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?

Understanding environmental issues and appreciating the world conflict with travelling as much as possible. You're planning to teach them hypocrisy.

@Storminamu

Understanding environmental issues and appreciating the world conflict with travelling as much as possible. You're planning to teach them hypocrisy.

What do you mean by hypocrisy? I certainly don't want to do that.

@BlusteryLake

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

Yes for sure. ^^^

@sunnyandshare

Choose books that represent our diverse society.

Thank you- it's so easy to not do this!!

@KatherineJaneway

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

Agreed, but how on earth do you teach this? I guess it's something you demonstrate instead of tell them about?

@Imicola

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

thanks

@Harrysmummy246

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

You only know that because you've presumably read widely!!!

I home educate for this exact reason.

I don't have a list as such. I also don't have a must do expectation. However, I do focus a lot on the art of giving things a go, socially, academically,emotionally ,hobbies ,interests etc.

I think horizons automatically broaden for people/children that are willing to try different things .

@Gingerbreadhoose

I home educate for this exact reason.

Because you want to choose what they learn? I get that totally. I don't choose to home educate because a) I'd be terrible at it and b) I'm too lazy and impatient and c) I'd be terrible at it.

Because you want to choose what they learn?

Because I think the school curriculum is terribly narrow and because I dislike the coercive, adult-pleasing, punishment and reward based nature of the education system. That's not to have a go at teachers, many of whom are genuinely wonderful.

But to give an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about, my friend's seven-year-old son was recently excluded from a class project on the solar system (he's passionate about space) and made to work on his handwriting instead. How's that for killing a passion for learning?

We read widely (not just kid's books), took them to cultural sites and events here and abroad, took unusual (for kids) holidays, included them in things like dinner parties when the other guests were all adults (at our home), ate culturally diverse foods from babies.

They are both at top universities, incredibly different mind you, but they both can fit well in a variety of circumstances. They attended state school but I knew that this fitting in was a major difference between private and state post school

Well it's more memorable in the BBC adaptation @iwanttobeonleave but yes, I guess I have.

But I read very little now- DS and depression have kind of killed that.

I think it’s good to think about this, but a lot of happiness is about building good habits, and doesn’t need to be super ambitious - I agree it’s good to build a reading habit, but it doesn’t need to be everyday. As a PP said you can only do a couple things to a high level.

Good way to build good habits in kids is to make it fun - so belonging to a book club, having a sub to the children’s week for reading, weekend family cycle rides or summer wild swimming followed by a cafe treat for exercise, kids cook Fridays for for food, there own allowance and investment account to understand money (please make sure they understand money.)

Try lots of things till you see a passion taking hold and then really encourage them to build that skill, doing something unusually well is a real confidence booster.

More broadly, by example or by providing experiences teach them to be critical in thought, comfortable taking about their emotions, confident in asking for what they want and to be able to debate without getting angry.

I’d also prioritise learning a language, it’s brilliant for brain health, for understanding that different cultures think in different ways, and for confidence. And as long as you pick something useful, it’s a useful work skill.

Their not there..

Talk to them
Listen to them
Be present

Everything else is nice, but these are the critical things. I think anyway.

How money works: how to not spend more than you have, what the value of it is. Starting with 20p to choose “penny” sweets- DS quickly learned that the big strawberries were costly at 5p! He now equates everything to the hours he has to work to buy it.

That people are different: bodies, beliefs, sexuality etc. We were fortunate and did some of this through travel, but books, chats etc are equally valuable.

How old are they?
Allow them time to play and experiment for themselves. Model metacognition to them, show them how to think about thinking, to stimulate their inquisitive minds.
For example, on a frosty morning, allow them outside to explore and experiment. Let them use all of their senses to explore.
While they walk over frosty grass you might say “listen to the sound it makes when you walk? I wonder why it sounds like that? Does it feel different/look different etc? I wonder how I could make a patch turn back to normal? “
“What is happening?” Etc.
if they find a frozen bit of water (not pond) leave a salt shaker where they can find it.
“I wonder…What is happening?” “I wonder what is making that cracking sound?”

Teach them to be naturally inquisitive as they play. As their investigations will be child led their impact and power will be more significant.

If your kids are teens, ignore everything I’ve just said. They’ll think you’ve lost the plot!

Critical and creative thinking are key, I also think a life skill is so important (like carpentry, sewing, horticulture, coding, mechanics) something that can be an enjoyable hobby throughout life or the foundations of a career

@IHateCoronavirus

How old are they? Allow them time to play and experiment for themselves. Model metacognition to them, show them how to think about thinking, to stimulate their inquisitive minds. For example, on a frosty morning, allow them outside to explore and experiment. Let them use all of their senses to explore. While they walk over frosty grass you might say “listen to the sound it makes when you walk? I wonder why it sounds like that? Does it feel different/look different etc? I wonder how I could make a patch turn back to normal? “ “What is happening?” Etc. if they find a frozen bit of water (not pond) leave a salt shaker where they can find it. “I wonder…What is happening?” “I wonder what is making that cracking sound?”

Teach them to be naturally inquisitive as they play. As their investigations will be child led their impact and power will be more significant.

If your kids are teens, ignore everything I’ve just said. They’ll think you’ve lost the plot!

6&8 so perfect age for this - thanks.

Interested in this thread!

@Fretfulmum

Interested in this thread!

Lots of great replies, thanks everyone!

I would also say involve them in discussions about current affairs/ news etc from an early age and ask their opinions? Obviously it can be made age-appropriate.
We've always been an 'eat together at the table and discuss things' sort of family and our kids were/are very comfortable at speaking up and arguing/defending points of view.

I was quite sad to discover some of their school friends NEVER ate at a table, but in front of the TV on their own etc.

Also, if we do something e.g. watch a movie, visit a museum we DISCUSS it afterwards.

My DC are young adults at uni now, but it's lovely to see that our family WhatsApp chat continues the conversations and we suggest books, films, places, share weird news etc .

That;'s a great list but the thing that I feel in retrospect was totally absent from my education (both from school and my parents) was how to manage my money. Credit cards. Debt. Personal finance should be on the national curriculum! (Maybe it is by now-I'm ancient so no idea)

@Miriam101

That;'s a great list but the thing that I feel in retrospect was totally absent from my education (both from school and my parents) was how to manage my money. Credit cards. Debt. Personal finance should be on the national curriculum! (Maybe it is by now-I'm ancient so no idea)

There is an MSE course for teens on this.

I actually showed some of my teen nephews and nieces the MSE site before the course was running as I realised their parents weren't teaching them how to handle money. Now in their 20s they can sit and bore me with details on credit and managing debit.