Radical Learning Talks

Today Sari & Becka share about their deschooling around the idea of perfectionism. They chat about how perfectionism is actually quite an oppressive practice for ourselves and our kids and of the importance to look at and shift away from these practices to embrace our life outside of shadow’s of other’s ideas of what we should be or do.

"It’s ok... nothing happened, you are all good! Don't worry, we will get another pet! Don’t be upset, you will feel better soon! Don’t be so angry!" The list goes on for how we have been shielded or now shield our kids around big emotions. In this episode we chat about the dangers of shielding kids from big emotions, how emotions are a compass for meeting unmet needs and how we empower kids to advocate for themselves by understanding their emotions and the world around them.

In this episode we have the pleasure of chatting with Iris Chen, a deconstructing tiger mom, unschooling partner, youth advocate, liberation activist and writer of the book Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent.  Iris shares about how unschooling is deep social justice work, her family’s journey in transitioning to unschooling and how she has shifted from authoritarian to more peaceful parenting. By the end of this episode we hope you will feel as pumped up as we do about your own role in this larger liberation movement!

Your kid asks to talk about sex, racism, religion, death, addiction, _______ (fill in the blank)… Do you clam up and freak out, or do see it as an opportunity to create a safe space and build relationship with them?  As a follow up on our episode on how to raise conscious boys, we share more on what our experience has been in talking about taboos with our kids and how we see these moments as gateways for deepening connection and trust.

In this episode we pick up from the last episode and get really vulnerable. We share personal stories around the themes of power, patriarchy, machismo and our critical role in raising boys into conscious men and how that is tied to deschooling and liberation work. TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode we talk about sexual harassment and violence. We acknowledge that we are two privileged women who are speaking from our perspective and experience and the content around sexual harassment and violence may bring discomfort. Our intention is to bring awareness and open up dialogue around these themes never to shame, blame, expose or exclude anyone. If we can do better, please let us know, we are always learning. You can find the podcast referenced in the episode here: https://raisingfreepeople.com/232/

This is a big one friends and just might rock your world!  In this episode we are talking to Dr. Sundiata Soon-Jahta, father of 2 self-directed learners, anti oppression educator and creator of the Theory of Indivisibility. We talk about tools of oppression, power dynamics, patriarchy and how to build sustainable relationships and communities in the world! You can find all of Dr. Sundiata’s life work including his Theory of Indivisibility here: https://drsundiata.com You can support Dr. Sundiata’s work here: https://www.patreon.com/LiveIndivisible

Your kid wants to jump off of that cliff, cut with a sharp knife, walk to the store by themselves… How do you respond? In this episode we talk about the role of risk taking in our kid’s evolution, what trips us up in the process and how supporting our kids to take risks not only helps them grow, but also helps us foster more connection and trust in our relationships with them.

In this episode we talk about the importance of play in our deschooling process and in supporting ourselves and our youth to live authentic and free lives.  We discuss how play is an expression of freedom and the role play holds in our lives to break free from societal expectations. 

Ever wonder what a group of unschoolers does with their autonomy in a foreign country? How unschooling truly prepares youth for the future? What the role of an adult is in an unschoolers’ journey? Or even why some of us may still be sending our kids to school?  In this episode, we dive into these questions and more with our friend Blake Boles, writer, speaker, podcaster and SDE (self-directed education) advocate. Blake shares insights from years of research and direct support of unschooling youth on international adventures with his program Unschooling Adventures.  You can find more info on Blake and his work at https://www.blakeboles.com

Why do we think we need to challenge kids all the time? What does that say about our mindset, our fears and our trust in our kids? In this episode we explore ideas about how we learn and how we can support our kids’ natural learning process without falling back into the pressure cooker of challenge.