To be Rad

A couple of nights ago I watched a show on TV about "radical parenting." It sounded way too interesting to pass up. The most interesting family were the "unschoolers." Their children didn't attend regular school. They stayed home with their parents everyday and made most decisions for themselves.

If I had seen this show nine months ago I would have thought some of these parents were a little whacked out. I was trying to be open-minded, but I couldn't help but think about how these "unschooled" children would function in the "real" world. What if they wanted to go to college? How would they get a job and support themselves? Where is the structure? Then I realized how harshly I was judging this family for what they believe is best for their family. Who am I to criticize a parenting style?

The parents on this show were obviously hardcore devoted to their kids. They were teaching them everyday through real life experiences. I can say that this lifestyle would not be for me. I love routine and I think children thrive on structure, but then again I haven't met all the children in the world. But these parents were all about their kids and I thought that was pretty rad.