Giving your children a broad education

[iwanttobeonleave]

What would you consider for providing children with a broad education?

What's important to you that you think children would benefit from learning or understanding

I'm thinking;

-read every day and as widely as possible
-Make sure they understand the environment and environmental issues
-visit plenty of museums and galleries
-music lessons and give them a broader understanding of music appreciation
-help them foster a love of playing sports and being physically fit and active

• help them learn languages

-travel where possible to see and appreciate the world -learn about nature, plant species, insects, animals etc -foster a love of animals -being able to cook and understand food

What am I missing?

Mindfulness activities
Learning to understand their emotions
Understanding of what healthy relationships are

@OnceuponaRainbow18

Mindfulness activities Learning to understand their emotions Understanding of what healthy relationships are

Ooo thanks, yes I agree with these!

The only one that matters is how to be happy. And fulfilling a huge list of ideals is one way to definitely not be happy!

@Peanutmnm

The only one that matters is how to be happy. And fulfilling a huge list of ideals is one way to definitely not be happy!

Thanks Peanut, I agree... in part... but if they understand the things on the list to at least a small extent, maybe it would be easier for them to BE happy?

I.e if they're well educated (and I don't just mean academically) then they'd probably find a partner more easily, be employable (let's hope!) or able to earn their own money. They're more likely to be able to hold a conversation with different types of people, have a better understanding of the world etc?

Of course I just want them to be happy- but that doesn't mean they don't need to be functional adults too.

All of that, and for me I put an enormous emphasis on emotional resilience & talking about our feelings/problems. Having seen the damage not having that awareness and openness has done to my ex-DP and his family, and the damage it's wrought on their mental health, I view it as paramount.

@UnsolicitedDickPic

All of that, and for me I put an enormous emphasis on emotional resilience & talking about our feelings/problems. Having seen the damage not having that awareness and openness has done to my ex-DP and his family, and the damage it's wrought on their mental health, I view it as paramount.

Thanks Dickpick, understood.

I wonder if there are books that could be used to spark these conversations. I'll take a look. I'm not sure where I'd start otherwise.

Why are you asking?

Practical life skills
Critical thought
How to be bored

I do understand where you're going with it OP. I just rember the panic of trying to figure out how I could fit in the musical education with the sports education with the cultural education for my kids. It just adds so much pressure. You can't teach about good relationships without modelling them, so if your DH is a bit shit, that lesson will never go where you want it. If you and your DH have an interest and love of culture/art/music/sport, they will absorb that. If you cook from scratch, that's where they will learn that NOT from giving them ready/easy meals and then teaching them how as a lesson.

I heard a great podcast a while ago about how you just can't be good at a bit of everything. Pick one thing and do that to a high level.

The 'how to live' won't come from structured lessons. It will come from your family reality and culture.

Actually I think it's good to let them be bored a lot and have to find their own entertainment. Doing too much for them makes them think they're the centre of the universe!

I think while we can help to provide the opportunities and learning for our children, we can't really influence whether or not they like something...e.g. musical instruments, sport etc.

The things i would add are empathy, an understanding that others may have different, and often less good, circumstances for different reasons, and an inclusive outlook. Perhaps through ensuring you have diversity of books that don't just reflect their own situation, volunteering together, thinking about how your actions may impact on others etc.

How to accept, appreciate and act on constructive criticism
How to be assertive, I desperately missed that when I was younger

The most important thing for me is that the kids in my life learn how to think.

Critical thinking, problem-solving, looking at things from multiple perspectives, being able to argue both sides of an issue, know how to ask good questions...

If you can do that, you can do anything.

And I disagree quite vehemently with the constant emphasis on being happy - happiness is only one of a (currently estimated) 87 emotions on the spectrum of humanity, and a massive burden of expectation to put on a child.

Better to learn to be human, and wholeheartedly so, in all its expressions (IMHO).

What you list is good, but I'd say it's a very 'middle class' broad education.
I'd like to see something added which addresses community spirit aspects too

• understanding inequality/deprivation - perhaps through volunteering with elderly/ helping with a charity etc
• experience / exposure to a wider range of people than your immediate 'bubble'

When older, critical thinking skills/ assessing information (especially online)

When my DD is older I intend to get her foreign language lessons in a language from a country with excellent women's rights (probably Swedish) so that she has options open to her when she is an adult to improve her lot as a women. She will be bilingual (English/Welsh) anyway, so hopefully adding a third language shouldn't be too much of a challenge for her.

I also agree with others about a non pressured environment, modelling through your own interests and actions, allowing time to do nothing, and would also add trying to learn together

@aspirational

Why are you asking?

I've got Covid, I've been ill for a week, my mind is wandering, I'm reflecting on my parenting efforts. I just want to do a good job with the children. That's all.....

IT skills, learning how to code and being computer literate is going to be important in the future.

Educationally, I'm a bit more left field.

Teach them how to challenge. Constructively, but challenge. Don't just accept everything. From facts, to norms, to why to how. Enquiry.

Soft skills. Public speaking. Emotional maturity.

Life skills. Money management, cooking, shopping, how to sort out life admin. Cleaning. Laundry.

But mostly, show them love. Let them feel the love. Learn what that's like.

Oh, and reading. Always reading.

From my observations on some Mumsnet threads, I think you need to teach them information gathering (internet) skills and the critical appraisal/thinking skills required to decide what info is reliable and use that info.

From my personal experiences of studying an open university degree...
Self motivation/discipline, planning and time management skills, as they were by far the most challenging aspects of my degree, not the actual academic work, and I don't think school set me up with those skills.

Also, decent careers advice, my school was utterly useless at this, but hopefully the internet makes this info much more accessible than 25 years ago.

I agree 100% with the previous poster who suggested it's more important to model the skills and styles you want your children to acquire than to try to teach them. Children are sponges - if they see you doing/enjoying things they will follow your lead.

DH recently expressed his regret that our sons "aren't that interested in cycling." I laughed, and suggested it might be because he never took them out cycling when they were younger. "Yes, but I couldn't because they couldn't go very far/ cried when they got tired" was more or less his reply . . .

Meanwhile our sons (now young adults) list skiing as their favourite sport. I always loved skiing, and we went on a family ski holiday most years, working through the inevitable tears and tantrums along the way!

Choose books that represent our diverse society.

How to be a contributing member of a community
The ability to talk to people from all walks of life
An appreciation that there are many ways to be intelligent and engaged with society

Just me thinking this reads like the Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice rattling off all the accomplishments that make a young lady?