Some days ago my son and me went for a walk in the afternoon.
We do it every day after studying.
In the morning we read a lot, then we make exercises for articulation and sound pronounciation, then we study train Maths (now it's time of Math for us), then we go for a walk.
In fall days are shorter, so we try to meet the sun and go outside at 2-3 pm.
As a rule there are no kids in the yard at this time.
They are in kindergartens or at schools.
At this time many schoolkids return home from school.
Do they go for a walk to rest and breath fresh air after a hard school day?
NO.
They either go to additional classes (English, Math, painting, sport, dances etc), or they just stay at home to make school hometasks for the next day.
When they are free at last, it's 8-9 pm, and it's time to go to bed.
And the story repeats day after day.
So we can meet walking kids just on the weekend, and not every week.
When I say about kids curriculum and regime, my son is shocked, he doesn't understand how it's possible not to have free time at all.
He had a small talk with a neighbour girl some days ago when we went for a walk.
She saw him playing in the yard and askd with freat surprise:
- Vlad, why do you walk? It's not weekend now. Can you walk every day after school??
- I don't go to school, I get education at home, - my son replied.
kids don't know what it's so they are always lost when they hear it.
- And you are free every day?? You can walk when you want?
now it was my son's turn to be lost
- Yeah... I walk every day, I have much free time.
and the girl said the following words with great sorrow in her voice, and I was so sorry to hear it, and I was sorry she isn't alone, most kids feel the same.
- HOW LUCKY YOU ARE.
I must go to school, after school I visit painting or music classes. I can walk and play only on the weekend.
She looked at my son's game with her big unhappy eyes and went to her painting classes.
Waiting for weekend to have a walk and play...
Kids should be out of doors at least an hour everyday. It's true, that's one of the things kids from traditional schools miss out on. When I was asked So you just stay at home all day and study? What about your child's playtime and social life? They're always shocked when they learn that we only do study time for 2 hours. The rest is for playtime, going outside, hobbies, chores, etc. Homeschoolers are indeed lucky because of this setup.
yeahh! just the same! they all think we should study all day long to reach the school level. How funny it is;)) the same with me, we study 1-2 hours per day, and it's enough to know not less (or even more than at school). If we devote 3-4 hours per day for studying, our kids will take 1 school year for 6 months or faster. Many unschooling parents say that 10 -11 years is too much for such a school program, it can be done much faster. But it's possible only in unschooling. I absolutely agree with you that kids should have most time for their games, hobbies and interests. otherwise, they will devote life for school. And they will hate it for this. Like all schoolkids do.
Studying at home doesnt mean staying at home for 24 hrs or studying for 24 hrs. Its just a silly question. No connection here... Socializing well with other kids I consider to be the most important thing (which, ofc, requires getting out).
I didn’t know homeschooling could actually work successfully until I started reading your posts and I began to see things differently.
Thanks for always sharing this here, it’s enlightening.
thanks so much! I'm glad if I can share something new for my HiveFam
Good for you now! 😊
Thats was an intresting story to read. And... know what? experience can be totally polar, different to yours. I could chew this subject a lot more, perhaps, but should I? Just stop at this: feel happy for your kid, that everything is going on well. And that stranger girl has her benefits too (she is just unaware of them... yet). 🙃