This week I’m in Florida with my kids and hubs and mom visiting my aunt and uncle. I thought it might be as good a time as any to emphasize the idea of NOT making every trip into an educational experience.
Homeschool moms have a reputation for turning everything into a teachable moment. We practice addition at the grocery store, we actually pull over when we see signs for historical markers, we read books ahead of field trips to deepen the educational experience there of. I have carted 4 different kinds of field guides on every camping trip we’ve ever taken. I’ve forced my children to talk to strangers on the beach who were collecting shells and had something to teach them. We’ve read a biography of Ethan Allen while at the reconstructed Fort Ticonderoga. All of that is good stuff, don’t get me wrong. I love being that mom.
However, when your whole life is filled with teachable moments, it can get exhausting. After years of teachable moments, one can start to tune them out.
So yesterday, we played at the beach and we didn’t try to identify which animal the shells they collected came from. They played in the waves and no one mentioned the words crest, trough or frequency. They all got slightly sunburned but no one gave a small lecture on the difference between UVA and UVB rays.
The day before we drove through Lion Country Safari and we listened to the audio tour which told us about the various animals but there was no quiz at the end. Instead we talked about which animal was our favorite and why and for most of the kids it was the the spray ground we visited at the end. Go figure.
But the great thing is that the kids have been learning things anyway. They saw all those crazy animals and had a wonderful time and some of that information sank in. They identified bits of coral on their own. They saw those waves and felt the energy they carried. They are learning even if they don’t realize that they are.
So for the meantime, learning is happening and I’m intentionally not pushing it or trying to enhance it. We are floating and letting things be what they are. There will be lots of time for identifying plants and animals, for mini lectures and teachable moments. Taking time rest can be good for the kids and for you. Take a break when you need to.
Messy Homeschool 