The subjects and topics we could cover in a home education are endless. Literally. If there are things that can be learned, they can be homeschool subjects. But there is one subject that trumps all the others in its importance, relevance, necessity, and ability to produce the best results, and that is… Play.
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Every homeschool mama needs time to recharge and refresh herself. For some moms that looks like alone time, reading a book just for fun, a girls night out, or maybe a nap. For me? It’s an afternoon pick-me-up cup of joy.
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Five kids?! How are you still so skinny?!
This might be an odd topic to talk about. Then again, it’s odd that people feel the need to comment on perfect strangers’ weight. So let’s put this out in the open and talk about staying healthy and fit.
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The beauty of homeschool is having the time and freedom to travel and go adventuring whenever we want. Unfortunately, travel isn’t free. It can be low cost, but there’s no way around the cost of gas at the very least. And so it helps free up the adventure budget by finding different ways to save money in the day-to-day.
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You’ve seen the gorgeous Pinterest worthy homeschool rooms and spaces. The clean walls, bookshelves filled with original copies of the classics, botanical wall art with scientific names hanging uncluttered by an open window and clean wooden tables and chairs with markers neatly arranged in adorably tiny metal pails.
These spaces are beautiful. I’m sure they are a blessing to the families who have them. But are they necessary? And are you at a loss if you don’t have one? I say no, and no. Here’s why.
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Okay, but what does a rogue homeschool actually look like? And how does one go about doing the unconventional?
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They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we mom’s are often left asking, “where’s the village?” I’ll tell you where it is: we drove it away.
Society today is riddled with fear and agitation. We struggle to let it slide when someone cuts us off in traffic, or so much as looks at us sideways. We’re offended when another mom at the playgrounds tells our kid not to eat the granola bar they just dropped or not to run up the slide.
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One thing I’ve noticed while camping and spending time on the road is that there is a stark difference in the cultures of childhood in regular neighbourhoods vs. campgrounds. The way that children spend their time couldn’t be more opposite and it grieves me to see that outside of camping, most children are slipping farther and farther into the bubble and “safety” of a sedentary indoor life.
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“In my day we stayed out ‘till the street lights came on and only came home for food.” How often do we talk about our childhood with this nostalgic sense of roaming the neighbourhood, carefree with our friends, or sometimes alone? The idea that childhood anxiety was even a possibility had never crossed our minds.
When I compare to the childhood that my own children are having, I can’t help but feel a sense of loss for them. Today we live in a world where children are mostly in school with forced learning and testing, organized sports, or inside doing homework and playing video games. Those children who are outside are generally (at least in our area) locked behind giant fences, rather than riding bikes in the street or playing unsupervised at the local park. We live in a world where parents are reported to the police for letting their children go to the playground alone or, God forbid, be in the front yard without adult supervision. We treat children like they’re the bottom of society and not capable of being trustworthy or able to make their own good decisions.
I find myself struggling to move on, convincing myself that if we just go play in the neighbourhood more, that the local children will come. But it seems that I am stuck in a past that on longer exists. And along with this new way of life for children has also come a significant increase in childhood anxiety. Could this shift be connected?
It is widely known that half of all anxiety disorders begin before the age of 11. With childhood anxiety on the rise, this presents some scary numbers for our future adults. I can’t help but question whether the drastic difference in the childhood of the past vs. the childhood of today is a major culprit.
Today we have a lot of what we could call “helicopter parents”. I also notice a lot of parents who talk to their children like they are fragile little beings (“Oh Suzy, be careful! You might get hurt! Jacob, don’t climb up that slide, you might get hurt. Don’t touch that mud, you’ll get dirty. Put on your coat or you’ll get sick.”). Then we have parents who don’t let their children play out front for fear of the legal repercussions, or worse, kidnapping. What I believe we are creating here is a group of children who are being raised with an intrinsic belief that the world is dangerous, and they are at risks at every turn. No wonder anxiety is on the rise!
“When parents have higher levels of anxiety, their child is at increased risk for having an anxiety disorder. This association is particularly strong for maternal anxiety. Overall, it also appears that when mothers are overprotective and attempt to protect their child from potential harm by controlling their behavious, this increases children’s risk for anxiety disorders.” (1.) But it doesn’t have to be this way. Sure there are scary things out there, but the rise in anxiety in our precious children is detrimental.
Naturally, we believe that homeschool is not so much about education as it is about a way of life. Moreso, we have found joy and freedom in an adventure based homeschool. But this isn’t just about personal experience: there is actual evidence to back up that adventure play is the road out of childhood anxiety. “Children who engaged in more adventurous play that elicited excited or fearful emotions had decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those who participated in unadventurous activities, according to a recent paper published in Child Psychiatry & Human Development.” (2.) In a nutshell, risky play results in healthier kids.
And to add to it, playing outside is the best route to health. “More outdoor time is linked with improved motor development and lower obesity rates and myopia (nearsightedness) risk. Safely getting some sun also helps us make vitamin D that our bodies need to stay healthy and strong.” (3.) Not to mention that fresh air and connection to the ground (grounding) are beneficial for both mind and body. There’s a reason we like to kick our shoes off and feel the sand, the grass, and even the dirt beneath our feet: it is literally helping regulate our bodies. Rather than jumping to medicating our children (not to say that medication isn’t sometimes necessary) why not go back to our roots, first. Time outdoors, playing freely, like children have done for thousands of years.
Whether you’re a homeschooler or not, clearing your schedule and making time for outdoor play is imperative to the health of our future generations. In a world where we’re moving indoors, constantly on screens and working with AI, let’s remember to get our babies back where they belong: in nature. I guarantee it will benefit more than just the children.
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Exactly 5 years ago we took up camping as a family. I had actually surprised my husband and 4 kids (at the time… #5 was still baking) with camping gear for Christmas as a declaration that we were going to be outdoorsy now.
The truth is I was sick and tired of our life. My husband and I had recently (reluctantly) gotten smartphones and now it felt like we were on them all the time. Tim was stuck in a job with the Navy that was wearing him thin and as a result our marriage was suffering. I was exhausted from raising 4 boys and being pregnant with our 5th. We almost never had date nights, I didn’t get time alone (except to grocery shop), or really any breaks at all. Heck, I even only got haircuts about once a year. That was a real treat! And at that point I was 9 years into growing little humans with my body, unceasingly pregnant and/or breastfeeding and it was taking both a physical and emotional toll. I had already had one emotional breakdown about 2 years prior and had no intentions of going down that road again.
We booked a tent site at a local campground, packed up the kids and what little gear we had and headed out for the weekend. We chose a spot only 40 minutes from home, and close to a grocery store in case of emergencies. And you know what? That first trip was wonderful. We had our tent and bedding, and that’s about it. We packed up our two beach chairs (the kids sat in the dirt) and a cooler full of food and drove off hoping for the best. I don’t even remember how we heated up water for coffee. I think maybe we brought a kitchen pot to use over the campfire.
But you know what? We had SUCH a good time. And we learned a LOT! In fact, we had so much fun that we decided to invest in more gear and book a few more trips for that summer.
Camping with children can be daunting, especially if you’ve never been camping before. But you CAN do it, and you absolutely should go for it. Camping with your children can be a huge blessing for your whole family and is hands down worth the effort. So to get you started…
Here’s a few tips:
–Test the waters. Borrow gear or buy used. And start with the bare basics.
–Go with friends. Camping with a friend is always more fun. Plus you can share some meals and gear.
–Keep it familiar. Kids will feel more comfortable away from home with some of their usual comforts. Consider bringing their usual pillow or stuffy.
–Keep em cozy. Make sure you’ve packed appropriately for the weather. Bring extra blankets for night time, or make a battery operated fan if it will be hot. Also consider a spare change of clothes.
–Treats. Our kids know there’s always a special treat on camping trips. S’mores (of course) but they usually also get a cold drink like a juice for Izze.
Taking the leap into camping was one of the best things we ever did for our family, and I’m sure it will bless yours as well. Camping as a family is a great way to grow and nurture relationships. Even if your children are too young to remember the experience it will still give YOU lovely memories and will instill a more intentional and beautiful way of life into your little ones. Camping is a way to slow down and show your children that it’s healthy to relax and have fun. Spending time outside, under the stars in the fresh air is refreshing for both the mind and the body. And connecting with nature helps grow our appreciation for our Creator and His creation.
So grab a guitar and some good campfire stories. Don’t forget the marshmallows and smores sticks. Pack up the family, and go. Go and enjoy.
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