Thoughts on Parenting

Education and Creativity

It's pretty clear from what we write here that Elisa and I have chosen to home-school our kids, at least for their younger years. What may not be so clear are the reasons for that choice. As with any important decision like education, the reasons are numerous and complex, but this talk from TED cuts to the heart of how I feel about education. Yes, education is a good thing. But for those kids who think differently, or can't sit still, or feel emotion more strongly than the rest of us, school can be - and often is - a place where they are robbed of their potential and their future.

In this talk, Ken Robinson argues that schools all over the world exhibit a hierarchy of subjects: first comes mathematics, then languages, then the humanities, and arts at the bottom. And in the arts, drama and dance fall below art and music. He asserts that the education system educates us from the waist up, eventually focusing only on our heads...and slightly to one side. This may produce great university professors, but it can eliminate creativity and innovation altogether in some.

It's funny, engaging, moving, and thought-provoking. It is well-worth the 20 minutes of your life it would take to watch, and so I thought I would share it with you all. I know home-schooling is not an option or a possibility for everyone, but encouraging creativity begins at home by turning off the TV and taking away the DS or PSP. It's not just their future you're affecting...it's the entire world.

What to do about Swine Flu?

Having just found out that all the local schools will be closed this week thanks to the H1N1 Virus, everyone in our town seems to be facing the reality of a real modern dilemma: What do you do if you have to stay home for a whole week with your children?

At first I found the idea quite stressful. It was an unwelcome change in routine during an already highly stressful time (with moving and graduation coming up). As I thought about it some more, though, my perspective shifted. What an amazing gift that we are not often given these days! With our modern inventions, weather and illness are rarely greater than our capacity to deal with them. Life never seems to stop anymore, except for the occasional snow storm or hurricane.

I remember when I got to stay home with the Chicken Pox for a week. Other than the smell of calamine lotion and being really itchy, it was kind of cool. My parents worked to make the week special, and I even got a new Duran Duran record out of the deal from my dad. But thanks to vaccines, that right of passage through childhood has been eliminated, too.

In the spirit of Throwback Mountain Dew, I'm planning on going old school this week, too. We're gonna limit the TV and enjoy some of the things that our modern life often doesn't leave time for:

Board games: The kids are finally old enough to enjoy some games like Aggravation (my grandpa's favorite), Life and Monopoly. Of course there are also some  of our long standing favorites: Tot-zee, Sequence, Crazy Eights and Uno. For other board game ideas, check out the Top 10 Classic Board Games for Kids.

Puzzles: I remember simpler times without TV when my mom, sister and I would work puzzles together on rainy or snowy days. It's a great activity that allows conversation to bloom.

Bake: I'm usually in too much of a rush to do this with the kids, but since we don't have anywhere to be this week, there's no rushing! We have all the time in the world to bake that banana bread I've been wanting to make for months. (For the most amazing Banana Bread recipe EVER, click here.)

Art: Again, I'm usually in too much of a rush to deal with the mess that comes from the kids' artistic endeavors (sad, I know), but with no agenda this week, I think we'll attempt some art. Check out The Crafty Crow for awesome ideas!

I'm sure we'll need some other activities to keep us busy, so I'm also planning to build a fort, play with play-doh, have a sing-a-long, tell stories, get out the Invention Box and continue packing boxes. Looks like we'll be rather busy after all, and I hope we can build some awesome memories from "that time when we all had to stay home because of the swine flu."