When did you last ‘not’ miss out on something?
I went to Germany recently and was asked a lot of questions about homeschooling – they were probably especially interested as it isn’t legal there.
One of the things they kept asking was ‘what did my children miss out on by not going to school?
But you know, thinking about it since I wonder if it isn’t more important to look at the things my children don’t miss out on by not going to school.
Let me give you an example.
During the summer we had a couple moorhens in our garden – followed around by their three tiny chicks. One day we saw the mother moorhen acting very strangely – throwing herself at one spot in the grass and scrabbling around. We went out to investigate. We found that a tiny chick had fallen down a hole where an old fence post had been. It couldn’t scramble out and the mother had been desperately trying to reach it. We lifted him out of the hole and just laid him down near it, then left.
Watching from the window we saw Mom rush back as soon as we were gone. She sat on her little chick for a couple of hours while Dad rushed around fetching food and nesting material. (I’m am not sure what he thought that was needed for. Perhaps he doesn’t cope well in a crisis!). When the chick had rested and recovered it’s strength, both parents guided it home to the nest – and we saw them all again several times during the summer.
This incident was totally unexpected – but was a wonderful experience for my children. The care and dedication shown by those Moorhen parents will stay with us for a long time.
Now I realise that this could have happened during school holidays. Or on a weekend. That it isn’t 100% certain that a schooled child would have missed it. But it seems to me that by being around more my children experience this kind of moving and memorable event more often than a schooled child would. My children experience the ebb and flow of life, and are well placed to observe the things going on around us.
I think my children miss out on less because they don’t go to school.
What have your children ‘not’ missed out on lately?
Twice a year (or more) we get away to outback Australia for a few weeks and this is always an eye-opener for HS kids and parents alike.
The amount of natural biodiversity in the outback means you cannot fail to always learn something new or see things from a new perspective and be amazed or inspired (and discuss).
Wow! Thank you for sharing the story of this moorhen family… This is what the true meaning of family being together through thick and thin.