This episode is a special “reverse interview,” featuring a conversation between myself and Debbie Steinberg Kuntz, founder of Bright & Quirky, and host of the Bright & Quirky Summit. Debbie invited me to be a part of the summit to do a deep dive on the topic of education, specifically the challenges surrounding finding and accessing an appropriate education for bright and quirky and 2e learners. This conversation will be featured in the upcoming Bright and Quirky Summit, and as a perk for Tilt listeners, we decided to release it as a special Tilt Parenting podcast episode as well.
In our conversation, Debbie and I talk about the challenges for bright and quirky kids in schools today, the importance of talking openly about our kids’ neurodivergence with potential schools, and I share a bit about how we transitioned from a negative school fit to a positive homeschooling experience, and more. For more information about the 2020 Bright & Quirky Summit, check out the links below!
About Debbie Stienberg Kuntz: Debbie Steinberg Kuntz, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, parent coach, speaker, and co-chair of parent education for the Issaquah School District in WA State. She’s been in private practice for almost a decade and specializes in bright and quirky kids whose parents often work in Seattle’s high tech industry. She runs the Bright and Quirky Child Online Summit and loves bringing the latest information to parents raising differently wired kids, who may struggle with symptoms of ADHD, high functioning autism, learning challenges, anxiety, or oppositional defiant disorder.
Debbie’s work is based on the idea that empowering parents and kids with positive mindsets, tools and strategies creates a powerful positive ripple effect in the world and in future generations. Every family can become a positive impact family. Debbie earned a B.A. from Middlebury College and a Masters in Child, Couple and Family Counseling from Antioch University. She lives in WA with her husband of twenty years and two sons.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
- What factors play into a poor school experience and what it might look like for a child
- Debbie’s experience with Asher and school and what she learned from homeschooling
- What is meant by the “shut-down stage” and how does it relate to negative school experieces
- Why Debbie feels it’s so important to question your own expectations and idea about school for your child
- Debbie’s advice for parents considering or starting out with homeschooling, including her best go-to resources
- All about the new Tilt School Directory!
- How to go about vetting schools and finding a best-fit school, including what questions parents should be asking about a school’s behavior and curriculum policies
- How to approach relationships with school administrators and teachers as an alliance instead of adversarial
- How to “compassionately educate” the people who work with your child
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by Ned Johnson & William Stixrud
- The Self-Driven Child with William Stixrud and Ned Johnson Tilt Podcast episode
- Beyond Behaviors: Using Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges by Mona Delahooke
- Mona Delahooke Looks Beyond Challenging Behaviors Tilt Podcast episode
- Educator Zach Morris on World View Transformation Tilt Podcast episode
THANKS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING!
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Hi Debbie and Debbie,
I am well aware that my son is not thriving in school. However I am a single mum working full time and homeschooling is not an option and of course neither is private school. I felt inspired when listening to this podcast however at the same time my need for belonging was not entirely met. There are a lot of us that only have the means to make it through life paying rent and putting food on the table. Our kids are struggling and shutting down or they have huge issues with school refusal. Nevertheless every morning we are sending them to school mostly for lack of better options. We work hard to create awareness around different learners in the public school and the support you provide is truly appreciate. It is hard to keep hopes up for an independent and successful future for our kids. Any thoughts?
Thanks for your note… please check out the podcasts here that focus specifically on education…there are many in which my guests share strategies for supporting differently wired kids in traditional and public school settings, how to work with the system, advocate, and more. You can find them here: https://tiltparenting.com/school-education/
Thanks Debbie,
I have and also I have also listened to all Bright and Quirky Summit. Definitely the knowledge provided helped me to gain awareness. I have also been practicing “No Violence Communication” (Marshall Rosenberger) for the last 6 years which it has been a fundamental tool in establishing partnership with the school and with my son. I feel nevertheless stuck! School systems move very slowly and they are as we know underfunded and understaffed. My son on the other side grows very fast and he is now 12 and over 10 cm taller than I am 🙂 I have been finding myself in the middle of this struggle for at least 10 years, for ever trying to bridge the gap. I do think that I need alternative resources. My son has a huge problem with school refusal and we are battling every day. I am wondering if you think that asking the school for the possibility of reducing his school day (leaving at lunch time) or school week (4 instead of 5 days) could ease some of the anxiety by allowing him to have extra time away from school demands. I am worried that for how much he might find it appealing at first after a while he will get used to his new schedule and go back to square one. Any ideas?
No advice on this at the moment, but will be releasing an episode on school refusal next month and hope to address this very concern… more to come!