Mom and Adult Daughter on Growing Up with Non-Coercion: The Result; Best Friends

What does it look like to have grown up being treated like someone of equal value to your parent? Rythea Lee’s long-time sister-of-choice, Naomi Sparrow, parented in a non-coercive way long before there was a name for it. She didn’t call it that, she says: “I tried not to hurt my kid, justify it, and get away with it.” Naomi worked to protect her daughter's autonomy with no support or reference point. Eventually she could name it “attachment parenting a neurodiverse child with sensory issues”, but those labels came later.

All while Maggie was growing up, Naomi followed her daughter’s cues and cultivated something they both now call “solidarity.” What was the result? Well, Naomi and her daughter Maggie join us here to talk about the outcome of a natural, non-authoritarian approach. They cover so many topics including neurodiversity, masking, divorce, high-needs children, homeschooling, self-doubt, and parent/child friendship. And at 23 years old, Maggie gives us a wonderful perspective on being the child in a non-coercive equation! Rythea and Cara chime in and resonate with much of the challenges and questions of going against the grain of mainstream parenting to discover unfolding and lasting friendships with their children.

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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