Monster & Teeny

There was a thread on the EarlyYearsHomeEd list recently about the differences in definitions of approaches. I have posted what I would consider the definitions to be over there but it’s set me thinking a bit about autonomy, child-led, unschooling and all the other labels we hear used in relation to Home Education.

In real life I’ve met some new Home Ed contacts lately and spent time with different Home Educators to usual aswell as finding myself talking about Home Education generally to other people. This sometimes makes me all the more evangelical about the idea, sometimes it makes me feel judged and defensive. I guess which way I feel probably depends on how well I’ve put across what we do and how much the person I’m talking to has ‘got it’.

The older Monster and Teeny get and the further down our chosen path we tread the greater my confidence in it is. I’ve been thinking about how we are doing almost exactly what people think couldn’t possibly work by not limited any activities and how just as I hoped the children are self limiting on them when left to their own devices. They have free access to ‘bad’ stuff like TV, DVDs, DSs, X box yet tend to move seamlessly from such pursuits to getting out pens and paper, lego, geomags, toy animals and other toys which require imagination, creativity. I never find time to worry about what they’re not learning as I’m far too busy thinking about how to answer all the questions that they ask anyway and follow up all the ideas they present to me. I never plan anything obviously educational but often things will just arise and it’s only afterwards I realise how much ‘educational value’ there was in them.

Our weeks pass in a flurry of activities; Mondays is Beavers for Monster; where alongside all the obvious Scounting Association agenda he is also getting valuable lessons in just how rowdy a big group of 6-8 year old boys are and how 3 women really struggle to manage them, how best to stay under the radar of the bully without joining him, who Monster himself is when he is not defined by me, his Dad or his sister. He needs to look after his own Beaver uniform ensuring it ends up in the wash when it is dirty and that he puts is away where he can find it again ready for next week.

Tuesdays is swimming lessons for Monster and Teeny. This is mostly about the physical act of learning to swim but they are also getting to grips with taking instruction in something specific, listening in a group situation with the handicap of being in water in a noisy pool.

Wednesdays they both go to Badgers where their Home Ed status is something of a novelty so they are learning to answer questions about ‘what its all about’ in their own words to their own peers. Monster is an old hand at Badgers where Teeny is the new girl so they are getting lessons in being the one with all the information and sharing it and the one with no information who needs to get it. This is in addtion to all the many varied activities St Johns Ambulance are putting on for them too.

One and a half days a week I am out at work so they are both learning how to cope without me and work with other adults and children on their territory. They are watching me work and enjoy it and hopefully getting the idea that there are rewards other than financial to being out of the house trading skills for a salary.

The rest of our time is a mix of being at home where we get on with our own things really - that could be watching tv or films, listening to music, reading books, painting pictures, baking, playing, drawing, chatting. In various combinations of one, two, three or all four of us depending on who is around and who wants to do what. Or we are out and about; there are necessary trips to places like the butchers, supermarket, town, post office, petrol station and so on. We spend lots of time visiting or being with friends - either at their houses, having them to visit us or meeting at various places. We have a bank of places we like to visit regularly - parks, woods, beach, soft play, zoo, gardens. We also travel about to places like farms, museums, sealife centres. We go on at least 4 holidays a year, often with friends, always on a budget.

Sounds very simple doesn’t it? That’s probably because it is. And are they learning? Hell, yes! They are learning all about life, about people, about the world around them. I know this because I’m learning a lot of it alongside them. What else are they learning? Well they are of course learning those all important skills such as literacy and numeracy in much the same was as they learnt to walk and talk, by doing it, by spotting where it is relevant and picking up the skills as they go along. I have my wobbles, as do we all, whatever path we have chosen but usually my reassurance is simply to listen to Monster or Teeny talking, to watch them skipping along the path content that as soon as they need to know something they discover the way to find it out.

I’ve put this post together as a way of galvanising myself into keeping up a bit more with this blog. I like the idea of having a Home Ed blog that is open to general viewing and I know how much I was helped by reading blogs and talking to people. I know that our way is experimental, possibly more a leap of faith than buying into a curriculum or practising a school at home approach. It’s not for everyone but it certainly works for us.