2016 – The Beginning of My Parenting Journey

When I was pregnant with my first child, Lima, in 2016, I began reading one parenting book after another. I wanted to be as prepared as possible and avoid the common pitfalls. That curiosity never stopped—I kept diving deeper into topics like gentle parenting, psychology, homeschooling, unschooling, and everything related to raising children consciously and respectfully.

I approached motherhood with a simple philosophy: keep my child safe from real harm and give her as much freedom as possible. We spent most of our days outside, surrounded by nature and friends of all ages.

2021 – When Friends Became Hard to Find

When Lima turned 5 and her little sister was 2, it became harder to find other children to play with—especially in the mornings. Most of their friends had already started nursery or school, and we were often left on our own.

Autumn 2021 – The Summerhill Inspiration

That autumn, I read Summerhill School by A.S. Neill—and something clicked. I was deeply inspired by the idea of a place where children are completely free to be themselves, unrestricted in what they choose to do or learn, and never forced to sit in a classroom or follow a prescribed curriculum.

"Summerhill is as unlike a conventional school as it could possibly be. Founded one hundred years ago to provide a space where children can grow in a ‘free-range’ environment. A.S. Neill set out to make a school that would fit the child rather than forcing pupils to do what adults thought was best for them."

What I Envisioned Instead

Unlike a boarding school that separates children from family life, I wanted to create something rooted in connection. A place where kids can play and learn freely, but still run to their parents for a cuddle, a meal, or just to be together.

I also saw how valuable it would be for parents to stay close to their children’s learning journey while gently unlearning their own limiting beliefs—those unconscious ideas we carry from childhood that make it hard to truly let go and trust our kids to lead.

My own inner journey began in 2008, and my husband Rob—who has nearly 30 years of experience as a mind/body coach—has been walking this path even longer. Because we do this inner work daily, we’ve made it part of the foundation at A Place To Be. Healing, reflection, and self-awareness are all part of raising free children in a conscious way.

I had a childhood rich in outdoor play and freedom—but only outside of school hours. And truthfully, I didn’t enjoy school at all. Learning that school is not only unnecessary but often harmful made the decision easy: we wouldn’t send our kids there. We chose to value their time and our connection instead.

I dreamed of a neighborhood where unschooled children could run outside and find friends to play with at any time of day. A place where families live side by side, guided by freedom, not fear.

2022 – A Place To Be Is Born

When I couldn’t find this kind of neighborhood anywhere, I decided to create it. That’s how A Place To Be was born: a village for families who want their children to grow up freely, naturally, and joyfully—without school.

2024/2025 – Building Together with Citadel.Garden

In 2024, we partnered with Rahim Taghizadegan, founder of Citadel.Garden, and began co-creating villages for freedom-minded families across the world. Together, we’re weaving a global network of regenerative, child-honoring communities.

So here we are—building the village we couldn’t find.
A Place To Be is not just for our children, but for all of us.
We’d love for you to visit us soon in sunny Madeira and see what life can feel like when it’s built on trust, freedom, and togetherness.