Shows
The Ladies Fixing the WorldS3E2: Unschooling - Coping with the Unexpected | with Sandra Dodd, Cecilie Conrad and Sue ElvisHow do unschooling families handle life when plans fall apart? Sandra Dodd, Cecilie Conrad, and Sue Elvis share real experiences—from illness, grief, and moving house to everyday disruptions like broken toilets and power cuts. They demonstrate how flexibility, trust, and connection transform uncertainty into learning, and how children raised without rigid schedules develop resilience, adaptability, and emotional strength through real-life experiences.🔗 Sandra, Sue and Cecilie's websiteshttps://sandradodd.com https://storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com https://cecilieconrad.com🗓️ Recorded June 26, 2025. 📍 Åmarksgård, Lille Skendsved, Denmark Support the showIn season 3 of Ladies Fixing the...
2025-10-111h 52
This Golden Hour114. Denmark and the World with Jesper & Cecilie ConradIn today’s episode, we get to spend time with Jesper and Cecilie Conrad from Denmark. Jesper and Cecilie are unschooling parents of four children, they’ve been traveling the world for ten years, and they are focused on intentional family living. Cecilie explains that unschooling emphasizes trust in the learning process, respects our children’s autonomy, and that it is not about having a fixed curriculum or specific academic outcomes. The Conrads describe their transition to a nomadic lifestyle, the challenges of building an online income, and the rewards of traveling as a family. They discuss the practicalities and mi...
2025-10-101h 02The Ladies Fixing the WorldResources for Unschoolers | Sandra Dodd, Cecilie Conrad and Sue ElvisWhat counts as a resource when you don’t follow a school curriculum?Cecilie Conrad, Sandra Dodd, and Sue Elvis discuss how unschooling families use communities, libraries, museums, clubs, work, online connections, and family gatherings as resources, showing that learning extends far beyond books and classes.🗓️ Recorded June 17, 2025. 📍 Åmarksgård, Denmark 🔗 Links & Resourceshttps://sandradodd.com https://storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com https://cecilieconrad.com Support the showIn season 3 of Ladies Fixing the World, host Cecilie Conrad is joined by longtime unschooling voices Sandra Dodd and Sue Elvis to explore unschooling as a lifestyle.
2025-09-281h 37
Self DirectedChris Balme | Challenge Accepted: Turning Adolescence into Adventure Chris BalmeAdolescence is often seen as something to endure — awkward years full of turbulence and struggle. But what if these years could be a time of discovery, adventure, and growth?In this episode, Jesper and Cecilie Conrad talk with Chris Balme on the launch day of his new book, Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome. We were introduced to Chris by our friend and former guest, Blake Boles, and quickly said yes to the conversation.Chris shares why adolescence is one of the most powerful stages of development — with a brai...
2025-08-2147 minThe Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E12 | Unschooling Isn’t Freedom Gone Wild: Why Choices Matter More Than IdealsIn this episode, Cecilie, Sandra, and Sue unpack the popular—but often misleading—idea of freedom in unschooling. What does it really mean to live freely, and what’s the cost when freedom becomes the goal instead of a tool?They discuss how some families rush into radical unschooling, letting go of all structure without understanding the role of guidance, responsibility, and deschooling. Sandra shares stories of families who confused “freedom” with letting go too fast—leaving children overwhelmed and relationships strained.The conversation explores the difference between being free and making good choices. True unschooling...
2025-07-191h 33
Self DirectedJamie Rumble | Beyond the Classroom: Learning Emerges When We Stop Teaching and Start LivingWhat if our traditional education system is fundamentally misaligned with how humans naturally learn? Jesper and Cecilie Conrad continue their conversation with Jamie Rumble, exploring the philosophy and practice of unschooling within a nomadic lifestyle.Jamie shares how his background, including influences from Paulo Freire and the concept of eco-pedagogy, shapes his approach to teaching and learning.The discussion challenges the traditional structure of schooling, contrasting prescribed curricula with the emergent, curiosity-driven learning that happens in real life. Cecilie and Jesper explain why their family chooses not to worry about global crises like climate change...
2025-07-101h 21The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E11 | Unschooling, Attachment, and the Art of Letting Go: Building Trust Instead of RulesWhat happens when unschooling parents trade control for genuine connection? In this deep and honest conversation, Cecilie Conrad (Denmark), Sandra Dodd (USA), and Sue Elvis (Australia) tackle the big questions of attachment, freedom, and how trust transforms the parent-child relationship.Many parents fear that giving their children more freedom will mean losing influence over values and choices—or that it will lead to chaos. But as these three unschooling pioneers explore, true freedom isn't something we “give” our kids—it's something they already have. The real question: How do we nurture healthy attachment and remain an anchor, even as...
2025-07-061h 33The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E10 | Is It Working? Wrestling with Doubt in UnschoolingCecilie Conrad, Sandra Dodd, and Sue Elvis discuss doubt and fear in unschooling—where they come from, how they spread, and how to move through them without defaulting to school-based thinking. They explore the pressure of responsibility, the impact of lingering fears, and why letting go of outcomes helps build trust in both learning and relationships.They talk about how fear can be reinforced through casual conversation, especially when parents share worst-case scenarios or compare their children to school-based standards. The discussion includes the idea that much of what parents worry about is based on assumptions that ha...
2025-06-221h 36
Self DirectedJack Stewart | What I Learned When I Turned Off the Internet: Real Life BeginsWhen Jack Stewart turned off the internet, he discovered that digital connection often acts as a “social appetite suppressant”—satisfying on the surface, but not deeply nourishing. In this conversation, Jack explains how removing online distractions led him to seek out in-person connection, from literally knocking on neighbors’ doors to organizing his own book and writing salons.We discuss the qualitative difference between digital admirers and real friends, and why meaningful conversations rarely happen through casual online chat. Jack outlines how he created formal spaces—book clubs, writing groups, salons—to foster intellectual depth and genuine community.The dis...
2025-06-1954 minThe Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E9 | Unschooling: How Do We Know They’re Learning?What if we abandoned the question "How do we know they're learning?" and trusted that they are? In this conversation, Cecilie Conrad, Sandra Dodd, and Sue Elvis look closely at the fears that drive many unschooling parents to seek proof of learning—and why those fears may come from old conditioning rather than real concerns.They explore how learning in an unschooling context doesn’t always look like progress, mastery, or academic benchmarks. Instead, it often appears as play, conversation, curiosity, or even stillness. The episode also addresses the "big mix-up in the mind of the p...
2025-06-081h 48The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E8 | The Math Myth: How Do Unschooled Kids Learn Math?In this episode, we explore one of the most persistent questions in unschooling: What about math? Cecilie, Sandra, and Sue examine the widespread belief that children can’t learn math without formal instruction — and explain why that belief doesn’t hold up.Cecilie reflects on the early years of home education in her family, the pressure to “cover” math, and the quiet fear of doing too little. Sandra shares examples of how her children developed mathematical thinking through games, practical needs, and everyday problem-solving — without ever relying on school-based methods. Sue talks about letting go of struct...
2025-05-252h 19The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E7 | Unschooling is Carried by ConversationsDinner tables, car rides, bedtime chats, café corners—this episode dives into the real places where unschooling lives and grows. Cecilie Conrad, Sandra Dodd, and Sue Elvis examine how conversations—often unscheduled, informal, and unplanned—become the central structure of a learning life.They discuss the Danish tradition of the daily family dinner, the rigid rituals of American mealtime culture, and the café catch-ups that shaped Sue’s large family. The conversation travels through memories, cultural habits, and practical insights into how families can hold space for curiosity, connection, and growth—without curriculum, tests, or set agendas.Fro...
2025-05-111h 19
Self DirectedDavid Cole | Questioning Normal – Our Offbeat Life as a Full-Time Traveling FamilyEver wondered what life could look like if you broke free from the conventional 9-5?David Cole and his family sold their home in Chicago in 2019 and haven’t stopped moving since. Cecilie and Jesper talk with him about how they made the shift from occasional travellers to full-time nomads."I think what stopped us the most was mindset," David reveals, reflecting on their journey from dreaming to doing. After years of passionate but occasional travel, they finally made the leap—starting with house-sitting across the US before boarding a 22-day cruise to Singapore and cont...
2025-05-0141 minThe Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E6 | The Role of Repetition in Learning, Unschooling, and Shaping IdentityWhat’s the value of doing the same thing more than once? In this episode of Ladies Fixing the World, Cecilie Conrad, Sandra Dodd and Sue Elvis unfold repetition—how it shows up in our lives, why it matters, and what it reveals.Together, they examine how children tend to gravitate toward watching the same films, reading the same stories, or playing the same games. Rather than dismissing these habits, they unpack the deeper role of repetition in building understanding, creating comfort, and developing personal interests.They explore repetition in unschooling: how revisiting mater...
2025-04-272h 02The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E5 | Sandra Dodd, Sue Elvis & Cecilie Conrad on Learning to Read & Trusting UnschoolingSandra Dodd, Sue Elvis, and Cecilie Conrad come together to discuss their personal journeys into unschooling, focusing on natural learning, curiosity, and redefining educational expectations.Sandra shares her transition from a public-school teacher to embracing unschooling with her family, exploring how her upbringing influenced her parenting choices. Sue reflects on her experiences returning to unschooling after attempts to follow structured educational methods, and how her understanding evolved with each child. Cecilie offers insights from her journey, including learning experiences through family travel and navigating seasonal challenges.Their conversation delves into how children naturally learn to...
2025-04-132h 11The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E4 | Unschooling: Trusting the Process and Letting Go of ControlTraditional education is built on judgment—constantly measuring children’s progress against rigid standards. Unschooling offers a different path, one that values curiosity over evaluation. In this episode, Cecilie Conrad, Sue Elvis, and Sandra Dodd discuss why letting go of expectations leads to deeper, more natural learning.Reading becomes a key theme, as they challenge the idea that children must read by a certain age. Cecilie shares how her son resisted reading until fourteen, only to become an avid reader once the pressure was gone. Sandra and Sue add their own stor...
2025-03-301h 56The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E3 | Unschooling and Connections: How Learning Is All About Creating a Web of UnderstandingHow do children learn math without lessons, textbooks, or worksheets?Sandra Dodd, Sue Elvis, and Cecilie Conrad talk about the ways kids pick up mathematical thinking—through games, shared meals, money management, and real-world problem-solving.They discuss what happens when learning is driven by curiosity rather than instruction, sharing stories of children who mastered math in unexpected ways. Their experiences with unschooling reveal how learning develops naturally, often outside the structures designed to teach it.Meanwhile, schools—with their insistence on rigid, standardized learning—often disconnect children from their natural curiosity, someti...
2025-03-161h 36
Self DirectedAsger Leth | Beyond the 9 to 5 – Finding Freedom & Creating a Space for Deep Conversations & Real ConnectionsWhat does it mean to truly connect in a world that’s becoming more digital by the day?Asger Leth is a Danish filmmaker, writer, and creative visionary known for his documentary and feature filmmaking work. He gained international recognition for Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2006), a gripping documentary set in Haiti, and later directed the Hollywood thriller Man on a Ledge (2012). Asger has spent years living and working globally with a background deeply rooted in storytelling and cinema. In this episode, filmmaker and creative visionary Asger Leth shares his journey from a re...
2025-03-061h 06The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E2 | Unschooling: Trust, Autonomy, and the Realities of LearningWhat is unschooling? What is it not? And why defining it is so difficult? Sandra Dodd, Sue Elvis and Cecilie Conrad explore how unschooling is not just about rejecting school but fundamentally shifting how families approach learning, trust, and daily life.Sandra shares her decades of experience and the challenge of explaining unschooling in simple terms, emphasizing that true understanding takes time. Sue reflects on her evolution from believing unschooling meant being hands-off to realizing the importance of parental engagement and invitations. Cecilie challenges the assumption that learning must be the goal, arguing instead that curiosity, passion...
2025-03-021h 26
Self DirectedDennis Nørmark | Are We Really Free? Pseudo-Work & Unfreedom: How Work & Society Keep Us TrappedMuch of modern work is defined by routine, efficiency targets, and the need to appear productive. But how much of it is actually necessary? Dennis Nørmark, Danish anthropologist, author, and speaker, argues that a significant part of today’s work culture is built on pseudo-work—tasks that maintain appearances rather than create real value. As the co-author of Pseudo-Work: How We Ended Up Being Busy Doing Nothing, he examines why unnecessary work persists and how it shapes our perception of productivity. In I Wish My Boss Was a Chief, he applies leadership lessons from indigenous cultures to mo...
2025-02-2757 min
Self DirectedManisha Snoyer | Unschooling, Community & Rethinking EducationTraditional education often fails to nurture curiosity, creativity, and deep engagement. In this episode, we explore a different path—one that is flexible, self-directed, and built around each child’s unique interests. We discuss homeschooling, unschooling, and modular education, breaking down how families can step away from rigid school structures and embrace learning that feels natural and meaningful.Our guest, Manisha Snoyer, is an entrepreneur, educator, and founder of Modulo, a curated online community that helps homeschooling families access expert resources and support. With experience teaching over 2,000 students worldwide, running a foreign language theater school, and launching educ...
2025-02-201h 01
Self DirectedJessica Joelle Alexander | Danish Parenting Secrets: Raising Happy & Confident KidsWhat makes Danish parenting unique, and how does it raise happy, resilient kids? In this episode, we talk with Jessica Joelle Alexander, bestselling author of The Danish Way of Parenting, about Denmark’s highly regarded child-rearing approach.The Danish approach to raising children is shaped by principles from Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783–1872), a Danish pastor, philosopher, and educator who emphasized personal formation ("Dannelse") as equally important as academic education ("Uddannelse").In the second half of our conversation, we shift into the digital world, where Jessica introduces her late...
2025-02-131h 28
Self DirectedEssie Richards | Breaking Free: Unschooling and Reimagining Education in the UKHow can unschooling create a safe and empowering educational path for children? In this episode, we talk with Essie Richards about her transformative journey from traditional schooling to unschooling in rural Cornwall, UK. Essie shares how her family chose this path after her son faced bullying, leading them to embrace self-directed education as a way to foster curiosity, confidence, and emotional well-being.Our conversation delves into the principles of unschooling, focusing on its power to nurture children’s natural interests and foster stronger family connections. Essie discusses the role of respectful parenting in creating a supportive environment wh...
2025-02-061h 01
The Ladies Fixing the WorldS2E1 | Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Curiosity, Flexibility, and Trust with Sandra Dodd and Sue ElvisWhat if education wasn’t confined to classrooms but instead flourished naturally through life’s experiences?In this episode of Ladies Fixing the World, renowned unschooling pioneers Sandra Dodd and Sue Elvis join Cecilie Conrad to redefine what learning can look like. We explore the philosophy and practicalities of unschooling—where curiosity, trust, and relationships replace rigid curricula.Sandra shares her journey to define unschooling, describing it as "creating and maintaining an atmosphere where natural learning can flourish." Sue emphasizes the importance of embracing time with children, noting, "We can't go back and reclai...
2025-02-0256 min
Self DirectedSugata Mitra | How Learning Emerges Naturally Through Self-Organizing SystemsSugata Mitra is a renowned educational researcher and innovator best known for his revolutionary "Hole in the Wall" experiment, which demonstrated the incredible capacity of children to teach themselves when provided with access to technology. A TED Prize winner and creator of the "School in the Cloud," Sugata’s work challenges traditional educational systems and advocates for self-organized and emergent learning as the future of education.After a lighthearted opening about weather and cultural quirks, we transition to the ideas that underpin Sugata’s groundbreaking research. The incredible story of the "Hole in the Wall" exper...
2025-01-301h 07