On the first day of our family reunion for my sister’s wedding, the cousins gathered to do some homeschooling. Kayla and Ethan received thick homework packets that had to be completed in the week they missed from school. Alex brought some math and handwriting practice. Isabella just wanted to share the big kid’s fun.
This idyllic scene lasted about 15 minutes, never to be repeated. With nine cousins sharing a home, there just wasn’t any quiet space for thinking. The two kids with homework packets ended up rushing to finish the work on the return trip.
Alex, the homeschooler, didn’t have to rush to produce work. Still, I think he did a lot of learning. He finished one of the Gregor Overlander books and advanced in his Pokemon game skills. He explored a tide pool and a desert habitat. He also enjoyed a first hand look at what it’s like to be a California kid in a neighborhood full of boys, including boys-only skateboarding to a nearby park. Bliss!
Most wonderfully, he survived days of cooperative play with cousins ranging in age from teens to toddlers. Who needs school to experience socialization when there are friends and family around?
Usually, our travel vacations are all about educational experiences, but I didn’t even try to schedule any on this trip. I knew that I would be too busy helping to prepare for the wedding to include anything else. Instead, the cousins had lots of unstructured time to play and get to know each other. While the adults bonded over emotional rollercoasters, the children developed strong ties through play. Learning to love distant relatives seems like an important lesson to me!
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J's mum 10.25.07 at 3:26 am
Don’t worry we always homeschool in Chaos lol.