Fare of the Free Child

Latest Episodes:

Ep 151: Conscious Parenting with Adult Children Dec 24, 2019

Show notes

Val Anderson is in her sixties, yet she is practicing conscious parenting. Turns out that connection, respect, listening, and regard for boundaries are not just for toddlers and their doting parents. Parents who have raised their children into adults and are now developing language and norms that see that person as an adult, and not a perpetual child. In this episode, Val, who happens to be Akilah’s mother, is sharing some of her practices for being more present, more connected, and less tied to the oppressive adult-child dynamics she saw all around her. Listen close and share wide as Val talks about her deschooling journey from conventional Jamaican parent to raising free people, including herself.

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Ep 150: Deschooling Your Life’s Path Dec 19, 2019

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In this final episode of the Deschooling Your Leadership Lens Series, our very own co-producer, South African born, self-directed mama, and student of life, Fatima Mookadam, talks about how her family’s decision to slow-travel through several countries with little money and plenty of trust in the process, turned out to be the most life-changing experience she has had so far. The plot twists and points of clarity still serve to remind Fatima of the power that comes from allowing oneself to push through (not around) old wounds and new pain points. Listen as Fatima shares some beautiful stories from her travels, and reminds us why we too can (and maybe should) live out our dreams, however we can, instead of settling into the status quo.

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Ep 149: Caribbean Mama Self-Reclamation + Self-Directed Education Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

By trade, Danii Oliver manufacturers whole food based beverages having founded several brands including Island to Island Brewery, House of Juice and Brooklyn Jun Brew. Formally, Danii applied her Creative Technology skills in the digital spaces of the advertising and marketing industry. Danii now applies her skills to her businesses and the education of her family and customers constantly learning and growing to remain independent in a world that has become restricted by limited archetypes to live by.
In this episode, we talk about, how do we heal from our childhood wounds while we raise free people? Is it possible to stay the course in a relationship with a parent that feels verbally and emotionally toxic while you mother your own children?

Are Caribbean parents doomed to relive what they were taught, or can we recover relationships that aren’t based on whether di White people dem undanstan we?

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Ep 148: Deschooling Mindfulness and Meditation Dec 04, 2019

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Howard Palmer is deschooling from old habits by intentionally being an example of peace (through meditation) and of creative action (through parkour and fitness) and in his relationships with people. He’s feeling out the particulars of his move to California right now and sharing a little about how he manages himself while this is happening. What does he do each day to stay aligned with what he wants? He’ll share some simple gems around that, inviting you to consider your own ways to stay attuned to where and how you want to be.

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Ep 147: Deschooling Intergenerational Trauma as Daughter & as Mother Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

They say if you need to see just how well your healing is going, go be with your family for a week. The triggers, the baggage, the habits, all of it comes racing back, forcing us to reckon with the reality that healing work can be done, but most times, it’s never really done, it’s in progress. This week, repeat guest Aja Rutledge, joins us to speak with candor and unquieted assertion that Black folks need to stop saying our toxic mothering experiences are normal and okay. Not all of us are okay, and Aja is deeply committed to calling us to the spaces where we can acknowledge, name, and work toward healing the effects of what Aja calls Black Mama Trauma.

When Aja and her son moved back to the U.S. after their natural learning travels took them to Mexico, they ended up staying with her mother longer than anticipated. Aja has been realizing how much her mother’s baggage affected her own sense of worth and value.

Who am I? What do I like? What am I healing from? How is my relationship with my parent playing out in my relationship with my child?

Those are the questions that have been on the rise for Aja, and she is not willing to leave them unanswered. Listen and connect as Aja talks about what she’s feeling, observing, and moving toward as she deschools herself and makes room for her son and her to continue cultivating a holistic, authentic, trust and respect-based relationship.

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Ep 146: Deschooling Relationships & Regenerative Practices Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

This week, Chevanni Davids takes us through a reasoning that connects regeneration to liberation and deschooling in brilliant, thought-provoking ways. If you are the type to geek out on the ways that personal leadership and community organizing collaborate and create a person’s drive and shifts their thinking, this is an episode just for you! Enjoy!

“This is an intention that is constructed on convergence of human creativity and working together towards a sustainable future. It's a meeting point for diverse amounts of knowledge, ability, intellect and spirituality. It's a holistic space . A place where sciences, art, self-exploration and development and spirituality are woven together.”

-- Chevanni Davids about Antiuniversity Ecoversity of South Afrika: Non-institutional Learning and Education

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Ep 145: From Hella Schooled to Self-Directed Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

“Emancipated Learning: The interplay between psychological safety, learning and inquiry, and meaningfulness represents Emancipated Learning. Every individual has his or her own unique learning needs, capacities, and interests. When these learning dimensions are ignored or subjugated, learning turns into a chore that must be completed to appease or satisfy others.

Abrome Learners feel comfortable taking risks and diving deep in pursuit of knowledge in their fields of interests, rather than skimming them at the surface. Learners construct knowledge by leveraging resources that are directly available to them, to include their learning community, or by acquiring necessary resources in the process of exploration and discovery. This process is unique for every Learner as they link various resources, in pursuit of their own purposes, according to their own needs. Like any two distinct individuals, no two Learners or educational pathways are the same; only in retrospect will a learning pathway become fully defined. When an individual is able to marry such educational experiences with a life of meaning, the result is a remarkable life lived.” http://www.abrome.com/emancipated-learning

Antonio Buehler (he/him) founded Abrome to liberate children and fundamentally change the way people think about education. He wants Learners to have full autonomy over their bodies, minds, and time so they can lead meaningful and purposeful lives, positively impact society, and improve the human condition. Abrome is aligned with Antonio’s desire to challenge, undermine, and create alternatives to oppressive systems so we can move toward a freer, healthier world.

Prior to founding Abrome, Antonio worked as a middle school and high school teacher at a startup alternative school in Austin, TX. He also worked as an admission consultant to individuals applying to top colleges and MBA programs. Before he dedicated his career to education, Antonio spent time in private equity, investment banking, and the military. Outside of work, Antonio supports his local library through education related programming, founded the Peaceful Streets Project, served on the board of a child bereavement non-profit, volunteered at an orphanage in Bulgaria, volunteered for the West Point and Stanford admissions offices, coached high school football, and has personally mentored and tutored dozens of children. In his free time, Antonio likes to read, travel (37 countries and counting), ski, and volunteer for his favorite causes, preferably through direct action.

Antonio earned a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy, an M.B.A. from Stanford University, and an Ed.M. from Harvard University.

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Ep 144: Liberation in Latinx Parenting Nov 06, 2019

Show notes

Learn how two women use brain science, a love for culture, and a recognition of parenting as social justice work to connect and uplift their communities in their commitment to nonviolent parenting and thriving-centered self-care.

“Latinx Parenting is a bilingual organization rooted in social justice and children’s rights, the ongoing practice of nonviolence towards ourselves and others, self-reflection and connection, and community wellness for every generation. We offer family education and support that is culturally responsive to and for the Latinx community and its allies, trauma-informed, and centered on strengths and advocacy. We are here to serve you, your children, their children, your parents, and the ripple of our ancestral mark on this earth.” - latinxparenting.org

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Ep 143: Teens in Self-Directed Education Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

What do teenage unschoolers need in order for the Self-Directed Education movement to be even more effective for them? One common gripe among many of the SDE-minded folks in my circles is the lack of amplified youth voices in our gatherings, trainings, etc. Nahla, Marley, and Timo are three teenagers whose families embracing unschooling. They have each also facilitated trainings for adults and children who attend SDE spaces or are interested in the philosophies around SDE. In this episode, they share some of their experiences as teen facilitators, and offer insights on what adults can do to get deeper into partnership with young people.

There are young people who are willing to be vocal about what is and isn’t working for them as our communities reconnect with more trust-based models for living and learning together, and they should be heard consistently. When it comes to deschooling parents, hearing from a teenager who is willing to express themselves honestly, and to help us get clear on this thing called freedom, we need to be listening. Real freedom is a thing many of us have so little practice with, and so we must learn how to develop a trust in our children and ourselves so that we can design that freedom together.

What are some ideas can adults in the SDE movement do to get better at amplifying teen voices?

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Ep 142: Check the Unschooling Vocab Oct 23, 2019

Show notes

This week, let’s talk about some unschooling vocabulary. There are terms I made up, and terms that our community took on and redefined for ourselves. This episode highlights some of those words. I imagine doing updates of this episode as we continue to develop language together. For now, these ten words offer a good opportunity for us to have shared meaning. It’s also an opportunity to question your own definitions and understandings, and pivot wherever the need arises.

Unschooling
Self-Directed Education
Deschooling
Schoolishness
Pervasive Whiteness
Othermothering (the brilliant Patricia Hill Collins wrote about this)
Reparenting
Life Design
Intersectionality
Labrish

Here’s a resource for further exploring language in relation to parenting, leadership, and of course, liberation: https://radicalselfie.teachable.com/p/ourpatois

This episode was recorded live at She Podcasts. Here’s an excerpt with a few snippets from this page about #Shepodcasts:

“She Podcasts began in 2014 as a small Facebook group, built so that our women podcaster friends could have a place online to get quick podcasting answers, tips and resources from one another. However, as soon as the group started, it grew enormously. Friends were adding friends and before long it had been built to over 11,000 women in some phase of building and PRODUCING a podcast. In the spirit of further support, a podcast was created to address issues and podcasting current events as they relate to women. Hosted by Elsie Escobar and Jessica Kupferman, the podcast entitled “She Podcasts” now boasts almost 10000 downloads per month. The vision for She Podcasts is to support and nurture as many female-lead podcasts as possible, and to encourage knowledge sharing without excessive promotion.”

Dawn J. Fraser was my absolute favorite workshop facilitator. She was present, brilliant, intuitive, and funny. Here’s her bio, straight from her website:

“Dawn J. Fraser is a storyteller, educator and and nationally acclaimed speaker based out of New York City. She is the Host of the live show and upcoming podcast ‘Barbershop Stories’, which features storytellers performing true tales in barbershops and salons. Dawn has created programs for college students, educators and entrepreneurs to develop leadership potential through storytelling, and is an Instructor with The Moth and The Story Studio. She was featured amongst some of the nation’s top innovators and change makers as a speaker at TED@NYC and has performed in shows including The Moth Mainstage, Story Collider, RISK and The Unchained Tour. She loves being a twin, a Trinidadian, and tweetable @dawnjfraser.”

Lisa Orkin was also amazingly giving during her workshop. Here’s her website, and here’s a blurb I took directly from her site:

I have over 25 years of experience in copywriting, scripting, audio production, voice acting, teaching and speaking in both traditional and digital media. And I have also worked in the world of indie filmmaking making as a writer, actor and producer. Making award-winning films with the likes of Adam Mckay, Shira Piven, and Dweezil Zappa. My current podcast is a wild mix of all my creative lives, Project Woo Woo. Where I have very real conversations with imaginary people. And all this in a tutu and checkered Vans.

All kindsa awesome from

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