Why the Middle is the Most Radical Parenting Choice You Can Make
We’re faced with many decisions in this parenting journey, and many options seem to be extreme on one side or the other.
Should you be a whole life unschooler, or punish your children when they don’t get straight A’s in school?
Should you work outside the home and climb the corporate ladder or should you surrender to a life of staying at home, giving up on your interests and income in favor of parenting?
Should you give them free access to screens or should you be completely screen free?
Not only does it feel polarizing but it also can make us feel like we don’t really fit in anywhere if we aren’t on either end of the extreme.
I’m going to offer up an alternative, a radical parenting approach, choosing the radical middle. I won’t say it will be easy. Let’s face it, when you make the decision to stay curious and not sit on either end of the extreme it can be hard. You’re choosing to create a path instead of following one that’s already laid down. Being in the middle means we think about all the decisions and what works for us right now and we stay open to learn more and change our minds if a different decision would better meet our families needs.
In this episode we’ll discuss how you don’t have to choose one extreme over another, and that most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Here’s what you’ll hear:
[5:03] Decision fatigue is real
[8:36] How to combat decision fatigue
[9:53] Example 1: Discipline
[13:27] Example 2: Sleep training
[17:11] Example 3: Education
[19:18] Example 4: Boundaries
[23:00] What is my identity in parenting?
[24:02] The radical middle.
[25:50] Pick what’s best and leave the rest.
[29:19] The middle is hard
[32:44] The middle is brave
[34:44] The middle is radical.
The middle can be messy. It’s not always neat and clear because there is no one size fits all. At the end of the day the answer is always “it depends.”
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I’d love to hear from you! In what aspects of your parenting journey are you choosing the radical middle? Are there areas where you sit on one end of the extreme and are willing to stay curious and open to other possibilities? Please leave your comments below or over in our (free & awesome) FB community Love Parenting with Avital
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This episode, I think I agreed with everything. (Except not being American but I was born that way) I love hearing diversity of ideas and that is why this one was so encouraging to me. Someone else thinks this way, it’s not just me! 😭 Thanks for helping me know I’m not alone.
This episode, I think I agreed with everything. (Except not being American but I was born that way) I love hearing diversity of ideas and that is why this one was so encouraging to me. Someone else thinks this way, it’s not just me! 😭 Thanks for helping me know I’m not alone.
This was particularly helpful, thank you Avital! What a great episode. “The Radical Middle”–I love it. I definitely resonate with it and have always felt “eclectic” in my choice of methodologies in almost every area of life. I love learning, so why not learn from it all? Thank you so much for this encouraging, affirming, empathetic message.