Parenting from the Passenger Seat

Parenting from a VERY different perspective. The standard education model we use to prepare our children for life is not working well for them--or us. It is time for a shift. Our children don't need more instruction; they need experience. Each of our children is unique, yet they are placed in systems that devalue their individuality and encourage conformity to standardized measures of performance. This approach keeps parents and other adults in the driver's seat for far too long. Our children must learn the unwritten rules of the road in order to navigate life's inevitable twists and turns. "Parenting from the passenger seat" is a metaphor for honoring our children as the drivers of their own lives. Our responsibility, as parents, is to support them as they learn to trust their inner compass-their conscience. By choosing their own meaningful endeavors with people, places, practices, and ideas, they learn who they are and how they can contribute to the world. Sending our children out into the everchanging landscape can be harrowing and exhilarating. With the freedom to learn outside the constraints of standardized education, they will gain the confidence needed to steer themselves through life. We can sit alongside them with love and support. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! Pam Roy, co-founder of B-Unbound and the Viktor Frankl Institute of America, weaves renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's meaning-oriented theory with personal experiences and stories about navigating the education system--from preschool to college-with her three daughters. She shares discoveries she made along the way and insights about what we can do to create vibrant communities that support dignity, responsibility, relationships, and meaningful pursuits. Pam presents innovative models like Big Picture Learning and B-Unbound, plus solution-oriented steps that allow each of us to contribute to much-needed change.