stories, I wrote in a journal, I read everything I could possibly get my hands on. I loved to think and read and put things into writing but I struggled so much on how to go from writing for myself, to writing for others.
And the thing is, I would be writing regardless. But I’d also be lying if I said I would continue to write with the same degree of determination and confidence, regardless of whether anyone was reading.
So, every single one of you who has read, liked, shared and commented on anything I’ve ever written, has contributed to a degree of validation that what I do matters.
Would I think it matters regardless of external validation? Sure. I feel SO strongly about what I write that no matter who was reading it, I would still be obsessed with it!
But validation, let’s be honest, helps me keep going. It helps keep this newsletter sustainable if I believe people are getting something out of it.
Thank you for being here and contributing in this way.
In May I will be releasing a book i wrote (and am in the final stages of editing down!!), chapter by chapter, here on Substack.
It’s titled Expanding Consent: Breaking cycles of domination at home and beyond.
Some of you wonderful friends helped me read through and gave amazing feedback, and I thank you for that. (You know who you are!)
It was a book I wrote quickly and an ode to imperfection and to “done is better than perfect.”
As such, there will be plenty of things I will change my mind about, and I’m looking forward to having some interesting conversations!
Stick around and I will be posting a chapter every couple weeks or so, and opening up comments for a deeper conversation.
If you feel called to support my writing, consider becoming a Paid Subscriber.
Here is what to expect as a paid member:
Weekly threads and/or posts where I go deeper into aspects of youth autonomy, unschooling education and living in partnership with young people, as well as share segments on what I’ve been reading/listening to, how we’re unschooling, and what is radicalizing me of late (there’s always something!). This is where I share more personal stuff about our lives.
Extra paid subscriber posts to discuss bits of my new book! I’m excited about the kind of feedback I might get, and the ways it might impact the book itself - kind of like an on-going co-creation rather than just me ranting at you all through the pages of a book!
a monthly recorded AMA - paid subscribers email me with questions or topics, and I’ll record some answers and share them in a video (there will also be a written transcript). I do not have all the answers!! But I have lots of thoughts, and I feel that I’m pretty good at making connections and referring you to alternative sources and generally opening up topics in ways that we sometimes aren’t able to do alone. I hope these videos are helpful and supportive for anyone deschooling and living a life unschooled!
a monthly zoom call: this is a supportive space to chat, share, get advice from others and exchange thoughts and ideas. The thing that has most helped me in this journey, has been finding others to share experiences with. I won’t be recording these calls, to ensure that it is a place we can be vulnerable and honest.
A monthly Day in the Life post, where I open up and share some of what our life looks like right now - things I’m struggling with, things that are going well, what I’m learning and unlearning.
Monthly podcast episode (this is free for everyone, but comments are only for paid subscribers). I have some really good convos coming up!!
And some new stuff coming in June..
Community Workshops:
I recognise some of you are here purely for the writing, and hey! I love you for that. Thank you. Writing is my thing! (Feel free to skip this part.)
But also, I know some of you are looking for more connection, information and support.
One of the main things we are lacking as a community, is accessible, non-dogmatic information. I’m going to start running workshops, perhaps starting with one a month, on specific topics around partnering with children, unschooling and education, and youth liberation.
THESE WILL BE PAY WHAT YOU CAN - which will hopefully make them super accessible for everyone.
If you wish to support me and make monthly workshops sustainable for me regardless of what people can pay, please consider joining as a Founding Member of this Substack and they will be free for you.
I will start these in June via eventbrite, and share them here on Substack.
If you’d like to collaborate with me on these, please reach out!
We need more accessible support and information about SDE and alternative education and partnering with youth! I want to help build that, and maybe you do to.
This shit we do is HARD. We shouldn’t have to do it alone.
Alright, that’s all folks! Thank you again for any level of support. I will always try to make a big chunk of my work free and accessible, as long as I’m able to also meet our family’s needs, and ON THAT NOTE…
If you want to sign up as a paid or founding member but don’t have the capacity - REACH OUT. I am ALWAYS happy to give free subscriptions or figure out a way to barter a subscription. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Any questions, just reply to this email or DM me here on Substack or on IG.
Thanks for reading people! And thank you for supporting writing on youth autonomy and justice, self-directed education and partnering with young people!
Sending you all a ton of love,
Wow. Exciting times ahead Fran! Yay on the book, too!!
Can’t wait to read your book! You continue to inspire me with ways to do meaningful work, while also keeping it manageable with raising kids and unschooling.