Libertarian Parenting - A Freedomain Radio Conversation with Stephan Kinsella

[macspud28]

When we're born we start off open and sponge like (wise) and from then on are taught/conditioned to be closed and uninterested (dumb/stupid) least ways, that is what most schooling and parenting leads to, if not very careful. Most schools are the worst place for children as they mostly stifle any innate talent and brain wash in stupidity.

[giddymoon]

Actually, during the time where parents were parents & taught their kids that that there are IN FACT repercussions for their actions & a healthy dose of fear keeps them from stupid choices ..we had a more moral society. As a freedom parent, with 4 wonderful teens..there is a lot of bad parenting advice given here. LIFE HAS repercussions..LIFE HAS PUNISHMENTS based on behavior..to not teach our kids this, is what IS causing all our problems, not the other way around.

[spw317]

"Remember son, Mommy is going to atheist hell."

hahaha

[TerrierBram]

Your daughter is so adorable … must be hard job to avoid spoiling.

[tapary]

My son came home with a page of Christopher Columbus-related anagrams. After he solved a couple of them, his frustration level was quite severe. While this is certainly an interesting mental exercise for a 4th grader, he was truly upset, so we finished the task with an anagram solving application!

[capitalist4life]

Yeah! Fuck homework!

[axmasta]

"Everytime I wanted [to restrict her], I'd really really think about why."

GOOD, cause thats the VERY first question a kid asks themselves, and then if there's no ready answer, they want to explore it for themselves.

Then, you either have a mess, an angry parent, or a seriously hurt child, or all three.

[axmasta]

I'm an 18 year old now, and I've always been one for respecting and admiring what is unique about my parents experience and knowledge and convictions, but what irks me to this day is when I'm put under the impression that I've been raised to become an independent, free-thinking adult...

...BUT then I'm given a restriction and not even extended the courtesy of knowing WHY.

That is not independence, and that allows for no nurturing of one's inherent deductive reasoning.

Keep it up!

[omitsura]

Hey Stefan, I don't see what's the issue is with 1 hour of homework per day. In former soviet style/ Chinese school systems kids regularly did 2-5 hours of homework. Homework is much tougher as more material is covered (general emphasis on math/sciences) immigrants from those countries do quiet well here, in more relaxed schooling environment.

[lordmetroid]

My philosophy has always been to never done any homework unless one wants to do it because one is interested to learn what the homework provides.

Who cares if grades from the state indoctrinators are low, at least one have had fun getting low grades.

[LordAgonis]

isn't libertarian parenting a contradiction to anarcho-capitalism? it appears to be more consistent with libertarian minarchism. shouldn't children be free to self-organize?

[utubehayter]

@LordAgonis Either you don't know what "parenting" means to good parents OR you don't know what anarcho-capitalism is.

[LordAgonis]

@utubehayter or you're making a text-book logical fallacy in attempting to insult me rather than simply answering my question. i asked an engaging question that did not warrant that response. i am a research fellow for a libertarian think-tank so I doubt either is true.

[utubehayter]

@LordAgonis Is that so? Libertarian think-tank huh? Okay, do tell what are the two basic principles of Libertarianism. We will continue after that.

[LordAgonis]

@utubehayter individual rights and spontaneous order, if i only had to name two

[utubehayter]

@LordAgonis Wrong! But I am not surprised. A whole lot of garbage goes on under the name of libertarianism. I expected something like "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" Cato-ite response. But at least you seem to be hayekian type liberal (not libertarian).

[evanparker]

this guy complaining about homework is just disgusting

[davyjames]

@evanparker Please expand upon this view

[drew335533]

Oh yaaa, at about 19-21 talking about the kids fixing their own problems. That would NEVER happen in a public school, at least not the one I went to. They simply said, here is the punishment, live with it. No appeals, no negotiation, or anything like that. I would have loved to be at a school where they encouraged that type of behavior.

[drew335533]

Ha reading! Hardly any kid that survived the public school system likes reading now. Couple of reasons, A) We are hardly given any choice in books we want to read. B) Most of the books we read are boring as hell. C) The books we read we usually aren't given a chance to analyze it, we just go back to the school and take a content-orientated test. As a recent survivor of the school system, I would tell you NOT to send your daughter to hardly any school system.

[drew335533]

Dude stef... Gosh, I feel the same way about children actually wanting to do homework. Let me tell you that an exteremely rare minority of kids K-12 actually have an interest in learning. Most kids hate it by the time they reach 3rd grade. This extends as far as philosophical knowledge, where most kids don't like thinking critically as it was taught to them that thinking critically was work that was boring busy work not worth doing.

[drew335533]

Dude, stef.. If you think one hour a night is bad, you should see some other stuff. The public school systems used to OVERWHELM me with work, so much my parents usually had to help me.  Also, I only went to public school for elementary school, so much of my other friends have hours and hours upon homework, most of which they find no reason in doing. I have such a problem with the school system, all most kids do is just busy work, which they find no pleasure or success in.

[drew335533]

Ya jesus, I'm a coming senior in highschool, and I JUST learned time management in my junior year in school.

[karategirl96]

@DaveDoggOwns CLEARLY you did not read my post very well. I do not agree with the coercive nature of school = I do not support the current model of the public school system. In other words, the public school system, in its current form, sucks! And how dare you...HOW DARE YOU..accuse me of hitting others, taking things that don't belong to me or disturbing by talking. NO ONE has the right to accuse me of anything without proper evidence. You sir, owe me an apology.

[karategirl96]

First, your daughter is just adorable! Second, I am a public school teacher. I do not agree with the coercive nature of school, and am eager to start a student-centered environment in the classroom. In the Montessori system (which we covered for about 15 min. in my Foundations of Education class as an undergrad), how does the instructor deal with behavior that is coercive (i.e., taking things that don't belong to them, hitting others, disturbing by talking)?

[YOURpervertexposer]

NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH LIBERTARIANISM

HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE AND STILL BREATHE?

Wait until your cute little child asks another "smaller" "CHILD" to stick their hand in the hot pan? He may as well, his daddy asked him to? And of course, thanks to you then not "punishing them" after doing such DUMB things, they have no reason to not continue. Except their antics will become more dangerous."Expel a bad kid?" I thought there was no such thing? YOU'RE ALREADY FREE TO BE STUPID quit whining

[AlterEgoTrip]

Finally to actually hear someone enlightened to these ideas along the lines I believe. I wouldn't have thought my perspective totally unique, but most people are quick to shoot my ideas down as "just theoretical" although I am in the process of raising my son who has, according to the "authorities" a learning disability. I say he is different, (like everyone is) and although he needs extra help I hope that I have at least given him the freedom to make his own judgment calls.. (continued)

[AlterEgoTrip]

I mean he is challenging to his teachers (and me as a teacher) but I give him the freedom to make his own choices, even though its in conflict with my mother-in-law who worked professionally in the daycare system in Sweden (we must remember that the system has to indoctrinate those people who are enthusiastic about "the system").

I'm more interested in my son being a "sovereign" person regardless of fitting into a schedule or not, even if it is time consuming, he has his own goals.

[AlterEgoTrip]

I mean he is challenging to his teachers (and me as a teacher) but I give him the freedom to make his own choices, even though its in conflict with my mother-in-law who worked professionally in the daycare system in Sweden (we must remember that the system has to indoctrinate those people who are enthusiastic about "the system").

I'm more interested in my son being a "sovereign" person regardless of fitting into a schedule or not, even if it is time consuming, he has his own goals.

[oevzA1oL]

Good information but I would like to hear from someone who has raised a child until they have left their home (18+). Having older and younger children I can say anything before 10 was a walk in the park compared to some of the interactions that occur when they have a more complex thought process. We have wonderful children however the conversations and issues we have now compared to when they were 6 is much different.

Well done on being so involved in your children's lives, keep it up!

[cchessmaster]

They most important thing is to teach a child how to learn.

[Kangarooman38]

@cchessmaster that's not something you have to teach

[alique087]

@stefbot Who created the freedomainradio website? Now what does this have to do with parenting? Absolutely nothing. But I was always curious to which person(s) and/or company developed it.

[stefbot]

@alique087 I did, with some help from some friends...

[Th3Wab3]

the danger with Montessori schools is drum roll.. the teachers that teach at them are from the same institutions that rear teachers for the public school systems so in many cases you see the same methods in teaching as you would see in regular schools... just something to consider...

[sigatus]

Stef, how did you get the quality of SK's call to be so clear?

[astralempire]

You've got some great ideas and you express them well. It's just that there's too much. The videos are long and there is quite a lot of them.

Anyway, Russia loves you

well, at least me, nobody else probably

[natmanprime]

HAAAA

I was into dinosaurs

AND transformers!

Heavily!

Interesting theory about why...

[SimonKinland]

A great message: perhaps there will be a generation soon which the previous generation will ENVY rather than DESPISE. What a world it could be...

[Panpiper]

As a child, I read a lot, including an encyclopedia. I have always known more than most of those who did their homework, because I studied the things I was interested in. Those who were forced to study, learned to hate learning. I was given plenty of homework but I never did any of it. I recognized it as being make work nonsense. I was beaten regularly for disobedience, and if that taught me anything it was a profound disrespect for authority.

[fiendvanhier]

Excellent vid again Stef. If more parents treated their kids like this and didn't abdicate their responsibility for their kids development to the state schools, soon we would have a public of intelligent, confident, formidable individuals. Just what the state fears most. I'm 36 and now, after educating myself since leaving school , I know what an 18 year old should know, minus many basic skills. Please don't take this the wrong way, but with that square jaw you kinda remind me of Boba Fett.

[kennyvii]

Fantastic.  Good job. Thank you!

[MigDanskeren]

This was a really good talk. Thanks for uploading.

[TotalAnomy]

By what I know, the method of teaching children "entire words" (instead of teaching each separate letter and building up words) has been consistently shown to achieve very poor results.

[ehpl]

John Taylor Gatto

[Nebbyker]

Really great about montessori schools, I had the chance to attend one for 1 year only, but oh wow good education sure does come at a high price....over 16,000 a year for elementary school, how I would love for my children to get this kind of school experience instead of public or religious school but sadly most people just can't afford that kind of money even for something as important as a child's proper education.

[timbobau]

Great stuff Stef!

A must for all parents... especially those striving to pass on the ideas of freedom to the next generation.

[Diatribe1974]

As a parent myself, I've found that when it comes down to spanking, that it is much like war: You only do it as the last possible option & try to resolve the problem by the myriad of other possible solutions. But if it does come down to it, you do the deed, but don't simply walk away, leaving your child upset over their spanking, you sit them down and talk to them about why they just got that & help them understand why that it happened. When he was 8-9, the spankings all but vanished.

[christopher81818]

I had my first lesson in the language of the State when I was 6. We we're about to begin saying the pledge of allegiance, and through some unconscious rebellion I said "No I don't want to" Hearing this the teacher started spanking me in front of the whole class. It humiliating and it hurt. But unfortunately for them it was ultimately counterproductive, cause I was stubborn even then. So yeah that certainly was my genesis as a libertarian. It was a long process but I would not want any other way.

[rockandrock44]

On the education of children segment of the interview, I have to add in that I went to a "public school", and I learned a small fraction (less than 10%) of my total knowledge base from that institution. I think I would be correct in saying that most people who attended a 'public school' would say that same.

[TigronX]

Watching this reminded me of when the head librarian at my elementry school prevented me from reading a book I picked out because she thought it would be too advanced for me. I was in the 4th grade and the book I picked out was classified as a 5th grade book.

[Jollyprez]

Actually, in Galt's Gulch, there WERE children, and one of the mothers waxed rhapsodic about how great it was to raise them in such a reality-centered place. That said - it was indeed a very short passage.

[1983Bantam]

What's the deal with Costanza?

[zalida100]

All sounds fairly sensible stuff.

You're right Stef. It does take a certain amount of skill to be a good teacher.

Great vid - Ta

[ExquisiteDoom]

Oh my, she has her father's forehead !

[drew335533]

Fabio!!

[lordthawkeye]

Stef, your daughter needs to have a warning label put on her saying "Caution, direct eye contact will cause you to say 'awwwww!'" ^^

[stefbot]

@lordthawkeye haha too true!

[oorgah]

What s with the 2 photos in the beginning?

[Iseeyoursoul]

lol I taught my kid the Names of the letters, ok Son back to the drawing board.

Yes mommy is going to atheist hell . =)

[pretorious700]

Ayn Rand had the good sense to not write about something she had no knowledge of nor insight into.

[Lilbalitzu]

I went to one of the "top" public schools in the US. Thankfully I was an unmotivated student and didn't learn a thing. The prison had random drug testing, a drug dog, and a full time police officer. I have a friend who got a call home for "bad behavior" because he moved some girls' backpacks off of their lunch table. Interestingly enough, I would sleep through class, but stay up late, online or with a book, satisfying my CRAVING for knowledge (your videos being part of that). Thank you!

[stratcatavarious]

Awesome as always! AS new parents we are looking into educating ourselves more about positive discipline and encouraging exploration that inspires learning in the child, in order for them to become more independent.

10 stars - Bravo! Encore !

[genemean0138]

this is good sh*t here, thank you for this!

[twilightawakening]

Busy work is the worst.

[robzrob]

Get demand for liver up - feed it to children! I like it.

[CurtHowland]

One of the most "libertarian" things a parent can do is teaching the kids yourself.

.

Don't farm out that responsibility to the State.

.

My daughter learned to read at 3, my son isn't interested yet but when he is I'll be ready.

[CurtHowland]

Kinsella is a patent lawyer who is against patents!

.

I have found his arguments truly enlightening, highly recommended.

[MaikUniversum]

35:00 oh, I was into dinosaurs at exact same age too!!! I even was creating a models of them in school from plastelina. Really cool. Even my classmates started doing them and copying, hahaha.

[dodododa]

I work with kids. I think they're getting more and more dishonest because of all the restrictions their parents put on them. The kids find ways to deceive adults to get around the restrictions and do what they want to do. Only in recent year have I experienced so many kids passionately lying to my face. Their guilt mechanisms are completely eroded.

[TimiS0]

interesting video like always :)

[TheCrystalRivers]

I am looking forward to hearing you have a discussion on unschooling.

[MaikUniversum]

two gods of reason.. Awesome conversation :D

[IKilled007]

Bahahaha great picture selections. Kinsella is an awesome Austro-libertarian.

[dante1983]

This is my first introduction to Montessori education and the alternative perspective to parenting and education. Very enlightening and informative.

[LordMigit]

this dude is awsome, never knew that there were Montessori schools. Thanks for this vid stef!

btw whats with the random series of photos?

[dmp1ce]

@LordMigit I was wondering about the randomness too. I think there was a sound effect of broken glass somewhere in there.

[dmp1ce]

@dmp1ce Yeah. It occurs at 39:20

[madderbass]

@LordMigit Is the Montessori method similar in nature to democratic education?