Homeschooling Parents Organise Park Days, Field Trips, Camps

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

1370

Abstract

ity may organise a weekly park day, but they aren’t doing it exclusively for the benefit of YOUR child. They are doing it because it meets their child’s needs. Your child just happens to be included because that large group play is what that child needs and enjoys.</p><p id="6fa6">What if someone else organises a park day that doesn’t fit your schedule, but you can see your child would greatly benefit from that unstructured play with a large group of children of all ages? Then organise one that DOES fit your schedule. Not just a one-off, but for the whole term, so that other families within the community know it will be happening regularly and ongoing. The community is large enough that there can be multiple park days happening in the same week.</p><p id="bb03">It is your responsibility to ensure your child’s needs are being met. Same as it is my responsibility to ensure my child’s needs are being met.</p><p id="fec4">I’ve found that I enjoy organising outings and so I do a lot of them, but I don’t own any of them. I don’t copyright or patent them. So if something I’ve organised sparks an interest with your child, but they can’t make it, feel free and welcome to organise the same outing at another time. I’m happy to share the information I’ve gathered along the way.</p><p id="2698">But please don’t ask me to move my outing to a venue closer to you,

Options

to another date or time, or for a discounted price because you have circumstances. Your child’s experience is not my priority. You haven’t hired me to do a job. I do what I do because it interests me and/or my daughter. We are happy to share our experiences and adventures with the community until it becomes a burden.</p><p id="856f">Previous article: <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-dreaded-decision-making-process-e8c9f5bd7b7b?sk=98a04d78865c05f801c29c37dceff307"><i>Curriculum Selection in Home Education</i></a></p><p id="f688">Next article: <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-do-you-homeschool-9863aa5f54c6?sk=58172117a652d82df8801cbe7a88abe7"><i>This is Why I Homeschool My Daughter</i></a></p><div id="6b2e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://annleach.medium.com/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Ann Leach</h2> <div><h3>Enjoy unlimited access to ALL the stories on Medium by subscribing. Read every article written across 1000s of topics…</h3></div> <div><p>annleach.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*A_O8oU_12Kc5I531)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

But not for the benefit of the community

The “big kids” taking turns jumping off the rock into the water at a homeschool outing to St. George’s Lake, Victoria. Photo by Ann Leach

As a homeschooling parent, my first and only responsibility is to my daughter, to ensure her social, intellectual, physical, emotional, et al needs are being met. Sometimes our friends and/or the homeschooling community are invited to join us. Sometimes not.

Recently, I was introduced at a homeschooling event as a “Community Organiser”, and it just didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t see myself in that role nor did I want that responsibility.

When parents choose to send their children to school, there is a shift of responsibility from the parents to the school for ensuring a lot of those children’s needs are met — social and intellectual being the primary ones. The teachers and/or school staff organise field days, trips to the museums, camping trips, and more.

But when parents choose to homeschool, they to take on that role. Yes, another parent within the community may organise a weekly park day, but they aren’t doing it exclusively for the benefit of YOUR child. They are doing it because it meets their child’s needs. Your child just happens to be included because that large group play is what that child needs and enjoys.

What if someone else organises a park day that doesn’t fit your schedule, but you can see your child would greatly benefit from that unstructured play with a large group of children of all ages? Then organise one that DOES fit your schedule. Not just a one-off, but for the whole term, so that other families within the community know it will be happening regularly and ongoing. The community is large enough that there can be multiple park days happening in the same week.

It is your responsibility to ensure your child’s needs are being met. Same as it is my responsibility to ensure my child’s needs are being met.

I’ve found that I enjoy organising outings and so I do a lot of them, but I don’t own any of them. I don’t copyright or patent them. So if something I’ve organised sparks an interest with your child, but they can’t make it, feel free and welcome to organise the same outing at another time. I’m happy to share the information I’ve gathered along the way.

But please don’t ask me to move my outing to a venue closer to you, to another date or time, or for a discounted price because you have circumstances. Your child’s experience is not my priority. You haven’t hired me to do a job. I do what I do because it interests me and/or my daughter. We are happy to share our experiences and adventures with the community until it becomes a burden.