I must apologise to my readers for my absence! Moving a family of four internationally is quite a task. Given that there are so precious few of you, I hope you have not given up hope of our return. We are not ready to be put out to pasture just yet!
So, here I am, almost as south on the globe as you can go. Without my treasured calves and the handsome sitting bull! Wish I could report that I am enjoying the break but, despite the sleep and free time, I am anxiously awaiting the moment we will all be together again....12 days and counting!
When I first arrived I was struck by the slower pace, from Hong Kong to Hobart. They are almost the complete opposite of each other. The ceasingly friendly Tasmanians warn me about the traffic and I head off to work an hour early, anticipating the dreaded snake of cars at every corner but, after a week and a half, I am left wondering if they have ever actually seen traffic? Maybe the word 'traffic' means something else down here?
Perhaps a specific breed of sheep?
Anyway, I am quickly becoming a Happy Hobartian. Assuming I never tire of the blue skies and cloud scapes, the rolling brown hills and bushland, the sheep grazing by the side of the road, I think I could be happy here for quite some time...
The implications on Home Education from the move? We've rented a house, close to the beach, with 1/3 an acre of room to plant veggies, have chooks and a dog. The girls will be 10 mins from a city full of history, with some well-stocked, if somewhat small museums. We are yet to connect with the Home Education Group here but are looking forward to that, and the access to national parks and bushland is phenomenal.
The flexibility of the Home Education lifestyle has been invaluable to us over this move. There have been no school schedules to fit into, no restrictions on locations due to the proximity of good schools. Just a lovely two week holiday with grandparents and the adventure of a whole new city. Bring it on!
Monday, 27 June 2011
Friday, 10 June 2011
A Gift of Time
I have talked before on the blog about the pressure to rush children. Rush them to get to school, to do their homework, to get dressed, to finish whatever they are doing.
It seems rushing from one place to another has become the norm. Getting everything finished promptly and efficiently. It's so cold and sterile. Speed has definitely become the culture of the workplace but it's more than that now. It's become part of home life and family culture as well.
We have such a routine getting to work and back that every second counts. If another human gets in our way we get angry, as though the whole day has been ruined.
I am happy to say this is not nearly as bad here in Australia as what I have seen in HK. But it's still there.
I have to make a decided effort not to rush the Calves. I easily fall into the trap of hurrying them along when they stop, for the hundredth time to pick up a leaf or kick a rock down the street. What are we hurrying too? Nothing! Only the next step in our day. Will the world come to a crashing end if we don't make it on time? If we don't get there at all? No!
I see parents huff and puff and look at their watch annoyed, as though the very existence of their kids irritates them. I wonder how the kids feel?
When my husband and I decided to Home Educate this was one of the primary reasons why. We have both worked in many schools over the years and had to rush and even stop children from what they are doing, the purposeful learning they are engaged in, just to ensure we arrive at the next programmed step in the day on time.
I used to love Early Childhood over Primary because it didn't happen nearly as much there. The pressure wasn't there. But it is filtering down more and more and Early Learning Environments are being run like little Primary Schools, especially in the high pressure, results driven environments of Asia.
Childhood takes time, learning takes time...doing anything of real value takes time.
Why is my time more valuable than theirs?
I am beginning to see Home Education as a gift of time. Time to choose, time to play, time to daydream and time to grow. If the Calves want to spend a week building a dinosaur garden out of stuff we find around the house, they can. If we want to spend two hours down the beach instead of one, we can. If we want to sleep late and eat breakfast outside on the grass, we can.
So what's the rush? They will be grown and gone soon enough and I intend to enjoy this time.
I have heard of the slow movement... slow food... slower living. I love it! A slower life for me and mine for sure!
It seems rushing from one place to another has become the norm. Getting everything finished promptly and efficiently. It's so cold and sterile. Speed has definitely become the culture of the workplace but it's more than that now. It's become part of home life and family culture as well.
We have such a routine getting to work and back that every second counts. If another human gets in our way we get angry, as though the whole day has been ruined.
I am happy to say this is not nearly as bad here in Australia as what I have seen in HK. But it's still there.
I have to make a decided effort not to rush the Calves. I easily fall into the trap of hurrying them along when they stop, for the hundredth time to pick up a leaf or kick a rock down the street. What are we hurrying too? Nothing! Only the next step in our day. Will the world come to a crashing end if we don't make it on time? If we don't get there at all? No!
I see parents huff and puff and look at their watch annoyed, as though the very existence of their kids irritates them. I wonder how the kids feel?
When my husband and I decided to Home Educate this was one of the primary reasons why. We have both worked in many schools over the years and had to rush and even stop children from what they are doing, the purposeful learning they are engaged in, just to ensure we arrive at the next programmed step in the day on time.
I used to love Early Childhood over Primary because it didn't happen nearly as much there. The pressure wasn't there. But it is filtering down more and more and Early Learning Environments are being run like little Primary Schools, especially in the high pressure, results driven environments of Asia.
Childhood takes time, learning takes time...doing anything of real value takes time.
Why is my time more valuable than theirs?
I am beginning to see Home Education as a gift of time. Time to choose, time to play, time to daydream and time to grow. If the Calves want to spend a week building a dinosaur garden out of stuff we find around the house, they can. If we want to spend two hours down the beach instead of one, we can. If we want to sleep late and eat breakfast outside on the grass, we can.
So what's the rush? They will be grown and gone soon enough and I intend to enjoy this time.
I have heard of the slow movement... slow food... slower living. I love it! A slower life for me and mine for sure!
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Travelling
Anyone thinking of travelling with children should go for it!
The calves (and I) have learned so much from living abroad. So much about acceptance and tolerance and friendship. Of trying new things and challenging yourself.
In my experience, kids are easy to travel with. When I get on the plane with two young kids in tow, I see other passengers force a smile and mumble under their breath "Oh God, please don't sit next to me, please don't sit next to me".
But, little do they know that the Calves have most likely done more travelling than they have! Their little bodies fit far more comfortably into those horridly uncomfortable seats. The elder calf is so excited about having unlimited access to TV that I don't hear a peep out of her for the whole flight. And the little one spends the first hour wandering up and down the aisle charming all those passengers that frowned at her when she first got on, and then promptly goes off to sleep for the rest of the flight.
The flight is much worse for me...I shudder at the thought. I groan, and dribble on myself and complain with the best of them. I scowl at the awful food and painstakingly count down the tedious moments till we land.
But then we get there, the excitement kicks in and all is forgiven. It has to be right? In order for me to be willing, in a few months time, to pay a small fortune to be put through it all again.
So, Farewell HK, thanks for all the great times and for the bad too. They all add up to make a fantastic, exciting period of our lives that we will remember forever.
Look out Sydney, here we come!
Oh, and just in case you were wondering what this has to do with Home Ed... we will be following directions, numbers and letters of flights. We will be talking about time, weight, distance and speed.
We will experience the end of living in one culture and the beginning of living in another. We will feel and talk about the change of weather and the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
I cannot predict what else may come up but I do know, we will take the time to look, discuss and discover.
The Calves have been entirely involved (in a real and purposeful way) in the preparations for our departure, and will soon be involved in all that comes with setting up in a new country. Pretty useful stuff I think.
The calves (and I) have learned so much from living abroad. So much about acceptance and tolerance and friendship. Of trying new things and challenging yourself.
In my experience, kids are easy to travel with. When I get on the plane with two young kids in tow, I see other passengers force a smile and mumble under their breath "Oh God, please don't sit next to me, please don't sit next to me".
But, little do they know that the Calves have most likely done more travelling than they have! Their little bodies fit far more comfortably into those horridly uncomfortable seats. The elder calf is so excited about having unlimited access to TV that I don't hear a peep out of her for the whole flight. And the little one spends the first hour wandering up and down the aisle charming all those passengers that frowned at her when she first got on, and then promptly goes off to sleep for the rest of the flight.
The flight is much worse for me...I shudder at the thought. I groan, and dribble on myself and complain with the best of them. I scowl at the awful food and painstakingly count down the tedious moments till we land.
But then we get there, the excitement kicks in and all is forgiven. It has to be right? In order for me to be willing, in a few months time, to pay a small fortune to be put through it all again.
So, Farewell HK, thanks for all the great times and for the bad too. They all add up to make a fantastic, exciting period of our lives that we will remember forever.
Look out Sydney, here we come!
Oh, and just in case you were wondering what this has to do with Home Ed... we will be following directions, numbers and letters of flights. We will be talking about time, weight, distance and speed.
We will experience the end of living in one culture and the beginning of living in another. We will feel and talk about the change of weather and the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
I cannot predict what else may come up but I do know, we will take the time to look, discuss and discover.
The Calves have been entirely involved (in a real and purposeful way) in the preparations for our departure, and will soon be involved in all that comes with setting up in a new country. Pretty useful stuff I think.
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