Homeschooling educates me too

I have always been one that loves to learn new things.  I don't always jump in feet first, but just about everything out there is fascinating enough for me to want to learn at least a little about it.  I like to learn the rules of the sports game I am watching.  I like to hear about the new cool features on cars and new kitchen gadgets.  I like to hear about new  discoveries in Egypt.  Every once in awhile, I even like to follow world politics, especially when a place keeps popping up in the news and I want to try and make sense of the craziness.

Because I see myself as a lifelong learner, I also realize the value in learning things just because.  It has helped in my homeschooling journey.  What is even greater, though, is what I learn through my kids' learning experiences.  Lately, we have had the video series "liberty Kids" in the van for the kids to watch when we go anywhere.  This is the second time they have watched in the last year. My son's favorite part is the theme song, which he hears about every 20 minutes...thank goodness I am ok with it too!  I know a lot of it does not stick, but my son knows who Benjamin Franklin was and says George Washington is his favorite president.  In fact, learning about George Washington and hearing a little bit about Abraham Lincoln in the Magic Tree House books has sparked an interest in our presidents.  He has also had a taste of what slavery was, and is starting to understand why we went to war.  Although he has not studied the Civil War, he likes learning about the Revolutionary War more.  It has also been a great spring board for discussions about so many things...like political parties and when the White House was built.  Not bad for a boy who would be going into third grade. 

My son's interests have refreshed my memory of what I learned in school.  I may even be learning more than the history books taught me.  The other night, there was a special on about Benjamin Franklin.  I probably would have never watched it had I not been listening to "Liberty Kids."  My initial desire was to see if it would be a good fit for my son to watch....because of Franklin's interest in the ladies, I think I will wait awhile before my 8 year old watches it.  It took my understanding of Benjamin Franklin to a whole new level.  It may even lead to me reading his biography, something I would have never chosen to do in high school.

There are so many topics my son has questions about that the internet has become my favorite tool.  Whether it be looking up how far it is from one state to another or information about the Egyptian pyramids, I am often exploring websites that might be of interest.  During that process, I learn all kinds of interesting facts that I am able to share with my son.  As a homeschooling mom, I see the value of me learning these types of things for my kids' sake.  It means I can share more information on a topic when they are exposed to it.  They may not always be interested in what I share with them, but they have a chance to expand their knowledge if they choose to.  And if they don't, that's okay too.  If I forced them to learn it, it probably wouldn't stick very long anyway.

Along with all the things I have learned because of my son, the area I have become most educated in is learning itself.  I have always believed in education, but teaching just never seemed to fit...mostly because I am not interested in classroom management but a love of learning and helping kids achieve their goals.  Through researching homeschooling and seeking support and ideas, I have completely changed my thoughts about how we should be doing things.  I am not a policy maker, but I do believe all we have to do is look at what kids do when no one is looking...when no one is measuring.  That is the natural guide to how kids learn best.  The more we incorporate that into the classroom the more we will see all kids shine.  The more we incorporate that into our homeschools, the more our children will excel...as long as you are willing to change your definition of what it means to excel in school.  And I don't mean lowering standards.

Excelling in school should be about becoming passionate about learning and trying new things.  Along with that, will come a desire to know the skills needed.  That will be the true measure of success in adulthood, whether it be in our jobs or personal lives.  A desire to  learn and try new things will be what helps us keep an open mind to the possibilities as adults.  And with that desire we will have already learned how to take on the challenge of learning new skills in order to do the thing we have our hearts set on.  We won't need someone telling us we need to learn a skill before we do something.  We will see it for ourselves.  It will mean something to learn the skill or knowledge.  We will not be fearful of failure because we were allowed to explore without measured expectations or grades.

So, what have you learned from your kids lately?

Is free play all it is cracked up to be?

As a mom, I love free play.  It takes the responsibility of my kids being entertained off of me and places it on them.  That, of course, allows me more time to do all the fun things I need to do like clean the bathrooms, cook dinner, wash laundry....  It also also much more affordable than summer camps and sports programs and dance lessons.  And there is a lot less driving around...which is about to become a much bigger deal now that I have moved to Rural, America.  And we all know that imaginative play mostly goes away as we get older, so not having to come up with characters and stories with my children all day long is just another benefit.

In the world of raising kids and education, free play is a hot topic.  It is apparently something that has been lost to helicopter parenting and a desire to get a head-start on our futures.  How important is it, really?  Are our children really better off playing in the backyard by themselves or with the neighborhood kids, or should they be involved in a multitude of activities?  Or is there an ideal balance?  Since I homeschool my kids, the extra activities are probably a benefit.  But how many extra activities?  When do our kids reach the overload point?  I suppose it is different for different kids.  Some thrive with a lot of structure.  Others rebel against structure like it is a force to be reckoned with.  The extras definitely expose our kids to new experiences, but at what point do they need to discover their own experiences, good or bad?  What do they need in order to discover the best -and worst- of themselves?

There are some day camps that apparently have adult supervision called "loitering with intent."  The question is whether or not that in itself interferes with kids and their exploration of their worlds and developing friendships or discovering enemies and how to deal with them.  They certainly would not be allowed to participate in any type of risky behavior like walking on top of the monkey bars.  Somebody might get sued for an injury.  And the cost of emergency care and lousy health insurance would break the bank, so I am not sure I could allow it under my supervision, either.  It would have to happen when I wasn't looking!  Which is exactly the point for some people and free play.  Kids need to be able to play in a way that allows for risk.  That allows them to push themselves and find their true limits...sometimes with the "help" or their friends.  You know the ones that call you a a wimp or a baby or a chicken for not doing something.  That, in turn, pushes you to do something that is not necessarily a smart choice, but you survive anyway.   When we are able to take calculated risks as a kid on a smaller scale, we learn how to take them as adults.

The question remains, "how much are we hurting our kids by NOT letting them do things on their own, unsupervised?"  The general public and law enforcement seem to think kids are not able to do things on their own.  Kids can't be left by themselves in a car until they are old enough to drive.  They can't go to the park by themselves across the street while mom is working.  They can't be left alone for a few minutes when they are a reasonable age to go get milk at the corner market.  They can't go out in the morning and be back at dusk.  They get together with friends through arranged playdates, where the parents are watching their every move, interfering when the kids start fighting over a toy, etc.  Everything must be controlled or supervised, or we are hurting our children...at least that is what we are led to believe. 

There has been a lot of research that shows what kids are losing out on when they are not given free, unsupervised play.   This one applies to preschoolers, but the principles carry over to older children.  Free play allows children to develop social skills, problem solve, create, and think for themselves.  It makes a different part of their brain work.  It also enables them to be better students in the classroom.  It helps students concentrate better and makes them more willing to sit and listen, at least for a little while.  Kids diagnosed with ADHD often show great improvement when allowed that necessary free time.   It also helps them learn how to overcome boredom on their own.

In a world where our kids are staying at home longer, and where they are labeled as "entitled" or "lazy," we have to stop and think about what parents are doing wrong.  It seems like giving kids a lot more free time to discover who they are would be a great and easy place to start.  It seems like giving them a chance to figure out how to overcome boredom on their own may push kids to figure out what really inspires them, so they will seek things out instead of having everything handed to them.  It seems if kids are allowed to develop their creativity and thinking skills in life, they may be more prepared to solve the problems we are surely going to face in the future....even some of the ones we currently face.

Growing up, what did you gain through free play?  Do you think kids are better off with a lot of structure or a lot less structure?