Slow Schooling Chapter Twelve: Experiences
Life outside of (and in addition to) a book and pen
Civil War Reenactments as a Family Affair
Jun. 26, 2006
2:20 PM
We...met a family who worked together to run their own lunch business: Mom and Dad cooked, the 5 year old took and gave orders, and the 3 year old took care of the register as Mom looked on....
It goes without saying that a child’s life is more than “preparing for life”. The child IS living here and now! Certainly there are times in which to focus on learning new skills for future goals (such as learning letter sounds to encourage reading), but there also ought to be plenty of times simply to play or to create projects or even to “waste time”. After all, those experiences unquestionably add to growth of brain, character, and stature as well.
The most basic experience that a child needs is growing up in a stable, safe, and loving family. Unfortunately, that foundation when faulty is frequently a cause of stress in even the smallest child, and hinders his or her development. The best “experience” you can offer your child in terms of growing to adulthood is an everyday environment where both parents are committed to one another, for better and for worse. If there is anger, emotional manipulation, neglect, violence or divorce, that child will suffer for it both now and as an adult, no matter how loud people roar about kids being “resilient”. Bottom line: if there is trouble in your home, get help. (1)
As homeschoolers, time is much more fluid and free to pursue interests and to undertake new activities or hobbies. One of the best ways to stir the pot, so to speak, is to peruse the nonfiction stacks at the library. What subjects put the glimmer in your child’s eye? Pile up the books, take them home, and see if an enthusiasm stirs up. From there, it is relatively easy to find educational videos or courses online, but make sure to balance the screen time with actual real-life experiences, with real people and/or the real outdoors.
There are many educational opportunities within most communities. Many towns have a community center with a plethora of classes offered, everything from foreign languages to gymnastics to photoshop to making homemade brooms. One of the most well known and respected community resource is 4H, an organization that teaches children through hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and citizenship. Children not only learn the field they are in (such as rabbitry, robotics, or archery), but leadership skills and record-keeping, too. Meeting times, fees, and requirements vary by club. (2)
There are also many events nearby that a child could have the chance to participate in, such as auditioning and participating in a theater show, volunteering for a neighborhood clean-up, or attending master gardening meetings. Naturally, groups may have reasonable age requirements, but most are met with the companionship of a parent. It is simply another way that a child or a parent may dabble in the interests of the other, and make good memories together.
A child that has a specific interest may find an opportunity for shadowing, or apprenticing, with someone in that particular field. As examples, my daughter worked many years and learned to sew alongside a tailor who designed and sewed costumes for a renowned theater in Seattle. My son shadowed his father in the use of audio and sound equipment and learned how to control the mixer boards. If your child has a specific interest in, say, marine biology, is it possible to find a respected person in the business who wouldn’t mind a shadow for a specified amount of time?
History buffs might find reenactments their cup of tea, and many of these groups travel across the nation, setting up camps and reenacting battle scenes. They become fully immersed in the experience, much like learning a foreign language in another country. (3)
Speaking of visiting other countries, homeschooling allows for the flexibility to travel at any time in the year. Many churches offer short mission or ministry work in other countries. My only concern with these trips is that they are used to not only build a house or two, but to clearly preach and present the gospel. Furthermore, these trips seem to bare more fruit when ample amount of time is invested into those communities: years, not weeks. If the primary motivation is to “see how other people live”, and we should at least be aware of that, then perhaps we ought to consider these trips as working vacations.
In any case, slow schooling offers an ample amount of freedom to fashion life experiences to fit the student and his or her family. There is no reason that education needs to be constrained to a book and pen.
See https://biblicalcounseling.com/counselors/ for instance. 04Jan2017
See http://4-h.org/ for local club listings 04Jan2017
See http://www.wcwa.net/ for one such group in Washington state. 06Jan2017
If you’re looking for a simpler, more purposeful life outside of the rule of technology, perhaps you can glean from my experimentations in seeking a more present life. Learn more about the book (and how to get it) by clicking on its image.
