PODCAST · kids
Self Directed
by Cecilie & Jesper Conrad
Self Directed - A guest based podcast on Life, Learning, and Raising Free Thinkers. Hosted by Cecilie and Jesper Conrad, full-time travellers since 2018 and parents to four.
Episodes
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Hannah Beach | The Importance of True Play in Children’s Development
Hannah Beach explains why true play and “void moments” are essential for healthy child development. She describes void moments as unstructured, unstimulated time where children are not directed, entertained, or managed, and shows how these moments allow children to process experience, develop...
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Jeppe Trolle Linnet | Men, Vulnerability, and Masculinity in Transition
Anthropologist Jeppe Trolle Linnet explains how men’s fear of vulnerability is shaped by dominance, shame, and competition, drawing on years of work with men’s groups and recent field research in Greenland. He describes why men struggle to share pain, how loneliness and divorce intensify…
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Victoria Lenormand | From Detective To Unschooling Advocate
Ex-detective turned homeschooler Victoria Lenormand describes leaving a policing career as it shifted from service to force and recognizing the same pattern in her son’s early schooling. In this conversation, she explains how grading, labels, and constant assessment eroded confidence, and how…
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Nicklas Bergman | How to Stay Sceptical in an Algorithmic World
Nicklas Bergman is a deep-tech investor and technology explorer who focuses on how new tools shape everyday life rather than predicting distant futures. The episode examines AI, social media, and regulation through concrete examples from work, education, family life, and investing, with an…
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Susan Yao | From Teacher to Unschooler
Susan Yao is an educator, school founder, and advocate of self-directed learning. She previously served as Middle School Head at Friends Academy in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, following more than a decade of teaching. She co-founded the Vermont Village School, a community-based microschool...
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Missy Willis | From Unschooling To Exams
What happens when unschooled teens meet college systems, exams, and external expectations? Jesper and Cecilie Conrad speak with Missy Willis about how adolescents raised with freedom step into formal learning without losing curiosity or confidence. The conversation follows family transitions,...
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Kate McAllister | Nervous System Regulation: From Reaction to Response
Kate McAllister describes how nervous system regulation shifts behavior from reaction to response. The conversation maps how stress patterns shape daily life, from parenting and school to refugee camps and co-regulation through rhythm and presence. Breath, movement, and sensory grounding become...
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Summer Jean | Unschooling - Living Without the Need to Prove Yourself
Summer Jean describes how growing up unschooled shaped her ideas of work, freedom, and value. She explains how her mother’s focus on connection over control helped her develop confidence in her own sense of rightness. The episode contrasts inner conviction with productivity as a measure of worth....
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Timmy Eaton | Choosing a Life with Golden Hours
Cecilie and Jesper Conrad describe how illness, travel, and questioning convention led their family from a more or less traditional path in Denmark—through a Freinet-inspired free school—to a fully unschooled, nomadic life. They explain how unschooling developed through practical choices, legal...
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Lise Damkjær | Life Is Easy—When We Allow It to Be
Co-creation unfolds when control gives way to trust. Life Is Easy grew from a shared intention among ten people who wrote together without plans or deadlines. The process reveals how purpose and openness can replace pressure, turning collaboration into a form of ease. 🗓️ Recorded September 30,...
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Jamie Rumble | Nomadic Becoming in the Anthropocene
Jamie Rumble shares his research on digital nomadism in the era of climate change. We explore how mobility, mental health, and community connect—and what nomads can teach about resilience. 🗓️ Recorded September 22, 2025. 📍 Åmarken, Lille Skendsved, Denmark 🎙️ Listen to: First episode with…
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Kate McAllister | The Human Hive: Building Communities of Purpose and Learning
Kate McAllister shares her journey from traditional teaching in the UK to creating The Human Hive in the Dominican Republic. We talk about learning through global projects, raising children outside the standard map, and what it means to discover that there are no dragons when you step off the...
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Amanda Ashworth | Building Community: Creating a Worldschooling Hub in Goa
Amanda Ashworth shares how reading The Four Hour Workweek led her to question conventional success, homeschool her children, and eventually create the World Schooling Hub in Goa. She explains discovering her son’s hidden learning needs, why Goa became her family’s second home, and how the hub...
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Leah McDermott of Your Natural Learner | Why I Chose Unschooling
What happens when a kindergarten teacher moves to teaching fifth grade and discovers that in just five years, the educational system has extinguished the light in children’s eyes? For Leah McDermott, this stark realization sparked a journey from conventional educator to unschooling advocate. In...
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Blake Boles | Escaping Routine: Deep Conversation and wanting a Galactic Commune
Blake Boles joins us to talk about his recent editorial, "I Don't Want a Nuclear Family, I Want a Galactic Commune - on the pursuit of quality conversation", which is about the decline of quality conversation and his resistance to the nuclear family model. We discuss the difference between daily...
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Chris Balme | Challenge Accepted: Turning Adolescence into Adventure Chris Balme
Adolescence 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...
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Sarah van Gelder | The Revolution Where You Live - Rebuilding Community in an Isolated World
How can we recover the essential human connections that make life meaningful and sustainable? How can we create a world where neighbors know each other's names, children play freely outdoors, and no parent faces the overwhelming challenges of raising children alone? Sarah van Gelder, founder of…
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Hidden Voices Speak: An Anthology of Home Educated Voices
In this episode, we talk with Ben Feliz (14) and Addison Harding (13), home-educated children and contributors to the anthology “Hidden Voices Speak.” Addison came up with the idea for the book, Ben designed the cover, and they worked together with others to publish it. Both care deeply about...
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Unschooling and Worldschooling Has Changed Us | The Conrads in dialogue with Heidi & Andrew Schrum
We sit down with Andrew and Heidi Schrum, just three weeks away from starting their life as a full-time nomadic worldschooling family. They ask us direct questions about our seven years of unschooling and worldschooling. We discuss how the biggest changes happened in us as parents—not our…
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Navigating Unschooling and Nomadic Life | The Conrads in dialogue with Heidi & Andrew Schrum
We sit down with Heidi and Andrew Schrum, who are about to leave home and begin travelling full-time with their two young children. They ask us what we wish we’d known at the beginning, and we talk through everything from reluctant kids and screen time to preparation that doesn’t help and the...
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Charles Eisenstein | Are We Meant to Live Like This? The Price of “Normal” Modern Life
Charles Eisenstein is an author and speaker whose books and essays explore themes of community, human connection, economics, and social change. He is known for works such as The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. Charles joins us to explore how modern family structures have evolved...
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Jamie Rumble | Beyond the Classroom: Learning Emerges When We Stop Teaching and Start Living
What 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…
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Why We Chose Nomadic Freedom for Our Family | The Conrads & Jamie Rumble
We got an email from Jamie Rumble... "I’m a Master of Education student at Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, Canada. For my thesis, I’m researching how digital nomads are adapting their lifestyles in response to climate change, and what insights their experiences might offer for future…
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Vanessa Woozley | Single Mom, Van Life, and Worldschooling
What happens when a single mom chooses to reject conventional norms, embraces van life, and takes her daughter out of traditional education? Vanessa Woozley joins us to share her inspiring story of courage, resilience, and transformation. Vanessa’s adventure began with short trips, gradually...
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Jack Stewart | What I Learned When I Turned Off the Internet: Real Life Begins
When 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...
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Jennie Germann Molz | The World Is Our Classroom: Extreme Parenting and the Rise of Worldschooling
Sociologist Jennie Germann Molz joins the podcast to discuss her book The World Is Our Classroom: Extreme Parenting and the Rise of Worldschooling. Jennie is a professor at the College of the Holy Cross whose research explores mobility, technology, and alternative forms of family life. Drawing on...
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Corianda Shepherd | Creating a Worldschooling Community in Spain
After her eight-year-old son was expelled from school in the UK, Corianda Shepherd and her partner Joel left behind a life that no longer worked. They moved to rural Spain, bought the first house they saw, and slowly built Shepherd’s Rest—a worldschooling community where families live together,...
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Kute Blackson | The Magic of Surrender: Ego, Intuition, and the Power of Trust
What if the real magic happens not when you push harder, but when you let go? We explore surrender as a powerful, often misunderstood key to living a fuller life. Kute Blackson is a transformational teacher and bestselling author of The Magic of Surrender. Known for his dynamic presence and...
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Lenore Skenazy | Free Play: The Lost Key to Childhood Development
In this episode, we explore how modern culture has stripped childhood of the freedom it needs to thrive—and what can be done to bring it back. Our guest is Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and co-founder of the nonprofit Let Grow, launched with Jonathan Haidt, Peter Gray, and Daniel...
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Anna Vestlev Sandfeld | Why We Choose Unschooling
What happens when your child simply won't fit inside society's educational box? When Anna Vestlev Sandfeld realized her son didn’t fit into the structure of kindergarten—and likely never would fit into traditional school—she and her husband chose unschooling. In this conversation with her cousin...
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Amir Nathoo | Outschool: Passion, Not Curriculum, Is the Future of Education
Outschool founder Amir Nathoo explains why education built on passion—not curriculum—may be the only way to truly prepare kids for a rapidly changing world. We talk about his shift from traditional schooling in the UK to building Outschool, how becoming a parent deepened his beliefs, and why...
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David Cole | Questioning Normal – Our Offbeat Life as a Full-Time Traveling Family
Ever 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…
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Dr. Cam Caswell | Why Control Fails and Connection Works with Teens
Dr. Cam joins us to discuss parenting teenagers and why efforts to control them often create more distance. She explains how control can undermine trust and why focusing on connection leads to better results. We discuss the difference between respect and obedience, and how letting teens say “no”...
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Jacob Nordby | Rethinking Freedom: Purpose, Ritual, and the Value of Being
In this conversation with author and speaker Jacob Nordby, we explore the paradox of freedom in modern life. Is it simply doing whatever we want—or does real freedom require something deeper? While many consider freedom to be about doing whatever they want without constraints, Jacob challenges…
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Yasmin & Andy | Beyond Boundaries: One Family's Journey from England to Jungle Living in Belize
Yasmin and Andy left a comfortable life in the UK to join a small off-grid community in the jungles of Belize. Fifteen years after cycling through Central America, Yasmin and Andy returned—this time with three kids and a desire for a different kind of life. What began as a plan to visit…
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Amanda Diekman | Radical Acceptance and Low Demand Parenting
In this episode, we speak with Amanda Diekman about how her parenting changed when her six-year-old son went into autistic burnout. He lost verbal communication, stopped eating most foods, and couldn't follow basic routines. Faced with a crisis, Amanda chose to stop trying to fix him and instead...
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Luz Olid and David Caballero | Education Evolution: Beyond Traditional Schooling
Luz and David from Evolving Education left careers in biotechnology to explore and document alternative education models worldwide. Frustrated by rigid schooling systems, they traveled to over 170 learning centers to understand how children learn best outside the traditional classroom. In this...
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Iris Chen | Untigering: From Control to Connection – Peaceful Parenting for the Tiger Parent
Iris Chen, author of Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent, shares how she shifted from a strict, high-expectation parenting style to a trust-based approach. Raised in a Chinese-American household, Iris grew up with academic pressure and obedience as the norm. She...
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Anne Kirketerp | Craft Psychology: The Link Between Crafting & Wellbeing
The moment you carve, knit, bake or start folding paper, something remarkable happens in your brain. The anxious spiral of thoughts quiets, stress hormones recede, and you enter a state that Dr. Anne Kirketerp calls "meaningful self-forgetfulness." Dr. Anne Kirketerp is a psychologist…
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Asger Leth | Beyond the 9 to 5 – Finding Freedom & Creating a Space for Deep Conversations & Real Connections
What 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…
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Dennis Nørmark | Are We Really Free? Pseudo-Work & Unfreedom: How Work & Society Keep Us Trapped
Much 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…
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Manisha Snoyer | Unschooling, Community & Rethinking Education
Traditional 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…
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Jessica Joelle Alexander | Danish Parenting Secrets: Raising Happy & Confident Kids
What 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...
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Essie Richards | Breaking Free: Unschooling and Reimagining Education in the UK
How 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,...
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Sugata Mitra | How Learning Emerges Naturally Through Self-Organizing Systems
Sugata 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...
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Dola Dasgupta | Unschooling in India: Embracing Choice and Navigating Challenges
How does homeschooling fit into India’s diverse cultural and educational landscape? In this episode, Dola Dasgupta shares her perspective on the challenges and freedoms of homeschooling and unschooling in a country where formal education is highly valued. We examine the legal uncertainties,...
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Peter Gray | Rethinking Education: The Power of Play and Self-Directed Learning
Together with Peter Gray, we explored the concept of self-directed education. Peter Gray emphasizes the importance of play and independence in children's learning. The discussion highlights the shortcomings of the traditional school system and encourages parents to embrace unconventional...
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Naomi Fisher | Changing Our Minds: How children can take control of their own learning
Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist, writer, and speaker with a focus on self-directed learning, unschooling, and child development. A mother of two, she draws on her professional expertise and firsthand parenting experiences to challenge conventional educational models and help families...
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Jacob Nordby | Embracing Change and Creative Living through Self-Discovery
Jacob Nordby grew up in a strict Christian cult, isolated and homeschooled. He’s an author, creative guide, and advocate for living authentically. Jacob Nordby’s story is one of transformation; he shares how he found freedom and purpose by embracing vulnerability and creativity. We explore his...
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Amrit Sandhu | The Power of Consistency, Meaningful Conversations, and Gratitude.
We celebrate our 100th episode by welcoming back our first guest, Amrit Sandhu, for a journey through our podcasting evolution. Reflecting on early challenges and triumphs, Amrit shares insights on how consistency and passion can elevate creative endeavors. Together, we explore meaningful...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Self Directed have?
Self Directed currently has 152 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Self Directed about?
Self Directed - A guest based podcast on Life, Learning, and Raising Free Thinkers. Hosted by Cecilie and Jesper Conrad, full-time travellers since 2018 and parents to four.
How often does Self Directed release new episodes?
Self Directed publishes regularly with 152 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Self Directed?
You can listen to Self Directed on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Self Directed?
Self Directed is created and hosted by Cecilie & Jesper Conrad.
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