Blindly Trusting the Experts

Years ago, my mother went to amazing lengths to provide formula for my baby brother. She boiled glass bottles; she boiled nipples; she boiled water to make formula, she boiled the spoon to mix it. My wife nursed our children, and my daughter nurses hers; this was “radical” 35 years ago, but is pretty “mainstream” today.

D.C. Bureaucrats Are Trying to Make Parents Get a License to Let Children Play Together

Let’s say you and some of your friends decide to gather your young children together a couple of days a week for a few hours of free play. Maybe you switch off who leads the gaggle of kids each week, allowing for some shared free time and flexibility. Sounds like a great arrangement for all, right? Your kids get to play freely with their friends, and you get some occasional free babysitting. According to government officials in Washington, DC, arrangements like this are violations of the law. They are cracking down on what they call an illegal “child development facility” operating without a license.

Skool vs Education

For a sizeable percentage of people, school doesn’t “work”. Not if you expect it to result in education, anyway. I’ve mentioned before that many of my relatives work at government schools. One has recently retired, but has shifted into being a “substitute teacher”. His recent experiences are enlightening.

Unschooling: Reclaiming the Term

I appreciate what the term “unschooling” now means for many families, particularly for the homeschooling families who navigate the many educational philosophies and approaches available to them in search of the best fit. I also think it is worthwhile to reclaim the term’s origins and dig deeper into Holt’s initial message–not because we should change how we currently use the language of unschooling, but so that we can expand it.