Is it the product or the process?

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

19 Nov 2006 08:49 AM

We took two days off from homeschooling this week. I honestly cringed at the thought of having to get "caught up" right before the holidays. But we took the days off anyways. My children used their cuteness and worked together and persuaded me to take the days off. Now you know if you've read any of my blogs that we did not sit around and watch TV. In fact we took the days off to do some. . .er. . .uh. . .creative problem solving, ecological conservation and. . . um. . .arts.

So here's the real story. There was a costume competition yesterday at our church's Harvest Fair and my kids desperately wanted to go. My husband and I tried everything within our power to avoid going. We tried bribing them with a trip to the mall in which they could spend their own money on anything they wanted. We tried offering a special field trip. But in the end, there were tears, there were puppy eyes, and we caved. Sort of. We said we'd go, but that there would be no costumes. We're not party poopers. It's just that putting together five costumes for five children is time consuming. Oh--and not just any costumes--the kids wanted to make their costumes because this was a contest and they were going to win!

In the end, I couldn't stand the site of my son, armed with glue stick, scissors and a stack of construction paper, feverishly making paper costumes for his sisters (the cry-ees). He looked up at me with those cute blue eyes and said, "See mom, I'll make all the costumes so you can keep homeschooling." And it occurred to me that surely I must be homeschooling for more than this. So I did it, I caved.

We ditched the school work and began making plans (the day before mind you) to create. . .from scratch. . .five. . .cute and adorable costumes that my kids could be proud to wear! To any nay sayers that claim that school is such a great opportunity over home schooling--read on! Here's what we learned Friday and yesterday:

* Stores in the city don't have wide enough aisles for double strollers to get through. So. . .in an effort to purchase a shower cap for my daughter's bubble bather costume we learned MONEY SKILLS! All three went in and came out with a shower cap, the correct amount of change and a piece of candy each because the store attendant thought they were so cute.

* SPANISH--keeping in theme with the whole "mom and the twins stay outside thing", they had to speak Spanish to ask another store attendant for 'un pato. . . .amarillo. . .juguete. . .para el bano? Well, okay, we're still working on the Spanish, but they did manage to come out with a yellow rubber ducky and not something else so they couldn't have butchered it too badly!

* TEAM WORK & PROBLEM SOLVING In order to make a giant LEGO brick out of a box, you have to find the best possible containers to stick on the front. Margarine containers don't work because they don't hold paint so well. So off to a trip to Stew Leonard's which sells soup in semi-cardboard containers which will, in fact, hold paint better than a margarine container.

* However, the trip to Stew's yielded the discovery that we have a leak in the cooling system which brought on further discoveries about SCIENCE and the combustable engine and how it works. And if it so happens that while we were adding water to our radiator there is a family of well-fed raccoons behind the grocery store watching us to see if we're bringing them any goodies--well then that's a bonus! After all, that's NATURE STUDIES!

* We also studied CHEMISTRY and practiced working in GROUPS as we tweaked an overly watery recipe for face paint. By the way, as it turns out, homemade face paint does not "simply" wash out with soap and water. It washes out, but not simply.

* My kids also practiced the whole 'WORKS WELL WITH OTHERS' thing as they took turns entertaining the twins so that I could hot glue 184 balloons to a bucket that was being turned into a bubble bath, or making yarn balls to glue onto a pair of red sweats for one of the twins (who went as meatballs where as the other twin went as spaghetti--for the winning combo of spaghetti and meatballs).

In the short term sense our costumes were a huge hit and we won in every category. However, it's the long term where I think my kids really benefit from spontaneous days off from homeschool. I know that if you take a day off every time things get a little busy--you are likely never to get any schooling done. But sometimes we have to chant that famous preschool mantra. . .it's the process not the product that counts!

Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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Julie Gentry (5915) 20 Nov 2006 12:15 AM

Agreed! And "catch up"? Isn't that a condiment? ;-) We homeschool year round and take off whenever life's curveballs get thrown, or when we just feel like a break. It doesn't mean they're not learning.

Valorie Delp (49340) 20 Nov 2006 03:04 AM

Thanks Julie! I am just curious but is your state very rigid about regulations or do you just document. . .creatively? I know people who religiously stay on track and others who find good ways to write out what they've done. Our state holds us accountable to 80% of our IHIP. . .but we also school year round so that we don't have to be concerned about the regulations and can enjoy life!

Julie Gentry (5915) 20 Nov 2006 09:54 AM

Ouch! Okay, I might complain about living in a state whose governor thieved her way into office, but I'm counting my blessings on the homeschool law. Ours requires one affadavit per year (a simple one page one), plus a test or assessment, then leaves everything else up to the parents. We don't have to track at ALL, and the master teacher who does our assessment every year is a close family friend who knows what's going on in the children's lives. I hadn't considered the heavily regulated states when replying :-X. Have you used the Homeschool Tracker? I have a lot of friends who swear by it for record-keeping.

Valorie Delp (49340) 20 Nov 2006 10:29 AM

Would you be offended. . . if I seathed with jealousy? LOL. We have a letter of intent, IHIP, 4 quarterly reports and a year end assessment. So yes, be very thankful! I haven't used the homeschool tracker yet although I have thought about it. I likely will consider it when I get to having to do paperwork for kids #2, #3, #4, and #5. Right now, I am only required to turn in stuff for my oldest who is 7. But yes, when you are in a heavily regulated state, playing "catch up" has an entirely different meaning.

However, I have friends who make their kids homeschool on Saturdays if they dare take field trips during the week bc in their minds that doesn't count as school. Blah! I am totally not like that. . .but I do "creatively document" quite a few things to get in my required number of hours (or at least come close ;-) and really finish about 80% of my IHIP.