Just can't get around to doing anything!!

[catnipkitty]

The weather is so lovely, we're not doing any 'official' educating/structured stuff; we've been to park and playground eveyday this week, looong picnic lunches; girls are at this moment making mud pies in the garden (i'm on MN to avoid getting stressed about the mess :)).I just can't get motivated! Someone please tell me they're still learning something...please?!

LOL My children did older variations on that for ten years through their teens.
NO "'official' educating/structured stuff" unless they asked for it-and they didn't do that until they went to FE college post 16.
None.
Instead we did what ever they wanted to whenever they wanted. Festivals and camping, workshops and theatre trips, parks and playgrounds....with lots of time on the beach
and we talked and chatted about whatever they wanted for as long as they wanted.
They are all in University level education now and doing very well.......

In fact my youngest went to FE college and after a time of settling and getting to know people and do formal work and getting assignments done, one of her peers said:

"So...I spent the last ten years going to school when I didn't want to, not allowed to talk, doing work that didn't interest me, stuck inside when the sun was shining, doing SATS and GCSEs and tests over and over, while you....spent your years in the sunshine on the beach, in fields and the park, or built snowmen and had snowball fights when it snowed. You played with friends for days at a time, chatted about what ever you wanted, watched TV whenever you wanted and for as long as you wanted.....and you are the one getting straight Distinctions in your assignments?"

DD2 said "yes"

THANK YOU! That's made me feel a whole lot better!

Can't recall how old your girls are but...we have always found periods of "not doing anything" or "having fun" to be very educational, because we've learned that we feel too guilty to sustain it for long or else it just gets to be less fun. My son in particular is quite driven and needs to feel that he has "achieved something." So "not doing anything" or "not having a goal/objective" has ended pretty quickly because it's outside our comfort zone.

This doesn't mean we do structured work or courses, though. Or even that we make a plan and stick to it. And of course it doesn't mean that what applies to us or works for us would be applicable to anyone else. But I do think my son will be able to use this self-knowledge as he gets older and if for example he wanted to go to university (he's nearly 19 but has no interest in it) I am reasonably confident he would be able to organise his time sensibly.