Unschooling Your Kids, my chat with Nesting Gypsy Sara Janssen

In this episode of the Honest Hour, I spoke with self-dubbed “Nesting Gypsy,” Sara Janssen. An unschooling mama to 3 gorgeous girls (and quite the range of chicken babies too!), Sara was absolute sunshine to chat with. Her love for life and natural curiosity is what led her on a journey to start asking all the important questions in early motherhood. Beginning with cloth nappies and a home birth, her path to all-natural parenting ended up placing her in the happiest place she could ever imagine, a home and a heart with no bounds. Set out to live a life she does not have to escape from, Sara and her family are most passionate about creating connection. They believe that home is where the heart is, that we can heal naturally, and that children are born with their own internal self-regulating system. Yip, in the Janssen home there are no “set rules”. These nesting gypsies follow their hearts when it comes to eating time, bedtime and even education. I will confess, when I first heard of “unschooling” last year, I thought it was the highest form of neglect. How could one not send their kids to school?! Brought up in a very dysfunctional childhood myself and put up for adoption at the age of 10, consistent formal education was something I was neglected of until after I was adopted. So, in my mind, school is a privilege, a right and a gift that should be available to all children so they can thrive in life. During my chat with Sara, however, I saw a different side to this proverbial coin. I saw that love in fact is the highest education we can offer our children as it gives a child the confidence to explore and grow at their own pace, wherever they are. I learned that it is the environment created at home that is most important for a child’s ability to learn, live and to thrive. The recent COVID19 lockdown in South Africa and my chat with Nesting Gypsy Sara Janssen has inspired me to approach a new way of thinking about my children’s education and wellness. Perhaps my love, time and attention are more than enough to help them blossom. Perhaps, I sent them to pre-school far too soon, and it was rather more for ME than for THEM? These honest, thought provoking conversations are why I started the Honest Hour Podcast. By listening to someone else’s story, we get the opportunity to question our own methodology and, in doing so, we can learn how to do things even better. To find out more about Sara and her family’s rainbow journey visit: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/nestinggypsy/ WEBSITE: http://www.nestinggypsy.com/