Episode #116
Ep. 64 - School Isn't For Everyone with Heidi Steel
What if your child’s struggle with school isn’t a sign that you need to find a better way to make school work? What if you leave school altogether for Neuro-Affirming Unschooling? In this episode, I’m joined by Heidi Steel, author of School Isn’t for Everyone (And What You Can Do Instead), for a conversation about neuro-affirming home education, unschooling, school refusal, burnout, trust, reading, screens, teenagers, and learning outside of school. Heidi was a primary school teacher before becoming an unschooling parent. She has unschooled her four children for more than a decade and brings both professional experience and lived experience of neurodivergence to this conversation. This episode is especially relevant if your family is navigating school refusal, school anxiety, burnout, behavioral reports, a child who is struggling to attend school, or the uncertainty of wondering whether homeschooling or unschooling could be a better fit. We talk about: what happens when trust has been damaged by school experiences how children learn when reading is separated from school the role of screens and digital play what teenagers need from the adults around them why relationship matters so much in learning Heidi’s book was our DITL community summer book study, and this conversation grew out of nine weeks of parents reading, questioning, discussing, and applying these ideas to their own families. Connect with Heidi Steel: Live Play Learn: https://liveplaylearn.org/ ( Horizon Mentoring ) Book: School Isn’t for Everyone Podcast: Unschooling Conversations Instagram: @liveplaylearn1 Facebook: Live Play Learn Connect with 90-Minute School Day: DITL is an online community for parents supporting one another as they raise neurodivergent children outside of school. Doors open three times a year, in late October, late March, and late July. Join the waitlist at 90minuteschoolday.com/day-in-the-life/ Private coaching is currently available if you need support now. Upcoming Episode: Inspired by Heidi’s statement, “You have learned to worry about your child’s reading because of school,” We're sharing what DITL members told us about how their children actually learned to read outside of school. You don't want to miss it!
