Homeschool Fiction

The tail end of my daughter’s dance classes (when other parents arrive to pick up their kids) are always interesting for me from an Unschooling mother’s perspective.  Granted, I’m almost always the ONLY parent who stays at my daughter’s classes (unless my husband takes her, in which case he is the only parent there), so I’m obviously a significantly more involved parent than most of them…

So yesterday’s topic of parental discussion was curriculum planning and homeschooling via the K12 Arizona Virtual Academy.  [For the record, I almost always choose to be a passive listener during these discussions.]  The paid-professional-teacher in the mix was talking with the teacher-parent about that particular curriculum (specifically their lesson plans).  While I actually knew more about K-12 than either of them (one using it and one wanting to be a teacher in it), what struck me the most was the amount of busy work they (the adults) were doing in order to facilitate the supposed learning of the children involved.  The teacher-parent spent days calling various people to find out a simple answer to a question that (had she chosen to) could have been avoided altogether by just having her son do an assignment that would have taken just an hour or so (and he will have to do it eventually anyway if they stay with that program).

It made me start to wonder what activities I do in my own day that others with an outside perspective could tell me are pointless acts.  I’m not talking about the things I enjoy that aren’t “productive” (e.g. Webkinz, although I’d disagree since I use it as a relaxation outlet) or fun for me personally (like crafts and writing), but activities that I am doing for the sole purpose of getting something accomplished for myself or my family or friends.  Activities that no one appreciates, or even necessarily notices.  Activities that aren’t actually valuable in any shape or form.

I haven’t come up with any yet, but I am determined to keep my eyes open to the possibility that I do this (I’ve had a few people point out things that I do that they think are like this - like folding my towels in a special way and having my drinking glasses all face the same direction, but I enjoy looking at these orderly things, so this wouldn’t count as busy work for me personally).

Do you have pointless busy work in your life?  What things could you stop doing today and never do again where no one would ever notice?  Do you really need to take those extra steps, or are you just doing them out of habit (or worse — obligation)?  Other examples I’ve come up with that I used to do, but don’t any more: peeling potatoes (the skins are good for you) and peeling garlic (I now just use a high quality garlic press that doesn’t require peeling).

Question your busy work and then STOP doing it! Now!  Spend your precious time doing the things you love for those you love.  [And, yes, you should Unschool your kids!  Stop wasting your time and their time on curricula!]

Related Articles:

• Forcing Children to Read Does NOT Work
• “How much time does Unschooling take?”
• Homework Sucks! (and so do tests)
• WHY do you want to Homeschool or Unschool your children?
• Core Knowledge

By: Lisa