You know those days when your kids are weary of writing essays for English? The days when they would rather shave their heads than figure out another missing slope in Algebra? Or how about those days when your children accomplish in four hours what they normally can do in one hour?
Some parents call those days nightmarish, but I married a therapist who likes to remind me that “reframing” is a powerful tool in a homeschooling parent’s belt. Therefore, I consider those abnormally unproductive, mentally trying, emotionally stunting days precursors to “unsanctioned field trips.”
What is an unsanctioned field trip, you ask?
An unsanctioned field trip is any event where the only activities taking place are decidedly lacking in any formal, educational value.
Flour Wars are a prime example. A few pounds of flour, a few boxes of tissues, a bag of rubber bands, and a huge rubber bin (to transport the “bombs” to the field and bring the “remains” home) is all you need.
Oh, and it helps to have a strong nozzle so you can hose them down outside after everything is all said and done.
Please note: It’s not that learning is DISALLOWED in an unsanctioned field trip, but that the focus is not on LEARNING, but on simply HAVING FUN and letting off steam–like an extended recess.
Also? Unsanctioned field trips have to take place DURING “school” hours in place of actual “school” work.
At this moment, Unschoolers are standing and applauding while homeschooling parents of a more Classical or Traditional bend are praying their children do not read this blog.
Yes, I realize that I’m posting stereotypes, but we all KNOW the homeschooling stereotypes, right? Surely no one still believes that homeschooling means learning only at home, right? And certainly no one thinks that Unschoolers are without considerable thought in their studies or that Classical and Traditional homeschooling families cannot twist or bend their schedules to allow for a bit of frivolity.
Right?
RIGHT?!
Can’t we all just get along?
Permission to Skip School? What?!
You don’t have to homeschool to carry out unsanctioned field trips, either; of course, it’s called “playing hooky” then. I remember my mom allowing me to skip school on a few rare occasions. She always knew when I needed it the most. We used the time to re-connect, and I remember those moments to this day.
I needed time off.
We needed time together.
What did we do? Not much, but it was wonderful all the same. Once we stayed up through the night piecing and embroidering a crazy quilt. Another time I helped her, and two of her friends decorate the ledges that framed the top of our kitchen cupboards. We used vines pulled from the trees in the woods behind my grandparents’ place. I loved it. Our kitchen was like a perpetual winter wonderland.
She never would lie. Momma simply called the school office and firmly stated, “Heather will not be in school today. She’ll be back tomorrow.” That was when parents were the final authority; no questions asked.
If she wanted to pull me out of school for reasons unannounced, it was her prerogative.
Booyah!
There are days our unsanctioned field trips include just our family but on other days, we assert undue influence over a cousin or close friends.
We can’t help ourselves.
And when we get it out of our system?
We come back stronger and more focused…until the next time, anyway.
Do your kids have spontaneous “hooky” days? Times where the only solution is a break? What do you like to do on those days?
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who desires to inspire families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods where she currently homeschools three kids using Monarch, an online homeschool curriculum.