#20 Reflections on an unschooled childhood, childbirth and self-directed education, with Bria Bloom

In this episode, I chat with Bria Bloom, from Portland, Oregon. Bria lives with her husband and her 11-year-old stepson, who attends a self-directed education project. I've known Bria for some time through her work as Community Manager for The Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE), but only recently found out that she was unschooled herself.Today, we talk about her experience as an unschooler who went on to university, and how her upbringing has influenced the choices she has made in her life and her parenting. Bria and her husband are expecting a baby this summer, so we also talk about how unschooling starts at birth. From letting go of expectations, creating boundaries for ourselves, asking for help, and trusting the process, we see the same threads weaving their way through childbirth, the baby and toddler years, through to being parents of teenagers. And we talk about the evolution that Bria has seen in unschooling in the US through her work at the Alliance. I hope you enjoy the conversation.You can follow Bria on Twitter: @BriaBloomsFind out more about the ASDE here: https://www.self-directed.orgIf you'd like to support the podcast and the sharing of these stories, you can do that here.   Thank you!The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. A Mindful Guide to Embracing a New Way of Living and Learning With Your ChildYou can sign up for weekly resources around unschooling and mindful parenting at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onSubstack: https://substack.com/@estherjonesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.beyondschoolFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace