The "radical" philosophies they've looked at so far are unschooling and attachment parenting with extended breastfeeding. I think these people's definition of "radical" is different than mine.

What do you consider radical parenting, Hil? Or maybe "radical" isn't the right word, because I consider unschooling and extended breastfeeding (say, ~2 years) to be markedly outside the norm.

The "radical" philosophies they've looked at so far are unschooling and attachment parenting with extended breastfeeding. I think these people's definition of "radical" is different than mine.

What's unschooling? Is that like home schooling without the home schooling?

The second one just sounds like someone's invented an attachment that lets kids breastfeed from another room.

I think that, to get to "radical," you'd have to be raising your kids in a cabin in the middle of the woods without electricity, or something like that. Attachment parenting is totally within the range of upper-middle-class suburban parenting styles I'm seen from my friends, and unschooling is a bit further out there, but I've met several people who do it.

Unschooling FAQ: [link]

OK, one of the families uses elimination communication. I don't know anybody who does that.

OK, one of the families uses elimination communication. I don't know anybody who does that.

Wait. Isn't that used on American Idol?

Elimination communication means no diapers. The parent watches the baby to learn the signs that the baby is about to go, and holds the baby over a toilet or potty chair.

I just realized. This family cosleeps, and they don't diaper the baby at night.

Are they dirty hippies?

I just realized. This family cosleeps, and they don't diaper the baby at night.

Co-sleeping with an undiapered baby pings me as radical or alternately just eww.

Poor TCG has caught my cold and gone to bed early. I love him, but I draw the line at going to bed at 8:30.

Well, dirty anyway.