Back

Home Education Families’ Festival | Day 228 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Aug 16, 2023· 2 minutes

Each time we arrive at a large event, I turn myself backward inside and feel overwhelmed and paralyzed at the same time. It is funny, though. I am a very social person, and I have been excited about going to this big event - yet upon arrival, all I want is to hide in my van. Even when a good handful of my good friends are there, I still feel I just can not enter the situation.

This is how it is. Always is.

Yet this time, a bit more, I think. We had been talking too much about how overwhelmed we are and how tired we are, and we really are - but it never helps to focus on lack, negative aspects, exhaustion. So, I will admit I could have handled it better, been better prepared, and in a better place myself.

The HEFF festival is huge. And truly wonderful. Hundreds of families home-educating children of all ages, a few grandparents, and some young adults who were home-educated as children and teens gather yearly to spend a whole week together.

Every day, there is yoga on, discussions and panels, workshops of all sorts, sports and crafts, and dance, and you name it. Evenings of music, live bands, and DJs all from the community, and everyone dancing, laughing, and hanging out. 



I am writing this nr 228 as the whole thing is over, as I simply was too socially overwhelmed to engage in my writing while the festival was on, and now I have to catch up an entire week of my challenge. It is all right. The first day, my kids were happy and out there, and I was more silent and stayed with myself. Next year, I will make sure to arrive with more energy.

Love and light

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

Thank you for reading
I would love to hear from you. Listen to your thoughts and reflections - or praise :) It is often emotional to share our life like this, and we get very happy when we get your feedback. So feel free to share a comment below 😋 

 

Unschooling and Parent consulting, conversations, blogposts, and podcasts on family life and learning

Hi, I'm Cecilie Conrad. I'm a trained psychologist, mother of four, radical unschooler and full-time traveller. I have lived with unschooling for over a decade and help other families find their own path – whether it is about homeschooling, unschooling, or the bigger question of how you want to live as a family.

I offer guidance, conversations and talks. I call my work grandmothering – not coaching in the traditional sense, but presence, professional insight and concrete help navigating motherhood and finding your way home to your own values.

Am I the right person to help you? You can book a free discovery call, and we'll talk and figure it out.

Listen to my podcasts

I share my knowledge and curiosity about family life and learning in my two podcasts.

Read my latest blogposts

Unschooling versus ambition, every parent loves their children deeply and does their best on the grounds of values and beliefs. How do you balance am…Read more
Read about our evening routines, how we succeed in getting everyone to sleep – There is room for everyone in a very large bed when you co-sleep. Read more
To start unschooling was like opening the door to Narnia - a whole wonderland of time, presence, and desire for learning emerged. Read more
The magic of Amsterdam gave us a day to enjoy and remember. We set out originally for Paris, France, but decided to go slowly, living our lives on t…Read more
The Moments, when travelling: Like having a croissant and coffee in the sun. So, this is a short blog post - part of the migration of our traveli…Read more
That's the big problem with the mindset behind consequences-based parenting at all levels. It's not actually about consequences, it's about power. It…Read more
How do you grasp every day? How do you structure your homeschool? I have been asked this question many times. Read more
We get many questions about homeschooling; here, I have collected the 6 most common questions and answered them. Hoping it will help you in your proc…Read more
Homeschooling is the most radical choice in the flock of different leaders in our family. What does homeschooling entail, and what on earth is it abo…Read more