How Dayna Martin Bucked The System and Gave Us a Map; Radical Parenting Practices and Respecting your Child

Sometimes you meet someone online or in person and it changes the course of your life. Dayna Martin’s book called “Radical Unschooling” was part of (co-host) Rythea Lee’s parenting wake up call. She joined Dayna’s support groups and coached with her during a time of deep distress and confusion. Dayna’s loving and articulate allyship of her children and children everywhere helped Rythea turn towards non-coercion and collaboration with her daughter.

What are the underpinnings of Dayna’s approach and how does it fly in the face of everything we’ve been taught about teaching and raising children?

Join us as Dayna shares more about what stepping out of our society norms did for her children and her family. She shares personal anecdotes on how she handles negative reactions and remains grounded in her values, providing listeners with insight into the resilience required to stand up for unconventional beliefs. Unschooling, for Dayna, is part of a broader social justice initiative. She talks about how giving children autonomy over their learning can challenge and help dismantle oppressive systems, including those that perpetuate racism, sexism, and homophobia. She believes that empowering children to think critically and empathetically from an early age can contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate society.

Addressing common critiques—such as concerns that children who unschool aren’t learning or that unschooling parents are neglectful—Dayna shares her responses. She explains that unschooling isn’t about a lack of learning but about transforming how we approach education, highlighting the extensive skills and knowledge her children have gained outside traditional schooling.

She gives listeners an inside look at her family’s current dynamics and shares updates on what her children are passionate about, from creative projects to budding interests, illustrating how unschooling has allowed them to pursue what genuinely excites them.

Join Cara, Rythea, and Dayna as they explore the powerful intersections of unschooling, freedom, and social change, challenging us to rethink our approaches to education and parenting.

Connect with Dayna:

https://www.facebook.com/DaynaMartin

https://daynamartin.com

https://radicalunschooling.com

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It’s important and essential to put our voices (Rythea and Cara) in a context. We are two white, cis-gender, straight, middle-class women living with financial and societal privilege. Because of this, our perspectives are limited and do not reflect the realities of all our listeners. This podcast will feature guests with expertise around conscious parenting who differ in gender, race, class, abilities, sexual orientation, and histories from us, to broaden the conversation and reflect the lives of as many people as possible. 25% of the proceeds of this podcast will go to creators of color who have been mentors and influences on our work and in our growth as parents. You can donate to this podcast by going to https://linktr.ee/yourkidsdontsuck