Home Ed and Summer Holidays!

So we have been Home Edding for our first summer holidays.

That sentence seems a little strange considering we don't have summer holidays as we don't run our lives to a termly timetable anymore. Except that the majority of people in our life still do, so by it's nature, we do too. Suddenly people are free to meet up, have picnics, make visits and go on holiday.

The question I have been asked most is 'so, do you stop home schooling in the holidays then?'

I'm tempted to answer 'yes' because people tune out when the truth is much more longwinded.

The truth is this:

"Of course we don't. Home schooling, home education, independent learning,  whatever you want to call it - it's just learning. And children NEVER stop learning. My child is no different to yours.

If we take our children on a trip to a museum will my child learn more out of that trip than yours because mine is 'home educating'? When we are with 15 other people in the woods having a picnic, will yours just see that as playing, and will mine see it as a learning opportunity? No, of course not. They are just children playing. They don't even realise they are learning.

Every time they pick up a book, play dress up, water the garden, fall off their bike, play football, write a story, or practice putting make up on their younger sibling they are learning.

They are falling out, making up, negotiating, learning to be quiet, judging their emotions, letting off steam, understanding teamwork, fine tuning social skills.

They are listening to adults, understanding how to be bored, nailing the next level on the xbox, making new friends, conquering fears, asserting boundaries, questioning themselves.

NEWSFLASH! This IS LEARNING! This is EDUCATION.

Children heading back to school have learnt just as much as mine has this summer holiday. They have not had 'time off'. The haven't had a 'holiday' from learning, just from the school setting.

Unless you stuck your child in a white room with no stimulation for 6 weeks then they have absolutely, definitely, learnt *something*. Guaranteed!

So no, we have not stopped home education for the holidays.... and neither have you :)