We are at the museum today for a special session organised just for home educators. I have Tumble in the baby sling and the other three are free-ranging.
The curator outlines a few basic rules, such as no running, no shouting, please raise your hands before asking a question, so that she could tell who was asking what.
Then we are led into a rather warm room and the session begins. Everyone seems to enjoy handling the artefacts and having a go at beating a rug and so on.
All are remarkably well behaved, too, resisting the urge to squabble over the artefacts or hit each other over the head with the sugar tongs.
Afterwards, we decide to explore on our own. Squiggle, Scooter & Pixie discover that they can squeeze through the eight inch gap in the internal wall which seems to have been deliberately put there for the sole purpose of annoying parents. So, by the time I have gotten into the room using the door in the normal manner, they have squeezed back through the gap into the corridor again. As it brought about such a satisfying reaction the first time, they are compelled to do it again, repeatedly.
After the visit, we are all talking outside and I am surprised to discover that some people took exception to the request for children to raise their hands before speaking.
Apparently, it wasn’t appropriate. I’m shocked: why on earth not? So what if that’s what they do at school, too? Adults are expected to do this, too, if the circumstances demand it.
Only last week, I was at a professional event where the speaker asked us to raise our hands with any questions we might have. As far as I am aware none of us felt oppressed by this request. If we hadn’t abided by the rules, we could all have been there until midnight, while the speaker abandoned her presentation and answered random questions at will. Good grief, it’s just common sense.
I love home education but just because “they do that at school”, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad thing. Honestly, some people just need to get a grip.