…this book is about how parents can create lasting and meaningful bulwarks between their kids and the violence endemic in our culture. It posits discipline without spanks or slaps or threats of violence, while considering how to raise thoughtful, compassionate, fearless young people committed to social and political change — without scaring, hectoring or scarring them with all the wrongs in the world.

This week we got a chance to talk with Frida Berrigan, author of It Runs in the Family: On Being Raised by Radicals and Growing into Rebellious Motherhood. Frida serves on the board of the War Resistors League, a founder of Witness Against Torture, and writes the Little Insurrections blog for Waging Nonviolence. She is about to start a midwest book tour. Details below.

Radical Discipleship: What is this book about in 2 sentences?

Frida Berrigan: It Runs In The Family is part memoir/ part nowmoir. It tells the story of growing up in a christian community of nonviolent resistance and radical precarity and then pivots to a series of reflections on trying to parent from a place of patience and nonviolence while holding on an identity as an activist.

RD:  For parents out there who are part of movement work, what do you hope this book will offer?

FB: Perspective. I think we try to do it all. I know I try– even now (and even after having written this book). It is hard to slow down, hard to take a back seat for a while, hard not to worry that if you leave the driver’s seat, you’ll never get back there. The message of the book is: it is okay to let parenting be your main job for a little while. And then I struggle with that alot even though my hand’s are completely full with two little kids and an 8 year old step-daughter, and you can see that throughout the book (and in the second part of my answer below). 

The kid’s are alright. Parents who are activists worry that their commitments will mess their kids up. Parents who are activists are told (often very explicitly) that their commitments to other peoples’ kids will mess up their kids… My experience having super-committed parents says otherwise. Kids respect parents who do more than just live for their kids (and the weekend).

RD:  Is this book also for folks who are not parents? How?

FB: Yes. Because we were all parented and we all have stories about that and the book encourages people to reflect on how they were taught to care and commit. By their parents? By others? How? When? And also, because the book is funny (and non-prescriptive) and there are lots of good stories in it.