We’ve been taught to separate play and learning like they belong in different rooms. But we know our children don’t live like that.
Play is where curiosity stretches its legs, where confidence quietly grows, and where purpose first whispers. It’s also much more fun than traditional learning - who’s with me, there?!
This month inside the Unschooling Village Hub, we’re exploring play not just for our children, but for ourselves too. Yes grown-ups! You are allowed to be playing too!
✨ Tea & chat
✨ Coaching around play, passion + purpose
✨ Self-care that includes joy (not just stillness)
Come as you are. Always.
Heidi x
#unschooling #unschoolingvillagehub #powerofplay #homeeducation #liveplaylearn
There is a quiet kind of bravery in letting play lead.
Not correcting. Not rushing in, and not worrying when it doesn’t look “productive.”
Because the truth is, play is doing more than we can always see.
It’s building connection, shaping identity, and weaving together a life that actually feels good to live.
This May, inside the Unschooling Village Hub, we’re exploring play as something deeper. Not just for children, but for us too. So many of us grown-ups forget about the power of play.
Join us each Thursday for a live group, community catch up and a chat, and learn more about the art of playing.
You’re always welcome in that space 🤍
Heidi x
#liveplaylearn #unschooling #play #powerofplay #unschoolingvillagehub
'What if the problem isn’t your child… but the system?
Unschooling offers a completely different way to approach learning — one rooted in curiosity, connection, and natural interests.
Curious to learn more? Read the full blog post at the link in our bio. School Isn't for Everyone by Heidi Steel is out now at
I made a cup of tea. And then it vanished. Not metaphorically. Genuinely disappeared.
If you’re home educating, you probably already know how that happens. You start one thing, get called away, get pulled into something else, and by the time you come back, the original task has completely evaporated.
That day felt like a constant loop of being needed. One child, then the other, back and forth, never quite finishing anything I started. You know the drill!
And it got me thinking. You can almost measure your home ed season by your tea. Stay with me…!
Cold cups left everywhere? Reheated three times? Or just GONE entirely?
Wherever you’re at, if you feel like you’re constantly on standby, pulled in different directions, and trying to meet big emotions and needs all day, you’re not doing it wrong.
This is part of it, especially with neurodivergent children and those with PDA.
It’s a different rhythm. One that asks a lot from you.
If you want support, or just to feel less alone in it all, the Unschooling Village Hub is open 💛
Membership is currently free for your first 30 days.
You can check out my webinar all about supporting PDA children through autonomy and low-demand learning.
homeeducationuk #unschoolinglife #pdaawareness #neurodivergentkids #gentleparenting
“Unschooling a PDA child is impossible.”
If you’re home educating and your child resists everything, it can feel exactly like that. Like nothing is working, and you’re getting it wrong.
But often, it’s not that your child doesn’t want to learn. It’s that they can’t cope with feeling controlled. I mean, as grown-ups, we can relate! I absolutely see that.
Children with a PDA profile experience demands as pressure, even the gentle ones. So they push back. Hard.
Unschooling isn’t about trying harder or finding the “right” method. It’s about reducing that pressure so your child can feel safe, in control, and able to reconnect with their own curiosity.
It won’t feel perfect. But for many families, it’s where things start to ease.
If you’re feeling lost with home education right now, you’re not alone 💛
The Unschooling Village Hub is open, with free membership until the end of April if you want support and guidance from people who get it.
Click the link at the top to join, or comment “HUB” and I will send you the link.
#unschoolinguk #homeeducationuk #pdaawareness #neurodivergentkids #childanxiety
Is your child’s anxiety quietly taking over their world?
They won’t go to school. They won’t leave the house.
They won’t eat, speak, sleep, or step into spaces that feel “too much.”
From the outside, it can look like refusal. But underneath? It’s often overwhelm, loss of control, and a nervous system shouting “this isn’t safe.”
Here’s the part many people miss.
Most anxiety support for children is built on adult-led goals.
“Just try this.”
“Just take one step closer.”
“Just push through.”
But when a child doesn’t feel in control, anxiety doesn’t shrink. It tightens its grip.
Especially for neurodivergent children, including those with PDA, autonomy isn’t a luxury. It’s essential.
When we shift from control → connection
From pressure → collaboration
From “getting them to comply” → “working with them”
That’s where things begin to soften Where trust rebuilds. Where anxiety can finally start to ease.
There is another way to support your child without forcing, bribing, or breaking their spirit 💛
If you’re ready to explore a more gentle, child-led approach to home education and emotional support, come and join us inside the Unschooling Village Hub.
✨ Free membership available until the end of April.
A space for parents navigating unschooling, anxiety, PDA, and neurodivergency.
Tap the link in my bio or comment “HUB” and I will send you the link.
#homeeducationuk #unschoolinglife #pdaawareness #neurodivergentkids #childanxiety
If you’re Googling things like, PDA parenting, neurodivergent child support, or unschooling for autism/PDA… hi 👋 this is for you.
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) is more than behaviour.
It’s about autonomy for our kids.
When kids feel pressured, their nervous system hits the no button. As a parent, that can feel really hard.
But when we reduce pressure and increase choice, everything softens that little bit more.
But it does pose questions. Why do PDA children avoid demands? How can we reduce the pressure and stress of daily life?
All of this we discuss in the Unschooling Village Hub. Weekly meetings, guides and webinars, and so much more.
✨ Join me in April and get a FREE month membership and see what changes for you and your children.
#PDAparenting #neurodivergentkids #unschooling #childledlearning #autismparenting
What if the path everyone expects… just isn’t yours? 🎒💭
School Isn’t for Everyone is a refreshing, honest take on learning, growth, and the idea that success doesn’t look the same for everyone.
Heidi Steel challenges the one-size-fits-all mindset of traditional education — opening up conversations around alternative paths, individuality, and finding what truly works for you.
It’s insightful, empowering, and exactly the kind of read that makes you rethink everything you’ve been told.
Perfect for students, parents, and anyone questioning the “usual” way of doing things 📖✨
And conversations like this? They spread fast — which means this one won’t stay on our shelves for long 👀
📍 Available at:
Shelfebook Bookstore, Pacific Mall, NSP Pitampura, Delhi
Shelfebook Bookstore, Pacific Mall, Rajpur Road, Dehradun
Walk in, explore a different perspective… and grab your copy before it’s gone 📚✨
If you’re supporting a neurodivergent child with PDA, this is a gentle reminder from me to you.
Pressure doesn’t motivate PDA kids. It only overwhelms them.
Unschooling is a supportive approach to learning for neurodivergent families and it heralds they way for all families.
Inside the Unschooling Village Hub, I help support you with PDA parenting and neurodivergent learning tools,
You can join in April and get 1 month of FREE access!
Comment “UNSCHOOL” and I’ll send you the link.
#PDAparenting #unschoolingUK #neurodivergentkids #unschoolingvillagehub
Looking for PDA parenting support UK or unschooling ideas for neurodivergent children? Welcome!
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) means the brain experiences pressure very intensely.
So traditional parenting often creates more stress, not less.
Inside the Unschooling Village Hub, I support families with PDA-friendly parenting ideas, neurodivergent child support and unschooling guidance.
Start your journey with a FREE month membership. Comment “UNSCHOOL” and I’ll send you the link.
#PDAchildren #unschoolingcommunity #neurodivergentparenting #liveplaylearn
I loved this book from @liveplaylearn1 it truly was a breath of fresh air.
If you’re thinking about unschooling you have to read this!
Thanks to @jkpbooks for gifting it
#pdaautism #pathologicaldemandavoidance #autism #adhd #unschooling
Join 50+ unschooling experts and advocates, along with parents from around the world, for three days of learning, inspiration and community.
The Unschooling Summit takes place online from March 20th-22nd.
🌍 Attend online from anywhere
🎟 Free tickets (option to upgrade for Bonus pack)
Get your FREE ticket by tapping the link in my bio!
#theunschoolingsumit #unschooling #selfdirectedlearning #homeeducation #lifewithoutschool #deschooling #learningthroughplay
