About dietary fears and fads
Sandra Dodd
This is something I wrote on the facebook group (which is NOT as good as Always Learning, so don't think you're missing something valuable):
I woke up thinking about this one: "~ I want my children to be happy AND healthy. ~ "
The implication is that the rest of us don't care.
It's deeply false and wrong.
Anyone who really wants to know what MANY unschoolers know from experience about the results and effects of giving children choices can read for hours here: http://sandradodd.com/food
Anyone who doesn't want to read that or doesn't want to know because they care more about dietary fads and control should read here: http://sandradodd.com/priorities
All of it. The whole page. Slowly and thoughtfully.
Anyone not willing to read either of those is welcome to stay in this group and to read, but NOT (not welcome, not at all) to post about food.
This group is #1 to provide resources about radical unschooling. #2, as it has become a discussion group, I'm way willing to discuss how and why the kind of radical unschooling I've done for over 20 years, and that many others here have done for nearly as long, works. WHY choices work well�that's a good topic. Limiting choices because it makes the mom feel powerful or "better"? That's a great topic in most places in the world but it is NOT a good topic here.
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end of that quote
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One reason I've brought it here is that I'm returning a post that was sent to Always Learning.
I have friends who are on strict diets, and I full expect 80% or more of them to be on to something else dramatic and world-changing within a year. That's beause I'm nearly 60 years old and have seen lots of people get really excited about lots of things (even unschooling) and have that fervor die out after a while, but the desire for fervor remains and off they go on something political or religious or spiritual or crafty or musical, for a while.
There have been other fads come through and affect unschooling discussions. Religion, years back. ADD/ADHD for a long time. After that, Asperger's and sensitive children. There have been smaller infestations of magical this'n'that: channelling imaginary friends, having indigo children or crystal entity children, or following the philosophy of one particular human or another (who had picked up bits and pieces in a plagiarizing fashion, or from imagined friends from imagined ancient civilizations, or both ).
None of those are the hot topic now. Now it's dividing food into angels/saviors/miracles and evil world-ending devils. No food is neutral. All either serve eternal life and peace, or corporate death-of-all.
Eat what you want to eat. Control your children if you want to. But don't recommend controlling children within the unschooling discussions. If people were trying to make ANY child an exception to unschooling because of religion, "disabilities," magic or channelled "wisdom," I would stop them in the same way.
The topic is unschooling and what helps it work well.
There are places you can go where people will tell you that this list is mean, and that unschooling is whatever you want it to be. Most of those people will want some money from you before long, and their advice will be thin to none, and their attitudes will be negative about very many things (except how awesome a mom you are�they will tell you that, no matter what you're doing).
For this discussion, though, all priorities should turn toward the principles of unschooling that will work for every family. If someone's other priorities (as in that second link above) don't allow for them to participate in good faith in this discussion, then that person should probably focus where her real love is, and let unschooling be secondary. For me, I keep seeing the principles we've discussed making relationships with children better, helping parents see past their own fears in all kinds of areas, and making marriages and families stronger, and so I'm unwilling to compromise on the strength and integrity of the ideas and ideals central to unschooling as many of us have been discussing it and living it for the entire lifetimes of some who are now adults.
Some of the current food-related problems are mentioned here, but this link is not as important as the two up above, so please, anyone new to these ideas, read one or both of those above first.
http://sandradodd.com/foodproblems
Sandra
writing this as the list owner
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I woke up thinking about this one: "~ I want my children to be happy AND healthy. ~ "
The implication is that the rest of us don't care.
It's deeply false and wrong.
Anyone who really wants to know what MANY unschoolers know from experience about the results and effects of giving children choices can read for hours here: http://sandradodd.com/food
Anyone who doesn't want to read that or doesn't want to know because they care more about dietary fads and control should read here: http://sandradodd.com/priorities
All of it. The whole page. Slowly and thoughtfully.
Anyone not willing to read either of those is welcome to stay in this group and to read, but NOT (not welcome, not at all) to post about food.
This group is #1 to provide resources about radical unschooling. #2, as it has become a discussion group, I'm way willing to discuss how and why the kind of radical unschooling I've done for over 20 years, and that many others here have done for nearly as long, works. WHY choices work well�that's a good topic. Limiting choices because it makes the mom feel powerful or "better"? That's a great topic in most places in the world but it is NOT a good topic here.
------------------------------------------
end of that quote
------------------------------------------
One reason I've brought it here is that I'm returning a post that was sent to Always Learning.
I have friends who are on strict diets, and I full expect 80% or more of them to be on to something else dramatic and world-changing within a year. That's beause I'm nearly 60 years old and have seen lots of people get really excited about lots of things (even unschooling) and have that fervor die out after a while, but the desire for fervor remains and off they go on something political or religious or spiritual or crafty or musical, for a while.
There have been other fads come through and affect unschooling discussions. Religion, years back. ADD/ADHD for a long time. After that, Asperger's and sensitive children. There have been smaller infestations of magical this'n'that: channelling imaginary friends, having indigo children or crystal entity children, or following the philosophy of one particular human or another (who had picked up bits and pieces in a plagiarizing fashion, or from imagined friends from imagined ancient civilizations, or both ).
None of those are the hot topic now. Now it's dividing food into angels/saviors/miracles and evil world-ending devils. No food is neutral. All either serve eternal life and peace, or corporate death-of-all.
Eat what you want to eat. Control your children if you want to. But don't recommend controlling children within the unschooling discussions. If people were trying to make ANY child an exception to unschooling because of religion, "disabilities," magic or channelled "wisdom," I would stop them in the same way.
The topic is unschooling and what helps it work well.
There are places you can go where people will tell you that this list is mean, and that unschooling is whatever you want it to be. Most of those people will want some money from you before long, and their advice will be thin to none, and their attitudes will be negative about very many things (except how awesome a mom you are�they will tell you that, no matter what you're doing).
For this discussion, though, all priorities should turn toward the principles of unschooling that will work for every family. If someone's other priorities (as in that second link above) don't allow for them to participate in good faith in this discussion, then that person should probably focus where her real love is, and let unschooling be secondary. For me, I keep seeing the principles we've discussed making relationships with children better, helping parents see past their own fears in all kinds of areas, and making marriages and families stronger, and so I'm unwilling to compromise on the strength and integrity of the ideas and ideals central to unschooling as many of us have been discussing it and living it for the entire lifetimes of some who are now adults.
Some of the current food-related problems are mentioned here, but this link is not as important as the two up above, so please, anyone new to these ideas, read one or both of those above first.
http://sandradodd.com/foodproblems
Sandra
writing this as the list owner
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]