2.23.2012

resources for dads

2/23, Brie wrote:
> For Michael, my husband, the biggest step he made toward unschooling was recognizing that he didn't have to be a hard ass to be a good dad and that he could, with every choice, STOP being the asshole dad his father had been.


That could so easily describe George. It's such a relief for him to know he doesn't have to be an asshole to be a good dad.

It might help to think about all the baggage that comes with the expression "a good mother" - men have just as much baggage about being fathers, although of a slightly different sort. They can sometimes need a lot of reassurance that all this kindness and softness isn't going to "ruin" their kids in some way. Connecting with other unschooling dads can help, but gosh its hard to get dads together and talking about something touchy-feely like parenting - even the touchy-feely dads can struggle to put it all into words until they start to feel competent about it.

> Sandra's the Big Book of Unschooling is great too, especially as a planted bathroom read, because it is mostly short one-page essays.

Also consider printing out parts of Joyce's website - her logical, organized style is reassuring to a lot of men.
http://joyfullyrejoycing.com/

Some unschooling dad blogs:
http://justabaldman.blogspot.com/
(Jeff Sabo - lots of mom appeal, too)

http://pvmaro.blogspot.com/
(Frank Maier, doesn't write a ton about unschooling, but devoted to it. He's both cynical and wittily articulate, which will appeal to some more than others.)

http://www.thebarkingcow.com/
(John Gold - mostly older posts, and a wild, wicked sense of humor)

http://thewonderfulhappens.blogspot.com/
(Rob in BC - mostly a photo blog)

http://uncommonranting.blogspot.com/
(Alex Bradstreet - includes several recent essays on "deschooling society")

( Tim Gutteridge - Breakfast with diamonds. Another smarty pants dad - well written and articulate. Gosh these unschooling dads are clever fellows.)

http://theparentingpit.com/
(Arun's blog - they're not unschooling at the moment, due to health issues, but some very good posts over the years)

Bob Collier's "Parental Intelligence Newsletter" doesn't only focus on unschooling, but does explore a wide range of issues related to learning and parenting, including a great deal about natural learning:
http://www.parental-intelligence.com/

---Meredith

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