The owlets thought they'd have a go at Little Athletics a couple of weeks ago. It was amazing and fun and challenging and eye opening all at once. Some parts they loved and some parts they didn't. Some parts of the experience pushed them harder than they've ever gone before. We're waiting to see if it'll be a thing that they stick to, or a fleeting thing, complete in the lessons it taught them about themselves.
One of the benefits of being school-free is that they have lots of time to participate in lots of different things. So they try lots of different things as the inspiration and opportunities arise. Sometimes they take to the activity straight away. They find a friend, have a go and they do alright. Maybe they keep going until they find something else they'd like to try...
Sometimes the owlets find it a little harder. Maybe they come last. Or they don't find a friend. Big Owlet is finding that friend-making with local school kids, who often have firmly built friendship groups, isn't so easy at her age. She makes the most of it and continues on, hanging out and watching and learning, on an anthropological level. Then wondering how the friendship circle widens and if it will and how groups of girls who are all the same age work... It's challenging and interesting and I can relate stories of my similar wonderings when I was her age and in school... Often she persists.
Big Owlet ran the 1500m in her first week at Little Aths. She was lapped twice. But she finished and the whole athletics club cheered her name as she crossed the finish line, with the rest of our little family following and running the last laps alongside her. She grew that day. And she learned just how far 1500m is and that it might be a while before she tries it again.
Sometimes the owlets have a fantastic time, despite coming last and not finding a friend. They just enjoy trying something new and having a go. Sometimes they stick with it when we least expect it. Or they have a fantastic time, make lots of friends, connect with the teacher/coach, show they are competent... and decide to leave it at that. And not go again next week. And we have to go with it and trust that they've gained what they need to from the experience. Maybe they'll come back to it when they're ready. Or they won't and they'll move onto something else. And that's ok because it's their life to live and it's so much more fun when you have a go and you try all the things!
If you'd like to join in with Unschool Monday, you can add your link below, or perhaps join in on instagram with the #unschoolmonday hash tag. xx
I love all the extra time we have to try stuff! Next year Tannah and Willow will be doing three activities each!
ReplyDeleteWe have similar experiences with activities. Lil just dropped drama and now we are looking into ceramics. it's great to be able to let them quit and not feel the need to force them continue something they're not enjoying.
ReplyDeleteLove the pics!
Little Athletics is a wonderful thing. Only competing against yourself and trying to better yourself. Getting a certificate to say you did better than last week is very rewarding.
ReplyDeleteI always found it disheartening when my girls played netball. The same girl won the best and fairest every season and it got to the point where she even rolled her eyes when she got the trophy, as if to say, another dust collector. How I wished and hoped my girls could have won that award, just once, one year. Sometimes I thought they were better and fairer than that other girl. I bet that girl threw the trophy down when she got home and didn't even care about it.