Sandra Dodd is a pioneer in the Unschooling world. Her website is rich with information and support for parents and children. She kindly agreed to answer some questions of mine. Enjoy...
1. What’s your perspective on rewarding kids? Alfie Kohn who wrote
“Unconditional Parenting” and other authors warn against it because it
can create a “looking outward” for approval in children and contribute
to them losing touch with their own feelings, wants, genuine
connection with others.
On your site, one of the items is "fostering self discipline (no
rewards or punishment)."
I'm not in favor of punishments, but sometimes when a kid as done a
really big thing--a twelve year old, or a teen, and the parents give
them something they've been wanting as a congratulatory gift, that can
be interepreted as "a reward," and your list says the big "NO" word.
NO rewards. There's no benefit in that. It's a rule divorced from
the principle. Sometimes if I've worked my butt off for something
that helps others more than it does me, my husband or kids will very
willingly take me to dinner, or not mind me zoning out with videos and
pattern games for a few days. Some families could interpret that sort
of behavior as "reward." (I think of it as recuperation.) We've
done similar things for the kids.
I don't like "self discipline" either--nor the term "discipline," nor
"self-control" nor "self-regulation." Ideally, no one needs to train,
control or regulate anyone, not even himself.
What I prefer to all of that is choices. Parents can choose to
provide their child with all sorts of choices in the moment, and when
a child is an active part of deciding about his own comfort and
activities, that in itself is more than most families would provide as
"rewards."
It's not that I'm "pro rewards." I'm anti-"no rewards." It seems to
be removing choices from the parents.
Alfie Kohn is not writing about homeschooling, and knows little about
unschooling. He's writing about school and families involved in school.
When a child's parents dedicate themselves to living in partnership
with a child, how could he lose touch with his own feelings or
connection with others? If the parents help him get what he wants, he
won't be needy.
I've written about the differences I've found in unschoolers and in
children parented with more rules and "deal making" here: How to
Raise a Respected Child http://sandradodd.com/respect/dodd
2. What’s your perspective on non-violent communication?
I don't like the false overlay "NVC" puts on the world. I've seen
people fail to have direct presence and mindfulness because they were
mentally trying to label people and judge their expressions of feeling
or desire. I prefer people be compassionate and flexible about
communicating with others, rather than to pre-decide there is only one
way they will communicate or accept being communicated with.
Although it can be a good healing tool for an adult who suffered years
of verbal abuse and is in recovery, as a starting place, or as
something to impose on or require of others, it's unnatural. As for
communication between a child and his parents, it's overkill and takes
time that could be better used just listening to one another without
wondering what a book or a coach would have to say about it.
Choices and compassion will cover that, in an unschooling family where
children and parents live closely together as partners.
3. What about the mom who is committed to unschooling who has a child
who really wants to go to school? What would you say to her?
It depends on the details and what the child hopes to gain from
school. Some children should go to school. No mother should be
"committed to unschooling" at the expense of her child's peace and
happiness. She should be committed to and closely attuned to her
child. If school is more appealing than the environment the parents
can create at home, then school is the better choice. Or maybe the
child wants band, orchestra, theatre, or sports and doesn't have other
access to those.
One of the worst parts of school is the "compulsory" part. If a child
has no choice about being homeschooled, he can grow to resent home and
his parents, just as many school kids long to be anywhere but school.
But an unhappy homeschooled child has no happy mom to go home to at
the end of the day.
There are ways to detach from school even if a child attends. I have
notes here: Public School on Your Own Terms
I don't usually write much about school. This is the most for a long
time. :-)
My best recommendation, though, is to create and maintain such a rich
and joyful unschooling life that the child won't want to go to
school. That's the direction "commitment to unschooling" should take.
4. Tell us about your book!
I have two books. Moving a Puddle is a collection of most of my
published articles up to 2005. Some newer unschoolers have said they
prefer that book, because there are so many stories involving younger
children.
The Big Book of Unschooling came out in September, 2009. It has
summaries of a few hundred of the pages on my site, with easy
information on how to find much more on each topic.
5. How have you created such a successful presence/business while
pouring your heart into family?
Gradually. It's not "a business" so much as it's a self-supporting
mission. What started off as my gathering information and contacts
turned into a hobby, and then an avocation. Not many people get the
opportunity to change the world. After I started writing online when
Kirby was little, I was invited to write articles and columns for
various homeschooling newsletters and magazines. I was asked to speak
at local conferences, and then in California, Texas and other
places. I've spoken in a dozen states, two Canadian provinces, and
in the U.K. This fall I'm going to visit unschooling families in India.
Little by little, years ago, I started to see that each little idea
that had changed my own family had the potential, if I could explain
it clearly enough, to change another family. Just a little was
enough. As more and more families shared their successes and joys,
the world changed. As more information was gathered and put where
others could find it, the rate of change increased.
When I was first unschooling, we waited two months for a new issues of
Growing Without Schooling. There was no internet discussion at all.
When that began, a few years later, it was user groups, not even e-
mail or webpages yet. Today someone can get more information about
unschooling in one day than existed in the whole world when my oldest
was five. I'm glad to have been part of honing, polishing, clarifying
and gathering those ideas, stories and examples, and keeping them
where others have quick access to them.
My husband, Keith, is willing to support my social work. By doing
that, he too helping improve thousands of children's lives. Often,
when I speak, one of my kids goes with me, even though they're now 18,
21 and 24. Holly was with me in Montreal this summer. Kirby will be
in Sacramento at the HSC conference. Helping other unschoolers has
become a family tradition.
