Why are my kids not in school? Because they don’t have time for it… here’s why:

Preparing my questions for the forest and nature conservation institute in Madeira to find out how to get horses, ponies, donkeys, cows and goats onto our land 😊🙌🏼🫶🏼

Letter to School Kid Parent Dear school kid parent, I know you want the best for your child. I know you love them more than anything in this world. That’s why I am writing to you — not with judgment, but from a place deep in my heart, with love, understanding, and a longing for truth. I hope you will read this with openness and pause for a moment, because what I am about to share is not often spoken out loud, though many of us feel it in our bones: School changes your child. Before you send them away from your loving arms and the warmth of home, their unique character shines, their innocence is intact, their sense of wonder is alive, their curiosity knows no limits. They look at you with trust, with a bond that is natural and unshakable. They want to be with you, learn with you, laugh with you, and grow in your presence. This is what makes them whole. But school reshapes this. It teaches them to sit still when their body longs to move. It teaches them to raise their hand for permission to speak, when their voice deserves to be heard freely. It teaches them to compete, compare, and measure their worth against others, when in truth their worth is immeasurable. It teaches them to obey strangers over listening to their own heart and their own family. It teaches them that learning is a chore, a duty, something done for grades and approval, instead of the joyful, self-driven exploration it naturally is. Slowly, the spark in their eyes dims. Slowly, they begin to believe that fitting in matters more than being true to themselves. Slowly, they forget that they were once explorers, creators, dreamers. I know this is painful to hear, but it is the truth many of us have witnessed. And yet, there is another way. Children don’t need to be molded — they need to be unfolded. They don’t need to be taught what to think, they need the freedom to think. They don’t need to be standardized; they need to be cherished in their uniqueness. When a child grows up surrounded by love, family, and a community of caring people, something extraordinary happens. Learning flows naturally — through projects, play, passions, and peers. They learn not because they are forced to, but because life itself is fascinating. They learn responsibility by being included in real life. They learn compassion by being treated with compassion. They learn creativity not by filling out worksheets, but by living in a world that values their ideas and imagination. And this isn’t just about childhood joy — it’s about preparing them for the future. We live in times of enormous change. Artificial Intelligence and automation are already replacing traditional jobs. The skills that once mattered most in the school system — memorization, repetition, standardized answers — are now the very skills machines can do better than humans. The future belongs to those who can do what machines cannot: - to imagine, - to empathize, - to create, - to collaborate, - to question, - to dream. And those are the very qualities that schools suppress but that natural, free, family-centered learning nurtures. Your child doesn’t need to be trained for a shrinking job market. They need to be empowered for life — for creating, innovating, building communities, solving problems, loving deeply, and living fully. And here is something else that is often overlooked: when children grow up whole and unbroken, they don’t just bring joy to their own lives, but to the entire world. A child who learns in freedom becomes an adult who lives in freedom. A child who grows in love brings more love into humanity. A child who is trusted becomes trustworthy. Dear parent, I know this is not the path most people take. I know it feels safer to do what everyone else does, to send your child to school and hope it will all turn out fine. But the truth is: we cannot outsource childhood. We cannot outsource love. We cannot outsource the one thing our children need most — our presence. Your child’s time is precious. Their wonder, their laughter, their ideas, their hugs — these years are fleeting, and they will not return. Do not let a system that was never designed for human flourishing steal them away. You are enough. Your family is enough. Your love is enough. And in choosing to honor childhood, you are not only giving your child the best chance in life — you are also giving the world a gift it so desperately needs: a whole, joyful, capable human being. www.aPlaceToBe.me

Lately, I’ve been posting a lot on Nostr about the paradox of being a Bitcoiner while still sending kids to school. What I see so clearly is that Bitcoin and unschooling are two sides of the same freedom movement. Bitcoin is about taking back sovereignty over our money. Unschooling is about taking back sovereignty over our children’s learning. Both are about trust, responsibility, and refusing to outsource our freedom to systems that were never built for us. As we’ve been unschooling Bitcoiners for about 8 years I feel called to be a bridge between these worlds—helping Bitcoin families see that their values naturally lead to unschooling, and showing unschoolers why Bitcoin is an essential piece of living free. Reach out if you’re on a similar journey and have any questions regarding unschooling 🫶🏼

We bought the land today! 530.000 m² of wonderful nature on the best island in the world! 🌿🏝️✨ There is truly no better place than A Place To Be 🥰🫶🏼😇🙌🏼 This is just the beginning of building a sovereign, unschooling neighborhood where families can connect with nature, freedom, and each other. 🌱👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 👉 Follow along as we bring this vision to life — and if you feel called to be part of it, subscribe and book a call with us. Your future home might already be waiting for you here. 💫 www.aPlaceToBe.me

Bitcoin = decentralized money Unschooling = decentralized education Sending kids to school? 👉 Still plugged into the system. 👉 Outsourcing parenting. 👉 Limiting their freedom. 👉 Teaching fiat thinking. Ask why. Unschooling is easy and fun when you have a community:

My video didn’t upload earlier when I was on the land, when I posted: Building our #unschooling neighborhood in #Madeira … 😉🫶🏼

In the process of building our #unschooling neighborhood in #Madeira and I’m #learningbydoing #lfg 😎🤟🏼🩷

Grab your free copy of our unschooling magazine The Toshi Times issue 2 when coming to our stall at the @BTC Prague in June! We’ll be with @Rahim Taghizadegan from CitadelGarden, our new partners. Come and connect 😊🙌🏼🫶🏼

In 1903, John D. Rockefeller said: “I don’t want a nation of thinkers. I want a nation of workers.” That one sentence says more about modern education than any government policy memo. The school system was shaped around industrial needs—bells, schedules, standardized testing—all designed to mimic factory life. Obedience, repetition, memorization. No room for questioning, autonomy, or purpose. As a parent, I can’t un-know that. It seems more like participating in a machine than nurturing a life.

Building a place to pee - our off-grid outdoor toilet because we also set up a tent and will camp on our land soon woohoo 😎🙌🏽🫶🏼

Don’t trust, verify! We hired a mobile mechanic to help us figure out whether this Nissan pick up truck is a good buy for our land.

We recently bought a car, and I'm very pleased with it, especially since it's a 7-seater, allowing me to transport lots of friends. However, there is one thing that bothers me a bit... It has an inbuilt 'annoying co-pilot' that tells me what to do, advises me to be careful, and even controls the steering wheel sometimes!!! Can you imagine?! 😲 When I get 'too close' to a car in front, a big red circle flashes up on the display saying BREAK! The first few times I saw it, it distracted me quite a lot. When I don't hold the steering wheel stable at all times, a little orange sign pops up, reminding me to drive in a straight line. And when I was on the motorway and a second lane opened up to the right, which I wanted to take, the car blocked the steering wheel slightly to let me know I shouldn't leave my route. From then on, I was very wary of how I was driving, whether any light or sign would appear to warn me, and I was getting nervous about making the car—Silver, we called her Silver—not like my driving. Crazy, huh?! 😕 For a while, Silver was actually making me doubt my decisions, my way of driving perfectly fine (My dad taught me how to drive at the age of 12, and I have driven in Germany, Mexico, Spain, the UK, and Portugal). I was second-guessing myself until I became aware of the crazy situation: The car is like an adult telling a child what to do, advising them to be careful, and interfering physically with the kid's actions when they think they might be in danger, even though the child is in tune with their instincts, being aware of the risks and dangers around, and making sound decisions. A complete no-go at APTB! 😈 Having distracting signs popping up made me nervous and not focused on the road for seconds, which could have made it more likely for me to create an accident! The same applies to adults telling kids 'be careful,' 'danger,' 'stop,' 'you're about to fall,' 'let me take over,' 'you don't know,' etc. Too much of this and not letting the child set their boundaries will lead to the kid second-guessing their decisions. Studies show that this leds more more accidents! I've gotten used to all the flashes and signs warning me, and I can ignore them, but maybe I will ask Alex to deactivate these settings 😉 Yeah, I'll get rid of this authority that thinks it knows best because I know better... because I'm part of the real world 😏 Stay updated and sign up to the newsletter www.aplacetobe.me

I ripped my diplomas to pieces 💥💥💥

We had our first Bitcoin walk today. It was awesome to walk and talk, talk Bitcoin and shit but never shitcoins 😁

We don’t need schools to learn. Throw a bunch of kids of different ages into an open space together. Add a few kind adults who respect children’s right for self-determination and education takes care of itself. Schools are obsolete.

What is happiness? 1/ 🧘Today by the pool, I reflected on my decision to unschool my daughters, Lima and Bo. Why aren't they in school like other kids? Well, I believe they learn more efficiently by interacting with the real world rather than being in an artificial learning environment. #Unschooling 2/ 🤔 Imaginary responses to the schooling question vary from 'none of your business' to explaining our educational choice. Yet, it's not always easy, especially with some disapproving hints from my visiting mother. But watching my girls play, I was reassured. #ParentingChoices 3/ 🌀 While observing them, I noticed how they're learning from each other & the environment. It's a contrast to traditional schooling where kids are often forced to memorize uninteresting facts. Unschooling seems more natural & enriching. #HolisticLearning 4/ 🤯 Yet, self-doubt creeps in at times, pulling me away from the present moment. This introspection led to deeper thoughts on happiness, and how our minds clutter over time with judgemental thoughts & beliefs, often instilled by others. #Mindfulness 5/ 🔄 As we grow, we inherit many of society's judgements & beliefs, altering our perceptions of reality. These inherited beliefs aren't always true, yet they govern our reactions & evaluations, often causing internal conflict & suffering. #SelfAwareness 6/ 👧 When we label something as ‘good’, we automatically create its opposite - ‘bad’. This dualistic thinking starts young. For instance, a child playing with a stick might learn it's 'dangerous' if told so, instead of learning through natural consequences. #LifeLessons 7/ 🎭 Judgements, whether about ourselves or others, create a mental hamster wheel, altering our ability to live in the present. Even positive comments can reinforce a dualistic view, impacting a child's self-perception & behavior. #MindfulParenting 8/ 🏊‍♀️ Back to the pool moment, I yearn for happiness for Lima & Bo. Not from external achievements, but from accepting reality without judgements. Unschooling provides a space free from many societal judgements, nurturing their innate ability to live in the present. #UnschoolingBenefits 9/ 🌈 Our choice may not align with societal norms, but it aligns with our understanding of happiness – living without restrictive beliefs. And while I'm working through my own mental hamster wheels, I'm hopeful for a less judgement-filled journey for my daughters. #ParentingJourney 10/ 💌 What's your take on this? Do traditional schooling systems contribute to societal conditioning, or do alternatives like unschooling offer a freer learning environment? Would love to hear your thoughts! #Discussion #EducationalChoices * Sylvia x 🌸

North coast of Madeira

Sometimes you can have such a powerful shift in perspective that’s it’s like detaching a parachute that had been open whist you were trying to run. Absolute libertarian.

iris nostr app completely black on my iphone. Deleted it and reinstalled and its the same - any suggestions? Also on here using snort.social and its not loading any messages - any suggestions ?