Today she learns that an education based on life skills is not just for Shark, Squirrel and Tiger, and thousands of home ed kids just like them, but it is also for stressed out adults with too much money and not enough sense to pick up a book or visit a field.
School of life, do you know that home educators are already doing what you're hoping to make a fortune from? If a home educator wants to find out how fine furniture is made, we go and speak to a man who makes chairs. If we want to discover how the retail environment works, we take the Sainsbury's back of shop tour. If we want to find out about fishing in the South Atlantic ocean, we locate the man with the rolled up albatross and we go and have a look at that.
The thing we did today, in fact.Then in that intelligent and youthful way we have around here, Grit locates the appropriate books and the supporting resources, and ensures the Gritlets all have a very good time finding out about life.
For example, in the Grit household, we are returning to the theme of electricity. This will involve a pleasant tour of a science museum or discovery park, a purposeful visit to a field to look at some pylons and stare at a sub station, an insightful talk from an expert electrical engineer also known as Big Bro, some practical building of electric circuits, entertaining talk at the dinner table about how to catch lightning in a bottle, and much focused reading on a carefully selected range of material, probably electrical and historical, which we will support with a visit to the library.
We may even find out about Mad Ludwig and his electric castle, and then create a series of sparky drawings using electricity as our theme. Perhaps we could enjoy a real life demonstration and watch daddy Dig mend the toaster. In it all, I expect to give a sermon about the perils of mucking about with a puffin when we should be concentrating on electrocuting lemons, and I may indeed invoke the names of a deity and an apostate angel in the hellfire.
Now with that lot - sorry, course - either Grit is very zeitgeist, or I am missing a trick.
I shall tell Shark, Squirrel and Tiger that this exciting and energising course, running once a week over the next six weeks, can be theirs for a mere £180. (Obviously I have to undercut your £195 quid.)
And if any stressed out adult with more money than sense would like to study here the big issues of life - love, politics, work, family and play - then please feel free to read this blog and afterwards enclose an enormous cheque to Grit and the Gritlets.
3 comments:
Splendid lightening Downunder too Grit, the forked variety usually! Actually the electricity lessons sound like a bargain to me. Any chance of teaching the little loves how to build a solar generator? We have a solar hot water system but would love to be totally independent of the Grid System for everything else too.
The Medievals may not have trod on our fields but the Aborigines have been walking around the place for at least 40,000 years. The forest area I was telling you about the other day is thought to have been inhabited for 38,000 years by the local tribe. It's just a shame they made no lasting buildings or written language. Some 'new' rock paintings have been found recently in the North of the state. they are thought to be 15,000 years old. How does that work with your love of antiquity?
Um...look, it is quite late (well, 9pm, that's late) I have had half a gin and tonic and most of a glass of white wine, a screaming toddler, no hot water and an accidental night out with some friends who have recently "shat in the nest" as far as our mutual childcare is concerned. None of which makes much sense but i have just caught up with all grit's pontin's posts and beyond and I am ...dumbstruck. i have no smart nor clever comment to make, no helpful hint or wise observation. Just...fuck...I think you are fantastic, you are an inspiration to parents the world over and i know the strange sticky marriage thing and I am convinced that it is caused by sleep deprivation and also a dirty bathroom and the washing up not being done. But you will be ok, better than. And your children will be wonderful and well rounded adults and God knows we need those kind.
Hang in there Grit...
hi sharon! a solar generator is an excellent idea. if we had any sunshine in the uk we could use that. some grey sky & drizzle energiser needs to be invented.
it is pretty impressive to point to a culture 40,000 years old in your backyard. but it is sad that this culture endured without feeling the need to create the poulaine.
hi ovagirl! i am truly humbled by such kind comments. i might print them out and stick them on the office wall, where dig can see them and be reminded that he is on to a good thing.
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