You may know Paul West as the loveable TV presenter, cookbook author, radio host and garden extraordinaire that he is, but you may not know that he has recently taken up the mantle of homeschooling Dad to his two boys, 8 & 6, alongside his wife Alicia in their small country town of Bermagui on the South Coast of NSW. When they are not travelling around the country for Paul's work the West family is deeply embedded in their community and in this episode Paul shares the joys of life in the garden and the simple pleasure of getting to spend more time with his kids.
SUMMARY
- Retrospectively appreciating the tight-knit community village he grew up in, which he hopes to replicate for his boys
- Paul's reflection on his journey of unremarkably coasting through school leading him in search of worldly life experiences before ending up in the high pressure environment of Melbourne's fine dining scene
- The juggle of balancing his career whilst raising their kids has been a continued imagination of how life looks
- How they chose to intentionally transition their boys out of school so the whole family could be included in the incredible experiences his work presents together
- What a typical homeschooling week looks like for the West family in this season of life
- Maximising the enjoyment of the golden era of childhood his kids are in
- The amazing outdoor classroom that is the home garden and the friendly dialogue it opens up with the natural world
- The future for our kids is digital and when used for creation instead of consumption, screens are an incredible tool for our kids to make use of
- Feeling known and a part of their community is a huge priority in their lives, particularly building connections in the early years to be able to lean on their mentorship in the older years
- Grow it Local - imagining a world where everyone is gardener
- The parallels between gardening and homeschooling
- Wanting to be the one who shows his kids the way to be in the world
INSPIRATION
Pip Magazine Podcast - Episode 26 with Paul West
Futuresteading Podcast - Season 3, Episode 25 with Paul West
All the Dirt Podcast - Episode 196 with Paul West
CONNECT
@_paul_west_ instagram
Grow it Local website
@growitlocal instagram
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Connect with us on instagram @australianhomeschoolstories or email australianhomeschoolstories@gmail.com
This podcast is recorded on the land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, always will be aboriginal land.
Original music - Hazel by Daniel Garrood @garroodcomposer
Listen on Spotify here