Sunny - Suburban

Sunny

Nov. 26, 2007

Suburban

I live in a suburb where the norm is attending public school, then dashing to ballet, gymnastics, piano,or tennis lessons,karate classes, and baseball, football, soccer practices and games.Some families have several activities going on in one day!While there is nothing wrong with feeding a child's interest at a given activity,I have to wonder...what's wrong with free time and just playing, exploring, and discovering?How about walks and hikes and riding bikes and swimming?The best things in life really are free!

Chapter 17--Education The Science of Relations: We Are Educated by our Intimacies pg. 182-193"Children should have real, living relations with elements such as earth and water. Children learn more when left to experience things on their own terms than when we force them--Charlotte gives the example of John Ruskin, whose parents sent him to riding school when he might have learned more, and learned it more enjoyably, by spending a free summer with a pony in the pasture. Children learn more about handling themselves in water from summers spent playing at the pool than from a six-week swimming course.

It is mostly suburban parents who try to manufacture learning experiences because the limitations of that environment don't offer the rich opportunities that are a natural part of country life. Children learn more from keeping up with other children in free play in a natural environment than from formal lessons contrived to learn skating, hockey and tennis. Wordsworth's poems are full of fond memories of romping with peers out in the open, running, playing and experiencing nature."

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Comments

Nov. 26, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by skdenfeld

I have never read any of Charolette Masons books, but I suspect we are leaning toward her philosophy of education. Not unschoolers exactly, but very much about learning from real things and experiences. Can you suggest some material of/about her?

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Nov. 26, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by jenn4him

I totally agree. I admit that I used to be a little worried that if they were not in several activities they would be "behind." Now, I know that is just not true. Are my kids the greatest athletes? No. But when they play a game, it is with joy, not for winning. I know there would be no joy in it if I was carting them around all afternoon as well.
Jenn

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Nov. 26, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by http://allyjoserudition.blogspot.com/

I agree with you a million % infinity.

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Nov. 27, 2007 - Amen 100 Percent

Posted by kristarella

I loved this that you shared.
I am a true believer in it as well.
Thanks for the encouragement!

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Nov. 27, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Amen!

and is that your picture in the sidebar, Keri? You are are so cute!

lindafay

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Nov. 27, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by JacciM

Keri, girl, if we weren't a good four states away, we could hang together :) Your life sounds eerily like my own. Love the pics, again.

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Nov. 27, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by SandBetweenMyToes

What a great post. I agree completely. My older two were only involved in ballet and music. So far, my younger two are just in church activities that we choose. It's so much more pleasant for us all. It's always so much better to learn by doing. Of course, since we can't have a horse, we may be going the riding lesson route! : )
Letitia

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Nov. 28, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by kaysmarmey

Amen!

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Nov. 28, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by 4sweetums

So true! We allow little one to have one activity and the big teen has three outside the home and I am still running around like crazy. Free time to explore is important.
Blessings,
4sweetums

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Nov. 28, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by bakerswife

You are definitley right! Great post!
Blessings to you,
Mama Karen

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Nov. 29, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

We are lucky enough to live out in the country in a neighborhood that the kids can run freely in. I have found that the times when I have overscheduled my children that they are tired, cranky and out of sorts and the activities really weren't that fun for any of us. Free play is so important! I even had to cut down on the amount of homeschool activities we did with others as that can be as much of a trap as soccer, ballet, etc. Thanks for the post!
Leila @ Freedom Academy

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