Our April Review
What happens when we shift from control to connection with our kids?
Hello! It’s Erika here again and I’m back to share a recap of April, 2026.
I feel like this is the time of year that really starts flying by. It can also be a really busy period as we start to plan for the summer months. I honestly don’t even know where April went! We’ve had some really great conversations on the podcast lately, and in the Living Joyfully Network as well. So, I’m excited to share all about that with you now!
The Living Joyfully Network
For our April theme in the Living Joyfully Network, we continued with the next stage of the journey in Pam’s book, Shifting From Control to Connection. We talked about moving away from power-over dynamics in our interactions, how our kids are capable of making choices, how quitting doesn’t equate to failure, and how “fair” isn’t the same as “equal.” These are all really powerful mindset shifts in our parenting that can have a huge effect on our relationships with our children.
At the end of the month, since it was a five-week theme, we revisited the idea of self care, this time through the lens of shifting from control to connection. And it was so powerful! I always join the weekly focus calls when we talk about self care, and it was so much fun to dive into the nuances here. When we make a choice, are we helping or hurting our relationship with ourselves? It’s such an interesting way to look at self care!
In May, we’ll be moving along to the next stage in The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide, which is Accepting the Value of All Experiences. This is where we explore releasing judgment. I’m very excited for this one, since it’s all about questioning things that we take for granted. And a lot of times, those are the shifts that allow me to grow the most into who I want to be. It’s actually a great theme to remember the quote by Rumi from the poem “A Great Wagon” - “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
We invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network, a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents. It’s a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional ideas around parenting, relationships, and learning, and explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family.
We offer a free month trial so you can meet us there and see if it’s a good fit for you. Click here to join us. We look forward to welcoming you! 💖
“The Network has been so important in our unschooling journey. It has provided me with a safe haven of support and understanding, which I can then radiate out in to my family. It grounds me, calms me and always helps me to see any problems in a different light. It’s the only space where I don’t feel judged and I feel like I’m surrounded by people who genuinely care and want to celebrate our way of life. It helps me to be the kind of Mama I want to be for my children.” ~ Alicia Stanton
The Exploring Unschooling Podcast
This month, we shared the next Foundations episode of the Living Joyfully Podcast with Pam and Anna, Open and Curious.
Open and curious is a helpful mindset shift for navigating relationships and challenges. Pam and Anna dove into Pam’s mantra and some of the many ways that it has proven to be so valuable in their lives. Being open and curious takes us back to beginner’s mind and allows us to see possibilities and question limiting beliefs that no longer serve us. It was a fun conversation and we hope you found it helpful!
Listen to the episode in your preferred podcast player or listen/read the transcript on our website here.
Or watch on YouTube.
We also released a new On the Journey episode with Living Joyfully Network member Lucia Silva. Lucia was previously on the podcast in episode 251, Unschooling as a Lifestyle. She is an unschooling mom of two and she came back to share some updates about her unschooling journey.
We talked about trusting our children’s learning journeys, Lucia’s inner growth and mindset shifts, as well as her experience in the Living Joyfully Network and how the community has supported her over the years. It was a rich conversation and I’m sure you’ll take away something to ponder!
Listen to the episode in your preferred podcast player or listen/read the transcript on our website.
Or watch on YouTube.
We hope you enjoyed our episodes this month!
Call for Q&A’s:
We know that the Exploring Unschooling Q&A episodes are some of the most fun and most listened-to episodes and so, we would love to create more. To that end, we invite you to share your questions with us! Have something you’ve been pondering regarding parenting, unschooling, or relationships? Feel stuck somewhere and you’re unsure how to move forward? We would love to hear from you!
If you are interested in submitting a question, please follow this link:
https://forms.gle/NimSHUQSMCaHZBXt6
Looking back on all of the rich conversations we had in April really reminds me of the circular nature of our growth as humans. Coming back again and again to revisit similar situations in a different way or old thoughts with a new, wiser lens. I feel so grateful to be growing alongside this amazing community! Wishing you a wonderful May! 💖
1:1 Business Mentoring with Pam: I help entrepreneurs cut through the noise, untangle messy systems, and get back to doing the work they love. Get support here.
1:1 Coaching with Anna: I specialize in helping you awaken your strongest sense of self-discovery, understanding yourself and the inherent differences in all of us. Learn more here.
More Quick Links to Explore :
Living Joyfully Network | Exploring Unschooling Podcast | Living Joyfully Podcast | Pam’s Books | livingjoyfully.ca