Worry is an expression of love
Posted on Nov 05, 2009 - 03:32 PM by Scott Nine in Uncharted Parenting
As a parent of a ten- and two-year old, I continue to be awed and humbled by what parenting asks of me. Whoever said that raising children is like watching your heart move around outside your body was spot on. As an educator who spends my day with other people's kids, I'm also deeply aware of the ways parents and educators can work and grow together as well as the potential impact when we don't.
I've come to love the worry parents feel and often express (including my own). I didn't start there, but as my kids got older and I found my own anxieties arrive at how my son spent his day, I found myself needing to rethink my responses to worry.
The way I see it, the worry a so called...
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Lost and Out of Control. . . At Last.
Posted on Nov 18, 2009 - 02:46 PM by Khalif Williams in Uncharted Parenting

Falling in love, finding that perfect line to finish your poem, stepping in to break up a fight -- some of the most valuable and rewarding things in life simply cannot be done by following a plan. And so goes parenting. And so goes democratic education at home. And so, now that I think about it, goes a life worth living.
I envision my life with my wife and 2 sons as an exercise in liberation, for all of us. As my wife and I attempt to liberate ourselves from some of the less-than-helpful cultural habits of parenting (maintaining control and power at all costs, or needing to be “right” all the time), we are hopefully liberating our children. We're allowing them to maintain their...
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Thoughts on Parenting from an Unparent
Posted on Dec 17, 2009 - 05:10 PM by Tanya Reza in Op-Education
I'm not a parent. My heart goes out to all of you who are, and I am at a point in my life where I can greatly (albeit not completely) appreciate the tough job you all have. To my own parents, thank you. I know you did your best.
However, as I have been diving deeper into the world of democratic education and childrearing, I'm coming to realize that Mom and Dad, as well as many moms and dads out there, did exactly the opposite of what many of these books and articles tell you to do. Of course, such critical analysis of Mom and Dad inevitably leads to the same of oneself. I found myself better understanding why I was the way I was, and also asking, how do I picture raising my own children...
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