Unschooling isn’t a technique – it’s living and learning naturally, lovingly, and respectfully together. The Unschooling Unmanual features 11 essays by 8 writers: Nanda Van Gestel, Jan Hunt, Daniel Quinn, Rue Kream, Kim Houssenloge, Earl Stevens, and Mary Van Doren. Through engaging personal stories, examples, and essays, the writers offer inspiration and encouragement for seasoned and prospective unschoolers alike.

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Customer Review:
You won’t find this book on a school library shelf–it’s pure teenage anarchy. With the exception of a forwarding note to parents, this book is written entirely for teenagers, and the first 75 pages explain why school is a waste of time. Grace Llewellyn insists that people learn better when they are self-motivated and not confined by school walls. Instead of homeschooling, which connotes setting up a school at home, Llewellyn prefers “unschooling,” a learning method with no structure or formal curriculum. There are tips here you won’t hear from a school guidance counselor. Llewellyn urges kids to take a vacation–at least for a week–after quitting school to purge its influence. “Throw darts at a picture of your school” or “Make a bonfire of old worksheets,” she advises. She spends an entire chapter on the gentle art of persuading parents that this is a good idea. Then she gets serious. Llewellyn urges teens to turn off the TV, get outside, and turn to their local libraries, museums, the Internet, and other resources for information. She devotes many chapters to books and suggestions for teaching yourself science, math, social sciences, English, foreign languages, and the arts. She also includes advice on jobs and getting into college, assuring teens that, contrary to what they’ve been told in school, they won’t be flipping burgers for the rest of their days if they drop out.

Llewellyn is a former middle-school English teacher, and she knows her audience well. Her formula for making the transition from traditional school to unschooling is accompanied by quotes on freedom and free thought from radical thinkers such as Steve Biko and Ralph Waldo Emerson. And Llewellyn is not above using slang. She capitalizes words to add emphasis, as in the “Mainstream American Suburbia-Think” she blames most schools for perpetuating. Some of her attempts to appeal to young minds ring a bit corny. She weaves through several chapters an allegory about a baby whose enthusiasm is squashed by a sterile, unnatural environment, and tells readers to “learn to be a human bean and not a mashed potato.” But her underlying theme–think for yourself–should appeal to many teenagers.

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The Unprocessed Child is a work of nonfiction about a child raised with no coercion and no curriculum. Laurie Chancey spent her childhood immersing herself in topics of her own choosing. She was never forced to learn something simply because tradition and/or society said it was necessary. No one was looking over her shoulder to make sure she was learning the “proper” subjects.

Having never seen a textbook or taken a test, never used workbooks or any type of teaching techniques, Laurie scored in the top 10% of the state of Louisiana on her college entrance exam. She enrolled in college when she was eighteen, and graduated summa cum laude three and a half years later. Laurie is a bright adult, but her IQ is not why she did so well. She spent her life learning to learn and it’s something that now comes easily to her.

The Unprocessed Child was written by her mother Valerie Fitzenreiter, and is full of examples of raising a child with respect and dignity. It is the first book written about a radically unschooled child who has now reached adulthood and is a responsible member of society.

Questions about the radical unschooling lifestyle are answered on topics ranging from socialization, parental responsibility, self-discipline, chores, bedtimes and much more. The book shows that it is not only possible to befriend your child, but that it is highly preferable to the struggles that so many parents go through with their children. It proves that school is not necessary for learning, socializing or motivation.

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It is common knowledge that our educational system is in dire straights. Children graduate high school without knowing how to read while students are driven to violence by the brutal social climate of school. In “Instead of Education”, John Holt gives us practical, innovative ideas for changing all that. He suggests creative ways to take advantage of the underused facilities we already have. Reading this brilliant educator revolutionizes our thinking about what schooling is for and what we can do to accomplish its true goals.

“Be clear about this: Instead of Education, although less widely known than his more famous titles, is John Holt at the top of his game. If you are one of the millions of walking wounded still staggering from your own encounter with forced institutional schooling, and trying to spare your own kids from its damage, this book will be your guide and a good friend”.
- John Taylor Gatto, Former New York State Teacher of the Year

“John Holt was a prophetic voice in the educational wilderness who vividly explained why our system of schooling often frustrates genuine learning. He made this quite clearly indeed in his groundbreaking work Instead of Education. It is as radically relevant to the educational challenges of our generation as it was to his”.
- Ron Miller, Ph.D. Author of Free Schools, Free People

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This highly opinionated former teacher and original thinker spent the last half of his life challenging widely accepted classroom practices. The author of 10 books that concentrate on early child development and education, Holt is widely considered the father of the modern-day homeschooling movement because he grew to believe that schools stifle the learning process. In this, his final book, compiled by colleagues from drafts, letters, and magazine essays written by Holt before he died in 1985, he strings together his own observations and philosophies to show how young children can be encouraged to learn everything from reading and math to music and science.(more…)

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Every parent would happily give up ever scolding, punishing or threatening if she only knew how to ensure that her toddler/child/teen would thrive and act responsibly without such painful measures. Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort is the answer to this universal wish. It is not about gentle ways to control a child, but about a way of being and of understanding a child so she/he can be the best of herself, not because she fears you, but because she wants to…(more…)

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Myla & Jon Kabat-Zinn are parents to three grown children. Jon is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and is the author of Wherever You Go, There You Are (another book I highly recommend).

So what exactly is mindful parenting?

Jon had this to say in an interview, “Mindfulness, which lies at the heart of Buddhist meditation, means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It’s cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that attention over time. It means becoming more in touch with our life as it is unfolding.

Parenting through mindfulness has the potential to penetrate past surface appearances and behaviors and allow us to see our children as they truly are, so we can act with some degree of wisdom and compassion. The more we are able to keep in mind the intrinsic wholeness and beauty of our children especially when it’s difficult to see the more our ability to be mindful deepens”

In the back of the book, they list 12 exercises for mindful parenting. The two that have helped me change my perspective the most are: “Try to imagine the world from your child’s point of view, purposefully letting go of your own. Do this everyday for at least a few moments to remind you of who this child is and what he or she faces in the world.” The other one that helps keep my focus is “Imagine how you appear and sound from your child’s point of view, i.e., having you as a parent today, in this moment. How might this modify how you carry yourself in your body and in space, how you speak, what you say. How do you want to relate to your child in this moment”?

I use these as tools with my three children and it allows me to see past their behavior. It helps when I’m getting angry and feel like yelling, to see myself, as they see me. Facing that and looking at it honestly, can be scary sometimes but putting yourself in your child’s place, will show you the world in a whole new way.

This insightful book approaches parenting from a Zen Buddhist position, but will benefit anyone who wishes to learn and maintain gentle/mindful parenting methods, regardless of religious beliefs. If you’re looking for a typical “kids versus parents” book, this is not one of them. Borrow it from the library and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you’re interested in purchasing this beautiful book, please click above to be taken to amazon.com’s secured server. Thanks!

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Nurturing Your Teenagers Soul:
A Practical Guide to Raising a Kind, Honorable, Compassionate Teen
by Mimi Doe

At a time when teens face overwhelming issues-the hazards of substance abuse, issues of sexuality, the stress of high school, the importance of getting into a good college-it’s no wonder that these years often become a battleground for parents and teens. With all of these concerns pressing in on families, a teenager’s spirituality is often completely overlooked, when it has the ability to alleviate these issues as well as bring teens and parents closer together. And, as award-winning author Mimi Doe explains in NURTURING YOUR TEENAGER’S SOUL: A Practical Guide to Raising a Kind, Honorable and Compassionate Teen, talking to a teen about his or her spirituality need not be intimidating, difficult, or even cause for argument. Doe gives parents all the resources they need to raise safe, happy, and successful adults who remain in touch with their spiritual selves.

“Mimi Doe is the juxtaposition of great guest and informed source. Her presence and media savvy are uncommon. Whether the interview is five minutes or an hour, Mimi has the capacity to be authentic and informational at the same time. Her clear understanding of time and space make her a true professional. Not only would I recommend her as a guest, you’d be foolish not to have her on your program.”
–Tony Trupiano, Talk America

In NURTURING YOUR TEENAGER’S SOUL, Doe presents 10 concrete, engaging, and inspiring principles to help parents find new ways to honor and encourage their child’s individual spiritual perspective. Doe uses a non-denominational approach to show rents how to nurture their teen’s spirituality and provide adolescents with a moral compass. At a time when teenagers are ungry for pirituality and are actively searching for a connection to a source greater than themselves, adults often just assume that teens are rebellious and acting out when what they are actually doing is launching a spiritual quest that involves two undamentalquestions: “Who am I?” and “Where do I fit in?” The book explains how to:

*Listen fully and connect with your teen
*Nurture your teenager’s dreams-and make miracles happen
*Negotiate the balance between being a pal and being a parent
*Support your adolescent in becoming a successful adult

NURTURING YOUR TEENAGER’S SOUL will help parents understand the positive power of spirituality in their teens’ lives, as well as give them practical guidance for raising teenagers who achieve their full potential.

About the Author

Mimi Doe, award-winning author of Busy but Balanced and 10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting, was the recipient of the Parent’s Choice Approved Seal and a Books for a Better Life Award Finalist. Founder of SpiritualParenting.com, she publishes the site’s ewsletter with 50,000 subscribers from around the world. Doe was called a “parenting guru” by Ladies Home Journal and has ppeared on Oprah. She appears weekly on New Morning on the Hallmark Channel. Doe holds a Master’s Degree in Education rom Harvard and is the mother of two teenagers.

ADVANCE PRAISE:

“…Drawing from her 10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting, she (Mimi Doe) offers parents ten inspiring principles to encourage their teenagers’ spiritual development, e.g., “Words can profoundly change lives,” “Remain flexibly firm,” and “Let go and trust.” These straightforward themes are expanded in chapters that contain poignant anecdotes and comments from parents nd kids. As Doe is an Oprah guest and frequent speaker, her new work is sure to be requested.”
–Library Journal

“Yet again a talented writer helps all of us to consider ways of encouraging our young people morally and spiritually and does so in a wonderfully thoughtful, accessible way! A great gift to us readers!”
–Robert Coles, Author of The Spiritual Lives of Children

“In all the interviews I’ve done, Mimi Doe is the one who left me most at peace with my life. She has a way of talking that soothes and relaxes you, and makes you feel like you’re succeeding at raising your children well. I look forward to my next interview with Mimi as I know I will come away refreshed and energized”
–Susan Sierra
Producer, Host
Parent Talk Radio Show

“Mimi Doe writes beautiful, practical books, and NURTURING YOUR TEENAGER’S SOUL is perhaps her best. Filled with insights and great advice, this book helps us both reclaim our teens and let them flourish with purpose and dignity.”
–Michael Gurian, Author of The Wonder of Boys and The Wonder of Girls

“Every parent who wants to help their teen navigate these tumultuous years with a sense of self, family, and community should read this book. Mimi Doe provides practical, real guidance for parents to tap into their own spiritual strength and in turn help their adolescents achieve their full potential.”
–Judith Orloff, M.D. Author of Positive Energy and Intuitive Healing

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