I want to share with my children everything I’ve learned over these past few years as I’ve abandoned my mental and emotional slavery and embraced personal sovereignty. Defending my children from the lies of statists and oligarchs is one of the most important things I can do as a parent.
However, a healthy concern I have is that I don’t want to merely replace the state. What I mean is I don’t want to eliminate state propaganda and brainwashing and merely replace it with my own equivalent.
My intentions are good as a parent, but I never want to allow my passion and perspective to become the automatic default belief system for my children.
As a dad who is always learning and trying to find his footing in a world filled with increasing levels of madness, I have written down 3 core values for myself as a father that I read aloud everyday:
1. Teach them to think for themselves
2. Respect
3. Learn together
Teaching Them to Think
The temptation to raise fellow activists is definitely there. My son and I even made a Nevada paper a few years ago when we met Ron Paul. Since then, I’ve pushed for common sense thinking lessons, rather than alliances with any one political belief.
I have found using everyday life as learning experiences helps the process. For example, after catching some fish with my son, we had the following conversation.
Me: It’s great that you caught fish. Should we eat them or give them to the neighbor? Because I heard they like fish.
Son: No. I want to eat them (4 years old at the time).
Me: What if the neighbor comes and takes one of our fish? Would that be okay?
Son: No.
Me: If the police came and took a fish, would it be right, then?
Son (after thinking about it for a few seconds): No. That’s my fish. I caught them.
The lesson here is that stealing is wrong. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the neighbor or a cop using civil asset forfeiture.
Respect
Treat other people how you want to be treated. Respect all life; it’s all a miracle.
Show respect to all beings, even the smallest of creatures that typically get stepped on for no good reason, is a virtue that will help children to think before they cause harm. It’s also a great way to view the world. To see violence for what it is – evil.
Learn Together
What a great way to learn… learning with your children. Take them to debates, documentary movies, visit the library together, and interact with people outside your typical comfort zone whenever possible.
Most importantly, follow up on questions you don’t know the answer to. You don’t have to pretend to be the immediate authority on everything just because your child asks you something. Encourage conversations and question everything.
Raising Adults
Ultimately, your kids are going to make their own decisions. Instead of trying to train them to believe what we believe, I’m going to focus my energies on teaching them to think, even when it counters the old man’s beliefs.
– Daniel Ameduri aka The Dissident Dad
For more info see this author’s bio.
This man sounds like an epic wuss. EPIC.
I feel genuinely sorry for his children, this guy is so lost.
Keep going Daniel. You’re a real live father that every child needs.
I don’t understand, Lin S. Can you explain how letting children derive the principles of non-aggression on their own is an epically wuss thing to do?
Really, I don’t get what you’re feeling sorry for. If I do get it, I’ve a feeling I’m going to disagree. But please, do tell.
Daniel,
I am glad you have chosen to home school you kids and am most proud you are wanting your children to be independent thinkers. Do not abandon the values that have brought you to where you are today. Take the time to reflect on what your parents, grandparents, neighbors and life has taught you and use those lessons. We went through the same decision making and at first kept to a similar list. We then realized that we were an amalgamation of values put together by those mentioned above.
Daniel, you’ll enjoy reading this
http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/independent-education-the-crisis-and-the-crossroad/
“To see violence for what it is – evil.”
Indeed. Kids just seem to get consistent ethics — if only given the chance.
I ask because so far you’re sounding a lot like Stefan Molyneux. Personal sovereignty, non-violent parenting, the appeal to ethics. I wonder if you’re familiar with his material, or if you’ve arrived at this point independently.
THE SCHOOLS teach the children to be queers and cowards,TELL ME PRAYTELL what country do you freaks think you live in,THE HOME OF THE BRAVE or queersville,you want to lose the coming WAR between russia and the USA,well you will if you keep teaching your children to kiss the governments ass,THEIR ALL QUEERS,and COWARDS….this ain’t no joke,TEACH your children about GOD and his BIBLE,maybe you want to live in a country with NO RULES,the TEN COMMANDMENTS,were written to have a stable happy life,IF YOU DON’T like that IDEA,LEAVE AMERICA,we don’t want you here…BETTER YET MOVE TO FRANCE……….
I’d much rather have what we have, as horrible as it is, than some lunatic like you with any influence on anything. All you want to do is replace one dogma with a different dogma that you happen to embrace. This is the height of ignorance.
Please don’t embarrass my site with your nonsense again, and I’d be honored if you never came back to Liberty Blitzkrieg again.
ouch! never thought of the Bible as indoctrination, but as freedom’s manual instead. Guess it’s all how it’s taught, because punishing indoctrination has happened plenty of times, you’re right about that. But when you are your own sovereign before God first, the Bible becomes a source of life which I think is what Arizona might have been insinuating. Michael, you’re too harsh, no?
The Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, the Dhammapada, etc. Why limit yourself to one spiritual doctrine?
Ancient civilization wisdom literature is worth studying. But why would there be any one focus at all? I only know of One (his “birthday” upcoming) who fulfilled all that wisdom by death and resurrection all because of Love (you’re right though, how that Love has been misused and abused in history).
Actually, he was probably born in June: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1093053/Cancel-Christmas–Jesus-born-June-17-say-scientists.html
Personally, I think the message attributed to an enlightened human being named Jesus is a wonderful message of love and dissent. I fully support that message, as I fully support similar messages of many other enlightened human beings throughout history.