Hi there, I’m Claudia - writer, homeschooling mother of two and author of “Raising our Wilde” - a newsletter about raising children slowly, the reality of parenting intentionally and respectfully in todays climate and how we can find ways to have a flourishing relationship with our children without loosing ourselves along the way. Feel free to subscribe to get weekly letters delivered directly to your inbox. All posts are free, but if you value what you receive, you can choose to support my family and I (and the ever growing homeschooling budget) through becoming a paid subscriber. Whatever you choose, I appreciate you being here!
Hey friends,
wow. I am quite shook and overcome as by how many wonderful mothers and fathers have joined this community so far. WELCOME.
Today I’m writing to you from my kitchen table - oddly enough a place I hardly ever migrate to write. Though today things aren’t really “as usual” with two little ones feeling unwell and needing a lot more of my attention (and snacks hence why I’m close to the kitchen). Since they’re both resting right now, I thought I’d take the time to come in here, rip off the bandaid and write my first letter to you all.
Since it is the first and we barely know each other (unless you came here through “A Life of Less”) it will contain a little introduction - short and sweet, a bit about my family and I, the reasoning behind creating this newsletter for us and at the end perhaps you feel called to also share a little bit about yourself so we can connect with and find each other here in the wonderful world of
. (I am assuming you came here through the app or my other slow living newsletter since I haven’t shared this publication anywhere else).First of all a sincere thank you and the warmest welcome to you all. It feels big but also like it was always supposed to be this way. To create community around what it is that I love and treasure in life has become one of my favourite things to do and I’m truly excited to see where this takes us. I have a tonne of things planned, yet they will stay a little closer to my heart for now and will be revealed to you when it’s time. So let’s begin.
Who am I?
A homeschooling mother 9 years into my motherhood journey, a writer, a photographer and videographer, a yoga teacher and meditator and a constant student of this wild and beautiful life. I came to Substack out of the desire to write in long form and share more intimately with those who choose to read my words. And I came to parenting .. well that was a surprise to say at least.
I fell pregnant at the age of 22 while being on my solo traveling trip - at that time in Australia - with a wonderful man, who I had met just a few months prior in Central America. Truthfully I felt like the whole world had been pulled away beneath my feet. How the hell was I going to do this?
Born in Austria, I knew instantly that that wasn’t the place to raise our daughter and so the decision to stay and live here in Australia was made over a very long conversation on our deck. You will hear more about this in other letters. The journey and initiation into motherhood wasn’t an easy one for me, something I am sure many of you can relate to.
It didn’t take me a long time however to realise that the traditional way of parenting wasn’t for us and so we made changes according to our values (this sounds simple though there were a lot of ups and downs, pains and joys, isolation and loneliness involved) and quite frankly, we are still learning and meeting each other anew each day.
Eventually we ended up here. Homeschooling our babies on our humble “Fairy Farm” at the edge of the rainforest. Our family now consists of me, Mama, my partner, Papa, our two wildlings, 13 chickens, 2 guinea pigs, bees and our very energetic chocolate Labrador “Bear”.
Creating ‘Raising our Wilde” for me means more than just writing a newsletter. On my journey as a mother who had the desire to raise children a little differently, I have met so many like-minded parents, many who are wanting to take the plunge and homeschool or simply change the trajectory of the way they bring up their children, so many unsure as to where to start and also scared and confused as to how it should all work.
The path of parenthood truly can be a lonely one. Doing things the opposite way from how you were raised and taught can feel even more isolating and that’s why a community of mothers and fathers, who choose to walk not necessarily the same but a similar path can be the lifeline, permission slip, gentle hug or perhaps even kick up the butt we all sometimes need when in the midst of raising wild and free children.
The need to create a community and a safe space for us to share, to learn from each other and grow together alongside our offsprings somewhere away from social media has only grown stronger over the past few months and so here we are.
Welcome (yet again).
I want you to imagine this space as a cozy home for all of us. One in which we sit around the table with delicious homemade food simmering away on the stove. One in which our children explore, laugh and cry and run and climb while we have conversations - the good ones - around what it means for us to be mothers and fathers in this day in age, the changes we are able to make and the visions we have not only for our children but for us. So that we can - together - craft the future for our families, little by little.
If you aren’t one for connecting and being active in a community, please don’t worry. All is welcome here and there is no need to ever comment or share anything with us. However if you do feel called to participate, I will be doing my best to ensure this is a safe place for you to do so.
From today onwards you can expect weekly letters in the form of short stories and longer essays around the joys and the challenges of mothering/parenting, raising kids slowly, ways to navigate big emotions from our children and ourselves, my experiences so far as a homeschooling mother, alternative schooling, days-in-the-life, healthy meals (if that is something you are interested in), what it’s like to raise children intentionally and respectfully in todays climate, how to build a thriving community of like minded families, our favourite resources and more.
One of my favourite aspects of creating community is that we all get to learn from each other and having that in mind I was playing with the thought of including a monthly “Campfire” session in which you can pre submit questions and we can all come together to answer to the best of our ability? It wouldn’t be live but in form of a post/ a thread. If that would be something you’re interested in vote on the poll below.
And with that, we are done with our first letter here. I will be back next week. Until then, if you feel called, come say Hi in the comments. I would love to know where you’re from, what brought you here and roughly where you’re at in your parenting journey. Let’s connect with each other.
Wishing you all a week filled with big adventures, lots of sleep and some deliciously nourishing time for you.
With love,
Claudia x
Hello! I am a stay at home mother to a one year old boy in the state of Washington (US). I intend to homeschool my children when the day comes. I just started my own Substack, Slower Seasons, with the intention to slow down and appreciate the day to day of motherhood and this season of life. I’m so excited to see what’s to come in this new space, Claudia! Happy to be here 🥰
Hello, I'm so happy to be here 💫
I'm also a homeschooling Mum of two wildlings (but only five chooks), living simply & slowly in connection with my family, community and the natural world where we are rooted on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia (Bunurong Country).
We are raising our kids creatively and holistically on as much nourishing food as can we grow, cook and preserve ourselves, surrounded by books, art, music and nature - our guiding tenets.
I write about the simples pleasures of our slow life at home at Splendid To Be and host the Australian Homeschool Stories podcast.
Always love connecting with other like minded folk.
Thanks for dreaming up and creating this space Claudia! 🫶✨