Paul says he didn’t force his views on his five children. “My wife and I raised our kids pretty laissez-faire,” he says (fitting for a libertarian), “teaching self-reliance and responsibility and the work ethic.”"
That is probably why Rand is such a failure…Parenting has nothing to do with “laissez-faire”. I consider good parents those that teach their children and take time to make sure they get the correct information.
One of the greatest resources for a parent who is interested in developing the curiosity of a young child would be the works of Maria Montessori. There is no other theory of education that recognzes the innate abilities and nature of the child as a learner. This book is a fabulous start The Basic Ideas of Montessori’s Educational Theory
Also, I think one of the greatest gifts that a parent can give to a child is to model open and honest inquiry into the nature and causes of a free society. Children are naturally philosophical and curious about society and there are many resources that will plant the seeds of philosophical inquiry. You might take a look at my new website Liberty for Kids.com and let me know what you think!
I would love to chat more, feel free to be in touch!
Methinks step number one would be to raise a critical thinker, regardless of their innate disposition. Could be as simple as consistently asking the child what they think about various day-to-day situations. Furthermore,a solid understanding of free-market (ie: Austrian) principles is integral to understanding the destructive tendencies of the State in my opinion. Once acclimated to reason and logic and economics, through your guidance as a parent, they should take to Mises like a fish to water.
Full disclosure: I’m not a parent, yet, but I’ve devoted my fair share of thought to this very same question.
I disbelieve teaching your child your beliefs is brainwashing. Telling your child to believe X is dictatorial. Telling your child to believe X because of A, B, and C shows your reasoning. Your child should feel free to disagree. You could be wrong.
Politics and religion can wait. Your child can learn about them later. Happy childhood first, then when the child is at or past adolescence, awareness of the world will be at a point where politics and religion will become more relevant.
While at ABC News, John Stossel did a show on parenting: