Show Holiday
We are show-offs! How bazaar that in this day and age of sky rocketing interest rates, petrol prices and immediate harm to the environment that local shows still occur and that we get a public holiday for them? I can understand the original reason for both the show and the holiday but I am thinking that in modern life, the tradition appears a bit extreme. We are not going to the show because we prefer to be show-offs.
I can only vent my thoughts though, because Boy is not here to hear them. He has gone off a day early to his Dad's place. Over the moon he is at getting a day off school (I could have lied about the holiday but kids just seem to know these things!!!). Show-off! He's gone to another town where it's not a public holiday because they had their show last week (and because he's home schooled he got to go to that show as it suited our flexible hours).
Accountant husband has gone to work (his work ethic is protestant and interest rate driven) and I intend to spend the day planning home school unschooled moments that will look natural, effortless and less educational that normal. Some time for personal reflection is also greatly needed, so I may take a coffee and sit by the pool, in the sun, to reflect upon why I get sucked into thinking that education has to look a certain way.
Oh it annoys me that I fight with Boy because I am so stringent about him reaching particular levels of assessable learning. For goodness sake - even with all the public holidays we get, Boy's learning and understanding is so much better that many kids who attend traditional school - and at times like this when he gets to be surrounded by other kids, he's a real show-off with the unusual and broad range of knowledge, skill and curiosity that home schooling has developed in him.
3 comments:
Can I come sit by the pool for coffee? It looks sooo inviting!
Are the Shows you are talking about kind of like fairs? It looks fun.
And you are right--kids always do know these things. N. negotiated like a lawyer about the October Columbus Day Holiday last year. Because they have it off in Santa Fe. It is not a holiday in ABQ for nasty political reasons.
Anyway, our homeschooled kids are often ahead anyway, and what does a day off hurt? So I gave him Columbus day. What the heck?
You can come anytime my friend. Our granny flat opens onto the pool and the pool is HUGE and deep - even has a diving board. The kids love it and in summer they are always in the pool.
Yes, the local shows are similar to a fair. I rather dislike them because of the resultant social trouble that goes hand in hand with the show lifestyle.
I hate seeing stressed families with little ones crying because they can't get the pretty doll on a stick or the purple stuffed elephant. Mum and Dad give in because they so want their child to be like every other child, but then they've blown the budget and fight for the next week about not having enough money to live.
Luckily, I've managed to avoid the show for years now. Paul usually takes Boy and Paul thinks my thinking around Shows is abnormal - he loves them.
There's some great learnings at the show though. All those rides beg being used as examples of velocity, gradient and gravitational force. The hoards could be used as a people watching exercise where you have to make up a story about the most interesting looking person you spot, etc, etc.
And then there's the exhibits in the pavilion - all the hand made and home grown goodies. That, I love. Boy had wanted to put some clay work in the competition but we ran out of time and orginasional motivation to get goods completed and submitted.
I have not home schooled my kids but have not hesitated to take them out of school if there are experiences to be had that I consider valuable for learning.
I would have home-schooled my son who has a disability but I could not create a situation where he would concentrate - ADHD type symptoms - no bad behaviour with it though thankfully.
Even now it is impossible for him to focus to do homework at home.
Good to talk to you on this blog Megan :-)
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