FAQs asked of me regarding home education consultations, and more!

Can I just phone you/you just phone me instead?

No, I do not give out my phone number or use the phone for clients. As you can appreciate, if someone has my number, they can easily forget that appointments are necessary. This is non-negotiable. Please never give out my number if you have it. Instead, ask the person to email me or fill out this enquiry form

(you will NOT be added to a mailing list)
I will answer simple questions only requiring an email response for free. If we need an appointment, please specify Zoom/Skype/Messenger contact details. Payment is according to your means, paid after the appointment.

Please note: I must have 24 hours notice for appointments to ensure my Aunt knows that I have an appointment with someone. If you already know me, you’ll be well aware of my condition. Hemiplegic Migraine is something I’ve had to modify my life for and take very seriously. I want you to be sure that our booked time is when I can meet your needs.

Can you help me write a plan or records for registration? I’ve heard people say that you do that.

I did.

For many, many years. Not only that, but I became well known for helping people with Plans/Records for Registration in NSW.

I’m no longer providing this service. My last date for registration help was 15th December 2022, and I have 100+ days notice.

If you need NSW specific assistance, please join Home Education NSW Facebook group. I still volunteer there, with others, and the whole community is willing and able to help. There are many examples of plans and records for you to access in the group’s file section.

Now I have the co-authored 3 Parent Workbooks through Always Learning Books and that will help you far beyond what I was offering, and for a much more affordable price.

Essential Step by Step Parent Workbooks

Save a heap of money by creating your own learning plans for home educating your children - don't buy something off the shelf that doesn't match their learning styles and needs, it's not that hard to write your own, let Beverley, Tamara and April show you howinstead of buying online lessons and unit studies you have to print out and adapt let us show you how easy it is to develop themself and save yourself a heap of moneyLearn how to translate your children's activities into educational records with this parent workbook, a course in the why and how of home education evaluation and record keeping

This is a complete ‘how to’ home education course.
Will you continue consultations? Mentor live videos every second Monday? Being in the various Facebook groups as an Admin/Moderator? Are you leaving the community now that you’re no longer the ‘rego help go to person’?

I’ve been asked by many people throughout 2022 for consultations next year, and beyond, for home education support. Some people have said things like, “I feel weird thinking I won’t be able to ask for your advice for the rest of our journey… you’ve been a part of it from the beginning.” Humbled doesn’t come close, it’s truly a privilege to see your children be free to learn and watch parents have more confidence and fun. Yes, I will continue to offer Educational Consultations for the foreseeable future. I really love talking with parents about how to help their children be free to learn. The key to learning is freedom. Taking the stress and fear out of this part of parenting, it’s a real honour. I don’t take being asked for advice lightly or for granted.

So Consultations? Yes.

Rego help, no. That’s all I’ve stopped. It was just a large part of what I did, but it has never been the only service I offered. I offer much more than help with registration.

HOWEVER, if you want access to the Australian Homeschooling Registration Bundle, my help has been included with a group of other support people.

Where else can I find you?

I will continue being the Home Education Mentor for Nurture Parenting Magazine and present lives in their Facebook Group.

I’m also continuing with assistance in the dozen or so Facebook Support groups. Many times I’ve been in these groups since Facebook started. I used to be admin/mod in more than twice as many until I started part-time work and study.

Prior to Facebook, I also had started a local meetup group via Yahoo Groups in 2009. That local Meetup group have told me that they won’t let me go! We’re all in luck, as I don’t want to leave my ‘tribe’. I want to see what happens next with the parents, children, grandparents, various carers, the group as a whole, and it’s a great way to stay engaged as things change.

And I want to see children in my local group reading the books I’m currently writing and illustrating, so they feel seen.

Books? What are you busy with now? (Do you ever sleep?*)

In November 2022, I completed 50,000+ words for NaNoWriMo for my first novel, about an accidental homeschooler. I’m working on 19 interrelated books using a fictitious group of home educators, based on real home the educating experiences I’ve lived and witnessed. The books include 2 novels, 10 picture books, 4 Middle Grade and 4 YA books. I’m aiming to have these first of many books ready within the next 3–5 years. Technically I’ve completed my first year of this project, and yes they are well on the way. 2-4 years to go.

As you can see, I have more to contribute to our community. Much more. Over the past 17 years, I have been inspired by the diverse lived experience thousands of families in our community have shared with each other. My hope is that by writing books that feature realistic home educating families, all ages are authentically represented and people wondering what it looks like, will be able to see it before they even give it a go themselves.

Authentic representation in literature matters.

 

How many times do we hear or read about stereotypes of homeschoolers, or unschoolers, based on a complete lack of experience or education? I want to put accurate stories out there.

Our children don’t need yet more books about children that go to school. I’ve seen too many children get turned off reading, because they can’t or don’t want to relate to characters that are going to school.

Do you have time for a personal life?

Apart from writing, mentor talks, summit workshops, education consultations, I’m also my Aunt’s full time carer. How do I have the time for all of this? Partly, because I am no longer helping people with NSW Homeschool Registrations. I’m thrilled about having more time to write, as writing books has been on the back burner for 15 years while I’ve been heavily involved with helping Home Educators in Australia. You see, all of this time I’ve also maintained a membership to the Hunter Writer’s Centre, taken part in several writing groups and have attended write-ins and workshops on a regular basis. I’ve also volunteered for the Newcastle Writers Festival and happily wear my souvenir volunteer t-shirts when tapping out stories. No longer just thinking about it, training for it, shoving away little notes for it. I’m actually doing it. You could say that the 3 workbooks Beverley Paine, April Jeremy and I published were my launch into the world as a published (co-)author.

I hope you’re having a wonderful home ed day/week. I’m off to write some more! (*Yes, I do sleep… my children are now adults at Work/University. As a solo mumma who has always worked from home, I’ve frequently maxed out my energy stores, but life is short, and I have much to do. I promise my life is a lot more sustainable now than it has been, even with HM.)