🐴 Why 'weird' kids win in adulthood

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IN THIS EDITION:

🍎 Why you should cultivate your child's "weirdness" instead of suppressing it
🍎 The Fleetwood Mac Effect: When being unique transforms from liability to asset
🍎 How traditional schools create social environments that never exist again in real life

🎧 THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

THE SOCIALIZATION QUESTION

Every parent considering alternative education encounters "the weird question" – that moment when well-meaning friends and family furrow their brows and ask, "But what about socialization?"

In this week's podcast, T.K. Coleman flips the script on this common fear, revealing how traditional schooling might actually be creating the least natural social environment your child will ever experience.

Listen to the full episode →

💎 GEMS

THE FLEETWOOD MAC EFFECT

Many schools train children to conform first and discover themselves later. But what if this sequence is backward?

"Someone in high school who's really into Fleetwood Mac – that's just the weird kid," Isaac explains. "You get to college, that is suddenly the coolest thing ever. You develop this identity as somebody who likes something different than everyone else."

T.K. builds on this: "What if instead of forcing you to wait until college to experience yourself that way, we facilitate experiences early on in life so that whether it's Fleetwood Mac, Star Wars, or physics – you are already cool?"

This identity-first approach allows children to develop authentic interests and connections rather than suppressing their uniqueness to fit in – only to rediscover it years later.

🛠️ THE ESSENTIALS

SCHOOL VS. REAL-WORLD SOCIALIZATION

When else in life will your child be surrounded exclusively by people their exact age?

"You never want your children to be the kind of people who only feel comfortable around their own age," T.K. explains. "When we place our children in these age-segregated environments where you're in sixth grade and you're always and only around sixth graders... by the time they get out of college, they have a year or two of depression."

Why? Because they suddenly enter a world where:

• Workplaces include people 5-50 years older and younger

• Success depends on connecting with diverse individuals

• Social value comes from character and competence, not conformity

• No artificial environment creates ready-made social connections

This is why homeschooled children often develop stronger social skills – they learn to navigate real-world social environments from day one.

🔦 RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

PRINCIPLES BEFORE PARTICULARS

How do you help your child develop authentic social skills without the artificial structure of school?

Isaac offers a powerful framework: "Principles before particulars and pacing before pushing."

This means:

• Focus on foundational social principles before specific social contexts

• Allow children to develop at their natural pace rather than pushing conformity

• Provide diverse social opportunities across different age groups

• Let children opt into social environments rather than forcing participation

The result? Children who develop stronger identities before navigating social complexities – the reverse of traditional schooling's approach.

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Does your child have interests or traits that might be considered "weird" in traditional school but are actually strengths? How have you helped nurture these qualities?

Share your experience in the comments on Facebook or Instagram.

That’s all for today! See you tomorrow.

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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