I’m Issy (aka Stark Raving Dad) - a home educating dad of four from New Zealand, and the voice behind The Life Without School Podcast 👋
Over the past few years, this project has grown into a lifeline for thousands of parents around the world, supporting families who’ve stepped away from school (or are just beginning to consider it) and want something more grounded, more human, and more connected for their kids.
If you’ve just found your way here, there are three ways I bring that support:
- 🎧 The podcast – I release free public episodes every month or two. They speak to the big, universal questions that come up when you’re trying to build a life outside school. These episodes are a great place to begin, and there's a library there to work your way through.
- 💌 The weekly email – Each week I send out some encouragement. It might be a story. A shift in perspective. A reminder. Something to help steady you, keep you focused, to help you move forward.
- 🔒 The Full Collection – This is my private subscriber space. I share a new episode there every single week - deeper, more focused, and rooted in both lived experience and research-backed science of how children learn and grow. These episodes (as of today, over 10 hours of listening) speak directly to the doubts, challenges, and mindset shifts that shape home educating life. If you're looking for regular encouragement and practical advice at depth, this is where you'll find it.
💌 Get my weekly emails (they’re free)
Every week, I send a grounded, thoughtful email to thousands of home educating parents around the world. These messages aren’t quick updates or tips. They go deeper - into the emotions, the doubts, the decisions we wrestle with as we raise our children without school. They’re the kind of messages that get saved, re-read, and forwarded to friends. And for many families, they’ve become a reliable, steadying part of their week.
🎧 Then start with these public episodes
There are 27 powerful episodes of The Life Without School Podcast (available wherever you like to listen to your podcasts), but these four are a great place to start:
• Episode 1 – Introducing Life Without School (Prologue)
In the very first episode of the Life Without School podcast, I talk about why it needs to exist. Why I’m so passionate about shining a light on life paths for children that don’t involve formal schooling. Why there are millions of children around the world who wake up each day feeling broken, not enough, and believing that the things that come most naturally to them are not important. This listen will tell you everything you need to know about whether you're in the right place here or not!
• Episode 2 – How We Became A Home Educating Family
Our origin story 😅 You know how you look at those families online and say ‘wow, life has been so easy for them – no wonder they can make a lifestyle like that work’? Yeah, that’s not us.
• Episode 5 – How To Talk To Family And Friends About Home Education
One of the things we often underestimate when we decide to live a life without school – regardless of how excited about it we are – is how our family and friends will respond to it. How we’ll talk to them about it, and answer the questions that they’ll probably have. Because despite the growth and awareness in home education recently, we are still very much in the minority, and this path is still very misunderstood.
• Episode 22 – Your Child Is Falling Behind
First, I talk about how the world generally views progress in childhood, and why it’s so problematic and broken. And then second, I present a different view of that. A different idea of measurement and benchmarking and progress for our children.
📚 Then go deeper with the Life Without School Collection
If the free podcast or emails have resonated, there’s a lot more waiting for you right now.
Inside the Life Without School Collection, I share a private episode every single week - deeper, more focused, and built on over a decade of lived experience as a home educating parent, alongside the neuroscience of how children grow, learn, and thrive. These episodes are grounded in research. Backed by story. And designed to speak directly to the questions, doubts, and decisions that shape this life without school.
They’re not just encouragement. They’re recalibration. The kind that shifts how you see your child, and how you show up for them.
“Issy’s episodes are pure magic; he’s the encouraging voice in my ear that gave me the courage to start, and the one that helps me keep going. Best thing I ever signed up for.”
✨ Wherever you're at, I'm so glad you're here.
Whether you’re just starting to question school, or already deep into life without it, I hope this space helps you feel a little more clear, a little more confident, and a little more supported.
Talk soon,
Issy.