Self Directed

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.

  1. Hannah Beach | The Importance of True Play in Children’s Development

    6 DAYS AGO

    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 identity, regulate emotions, and build resilience. Hannah is an award-winning educator, author, and emotional health consultant with more than 25 years of experience developing play-based and relationship-centered programs for children, families, and schools. She is co-author of Reclaiming Our Students and works internationally with educators, school systems, and organizations to support children’s emotional well-being through play, attachment, and community. 🗓️ Recorded December 15, 2025. 📍 Tarragona, Spain 🔗  Relevant links https://hannahbeach.cahttps://www.instagram.com/hannahbeacheduhttps://www.facebook.com/hannahbeachedu https://www.youtube.com/@hannahbeachedu https://x.com/HannahBeachEDUhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-beach-edu Support the show PODCAST INFO Podcast website: http://theconrad.family/podcast YouTube Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/theconradfamily365 Apple Podcasts: https://www.theconrad.family/apple Spotify: https://theconrad.family/spotify RSS: https://theconrad.family/rss SUPPORT & CONNECT Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Theconradfamily Share a review: https://www.theconrad.family/review-our-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconrad.family Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconradfamily Twitter: https://twitter.com/theconradfamily

    1h 2m
  2. Susan Yao | From Teacher to Unschooler

    27/11/2025

    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 emphasising student-led learning, autonomy, and community engagement. The episode connects her parents’ years in China’s school closures with her own path through American schooling and into the early stages of unschooling. The conversation outlines her family’s approach to dyslexia, late reading, and open learning rhythms. 🗓️ Recorded November 6, 2025. 📍 Tarragona, Spain 🔗  Relevant links https://susyao.substack.com/ https://www.vermontvillageschool.org/ https://www.lionsroar.com/author/susan-yao/The Math Myth by Andrew Hacker: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620970686/  Support the show PODCAST INFO Podcast website: http://theconrad.family/podcast YouTube Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/theconradfamily365 Apple Podcasts: https://www.theconrad.family/apple Spotify: https://theconrad.family/spotify RSS: https://theconrad.family/rss SUPPORT & CONNECT Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Theconradfamily Share a review: https://www.theconrad.family/review-our-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconrad.family Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconradfamily Twitter: https://twitter.com/theconradfamily

    44 min
  3. Kate McAllister | Nervous System Regulation: From Reaction to Response

    25/10/2025

    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 practical tools for returning the thinking brain online when fight, flight, or freeze take over. 🗓️ Recorded October 23, 2025. 📍 Tarragona, Spain 🔗  Relevant links https://www.thehiveadventure.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thehiveadventure https://www.instagram.com/thehiveadventurehttps://www.tiktok.com/@thehiveadventure https://www.youtube.com/@thehiveadventure https://www.linkedin.com/in/misskatemcallister🔗 Books mentioned in this episode Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Your-Kids-Parents-Matter-ebook/dp/B001LOEFZUThe Chimp Paradox: The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme for Confidence, Success and Happines by Steve Peters https://www.amazon.com/Chimp-Paradox-Acclaimed-Management-Confidence-ebook/dp/B006K26BEQ  Support the show PODCAST INFO Podcast website: http://theconrad.family/podcast YouTube Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/theconradfamily365 Apple Podcasts: https://www.theconrad.family/apple Spotify: https://theconrad.family/spotify RSS: https://theconrad.family/rss SUPPORT & CONNECT Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Theconradfamily Share a review: https://www.theconrad.family/review-our-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconrad.family Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconradfamily Twitter: https://twitter.com/theconradfamily

    53 min
  4. Summer Jean | Unschooling - Living Without the Need to Prove Yourself

    17/10/2025

    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. 🗓️ Recorded October 16, 2025. 📍 Tarragona, Spain 🔗 Relevant links https://www.facebook.com/mermaidartglass/https://www.instagram.com/summerisafairy/https://www.instagram.com/andanzasanpancho/https://www.instagram.com/mermaidartglass/https://www.etsy.com/shop/mermaidartglass 🔗 Books by John Taylor Gatto https://www.amazon.com/Dumbing-Down-Curriculum-Compulsory-Schooling-ebook/dp/B072F9VRZP https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Mass-Instruction-Schoolteachers-Compulsory-ebook/dp/B0097DE6XI https://www.amazon.com/Underground-History-American-Education-Investigation/dp/0998919101/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto  Support the show PODCAST INFO Podcast website: http://theconrad.family/podcast YouTube Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/theconradfamily365 Apple Podcasts: https://www.theconrad.family/apple Spotify: https://theconrad.family/spotify RSS: https://theconrad.family/rss SUPPORT & CONNECT Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Theconradfamily Share a review: https://www.theconrad.family/review-our-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconrad.family Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconradfamily Twitter: https://twitter.com/theconradfamily

    1h 12m

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.

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