Radical Learning Talks

How do you support a child’s independence while keeping them safe? It’s tricky, but in this episode, we’re breaking down that delicate balance. We talk about how to foster autonomy and agency in kids, all while knowing when to step in to guide them through life’s challenges. From setting boundaries that make sense to learning when to support kids take healthy risks, we dig into what it means to truly trust and respect young people—without just letting them go at it alone. If you’re interested in building strong, consent-based relationships with the kids in your life, tune in for a refreshing take on raising responsible, empowered kids! // As mentioned in this episode: - You can find information on our 1:2 private coaching here: https://radical-learning.thinkific.com/courses/1-2 -   Please consider making a donation to support the production of this podcast here: https://paypal.me/RadicalLearningLLC - Check out more information on our offerings here: ⁠https://radical-learning.thinkific.com

Many adults spend so much time preparing kids for adulthood in ways that society has predetermined as the necessary or “right way”. Yet, we don’t realize that this comes at the expense of their childhood. And, many of us have even lost touch with what childhood is all about. In this episode we talk about the clash we often see between what many adults seem to want for their kids, and the societal pressure and fear of the future that disconnects us and our kids from the essence of childhood.

Kids are usually brought up to tell the truth, but the truth is adults lie all the time. So, why do we lie? What does it do to us and to our relationships? How does it make us feel? And when kids lie to us - what is that really about? And what can we do about it? In this episode of Radical Learning Talks we explore the phenomenon of lying!

Meet Ophelia, an 18 year old Unschooler that shares their perspectives around unschooling and the ways parents can get so invested in unschooling that they forget the most important part: consent and needs of their kids. Who does unschooling really support, the parent or the kid and how can we move towards more connection and collaboration with our kids?

There is a really clear idea in society of what skills have more value than others for our growing young people, and usually on top you will find reading, writing and math. But what happens when your kid (or even you) aren’t big readers and what are the feelings and fears around that?! In this episode we scratch the surface of this multilayered theme around hierarchy of skills and what lurks beneath. We kinda slip slide all over in this episode, so bear with us as we explore our own programmings and the work we are doing to free ourselves and our kids.

Limits? Boundaries? What's the difference? What are they about? In this episode, we dive into the deep waters of needs, emotions and what boundaries are really about: self-discovery and understanding ourselves, and how to learn how to honor our needs and develop empathy with ourselves and with others.

Ahhhh our kids want to quit something! What do we do? If they dont push through they will never learn..  These are thoughts old versions of ourselves can relate to and we see so common in parenting. We often fall into wanting to "support" by pushing our kids - or let's be honest - manipulate them.  We think there are so many benefits to sticking to whatever it is they're doing, and often we might feel some urgency - like as if it's now or never.  But there are so many more things to consider that have nothing to do what WE want - and everything to do what our kids want and need. In this episode of Radical Learning Talks we talk about this and how to navigate when our kids want to quit or "give up".

Does unschooling really work? Well, in this episode of Radical Learning Talks we chat with Alex Khost a long time unschooling father, facilitator & youth right’s advocate who shares how it’s not only possible, it’s in fact a reality for many. He shares stories from his 20+ years of advocating for & supporting youth on how to be present & build trusting relationships with kids and how he has witnessed youth thrive outside of conventional systems. Whether you are an unschooling parent, facilitator or human wishing to connect with and support kids… this one's for you! Find out more about his work here: www.flyingsquads.org www.alexanderkhost.org

“But Sari & Becka, how do you deschool without kids?” We were recently asked this question and it’s also one that we have been trying to find the words to speak to as we offer deschooling intensive training for both parents & adults supporting youth! The answer... deschooling actually has nothing to do with kids or school, it has to do with the many layers of conditioning that we peel back in order to heal and reconnect to ourselves. Sounds fluffy? It's a hard thing to explain in a podcast description, so listen in to hear our perspective of what deschooling means to us and how it applies to all people, parents or non-parents alike.

Unschooling can sound really wonderful, and in theory so many of us are totally on board with the concept. But then we start practicing it with our kids, and suddenly it no longer feels that amazing. Doubts and fears pop up and we wobble and wonder if this is really for us. Maybe it doesn't work? Should we just throw in the towel, or are there other options? In this episode we talk about all of this and what we can do instead of giving up on what can turn into the most amazing lifestyle for all the members of your family. 

There is so much talk in unschooling/ deschooling circles around supporting younger kids, but we seldom hear about what unschooling with tweens/ teens does or can look like. What we tend to hear most is lots of fear or assumptions around supporting these youth… they are gonna be lazy, rebellious, lost, unsuccessful, etc. etc.  In this episode we bust these and more myths and talk about what has been helpful for us in supporting tweens/ teens in their free living & learning process.

Do you ever wonder what it's like to build trust with kids, or intentional culture, or what the role of the facilitator is in breaking habits to fully support ourselves and young people to thrive?  In this episode we are joined by Anthony Galloway, a professional facilitator and self-directed education practitioner with over 10 years of experience in building intentional culture, community and collaboratively supporting young people in various learning spaces.  It's definitely an episode you don't want to miss!

Deschooling is all about challenging oxidized beliefs and it extends past what we think about learning & education, encompassing how we view and treat ourselves and others.  In this episode, we specifically chat about the judgements society holds around body image & aging and as a result, the limiting beliefs that we are personally struggling with in our own deschooling process.  We chat about beauty standards, patriarchy, how all of these things influence our thoughts around self worth & value and how we are learning to move from judgment towards radical love and self-acceptance.

There is no one size-fits all approach to unschooling. What works for one young person/ family may not for another and we definitely do  our young people a disservice if we have unrealistic expectations of them or try to force them to adapt to circumstances that they may not be ready for. This is especially true in supporting neurodivergent kids and in this episode we share some of our discoveries and learnings in supporting our own neurodivergent unschoolers in their process.

Let’s talk about a hard side of unschooling… sitting with discomfort! As we dig into our deschooling work of looking at and shedding limiting beliefs around relationship, learning & community there are many times when it seems like our world gets flipped upside down and we want to try to remedy and fix things, falling back to old patterns.  In this episode, we share our perspective about how these moments are in fact opportunities to pause, reflect and evolve in our care of and for ourselves and the young people in our lives.

In our last episode of the year, we chat with Bria Bloom, a born and raised unschooler, youth rights advocate and Executive Director of the Alliance for Self-Directed Education. Bria shares her perspective on the different flavors of unschooling, the intersectionality of deschooling and about her experience in the SDE world.

The biggest wound school inflicts on us is that it disconnects us from our unique configuration of interests and passions - and our ability to read our inner compass. As unschooling parents it’s never too late to heal!  In this  episode we talk about this, and how instead of "just" being an unschooling parent, we can become unschoolers ourselves.

Whether you come to unschooling focused only on liberated learning, social justice, conscious parenting or from an intersectional lens, the pathway is layered and complex and usually leads us to deep questioning and transformation. In this episode we share about our entryways into unschooling and our evolution through the never ending process of deschooling.

Can we tell you how much we love this episode with the amazing and courageous Domari Dickinson - a recovering educator, unschooling mother of 4, badass parent coach and leading voice in the SDE movement.  Domari openly shares about her deschooling journey of going from an approval chasing, controlling, punishing mom to a conscious, peaceful and revolutionary parent. We talk about what trips us up in the conscious parenting & deschooling journey, divesting in oppressive systems and what unschooling can truly look like.

What do you do when you realize your kid isn't like other kids? Are you trying to force them to behave in a more socially acceptable way? Or do you blame yourself for not being a good enough parent?  In this episode we share what it has been like for us to discover that our kids are neurodivergent, how we're navigating it and how unschooling is an amazing way of embracing your kids' unique self!