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Musings of a relaxed, identity-directed homeschooling mum in New Zealand.
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The Tournament
Half my family - my husband and two older sons have been involved in a tournament this weekend for their hobby - "Flames of War." The build up has been quite intense, they had to write 'histories', organise lists, collect their armies together, and make up and paint the extra models they needed. I am hoping that once this weekend is over they will settle down a bit and get back into a normal life routine -whatever that is!
Despite my feelings that this takes over the family a bit, and the garage is dominated by their war games table and associated modelling paraphenalia, I have to admit that it has been good for my sons to have a hobby like this.
It is a creative outlet for them, they do an amazing job with modelling, painting both the armies, and the terrain they make up also. They have to plan how they go about it, have the right equipment, and they critique their own work and each others honestly. They often check the FOW website and interact with others who have the same hobby and learn tips and tricks and techniques.
There is a certain amount of writing involved. My second son struggles majorly with writing, this is a way for him to hone his skills in a way that is applicable and meaningful. He contributes on the FOW forum, and had to write a history for his army for the tournament which challenged him but wasn't burdensome.
It is an outlet for their 'maleness' - we don't live on a farm or have a lot of scope for many masculine activities, this is a way of doing something boyish. And it is a shared interest with their Dad, a side of life that I cannot provide but he does well. They share a love of WW2 history, my husband has had a lifelong interest in WW2, and our sons have caught that as well. There is no fantasy involved, it is all historical.
They have to use a good amount of strategy and research - gotta be good for those thinking skills.
They have used it as a way to generate a bit of income to support their hobby. They paint models and sell them at a profit. They have reached a stage now where there is little more income required, they simply sell off what they decide they don't need and use that money to buy their new armies.
My husband has cunningly involved my daughter as well. She loves messy crafty stuff and helps a bit, with the models and particularly the terrain.
This is a way of mingling with people in the community. They are involved in the local club, and are interacting with others with a common interest. This has been a good confidence builder particularly for my less outgoing second son.
The tournament finishes today, it will be interesting to hear how they got on. |
Posted: 5:15 PM, May. 31, 2008 |
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