Should We Buy Kids What They Need to Further Their Passions?

My daughter Sophie loves talking to me. She shares her ideas, tells me what she’s learning about and what she hopes to do. And I enjoy listening to her.

And while I listen, I hear two words over and over again:  mirrorless camera.

“What’s a mirrorless camera?” I ask. “How do they work?” Sophie tells me, and then I say, “And how much do they cost?”

When I hear the average price of a mirrorless camera, I say, “That’s a lot of money. You might have to wait a while before you get one.”

Sophie accepts my words, but that doesn’t stop her dreaming. She’d love to own one of these new generation cameras. She continues her research, just in case.

Then one day, I say, “Wouldn’t it be easier to record videos if we had a smaller, niftier camera? I’ve heard iPhones have good cameras. How much are they?”My husband Andy says, “A lot of money. You might have to wait a while before you get one.”

Sophie, overhearing our conversation, says, “A mirrorless camera would be perfect for video making, Mum. You could use it for your Youtube videos. We could also use it when we record Imogen’s music videos.”

“Send me some links,” I say. “I want to know which is the best model. And I’ll need some prices.” Sophie grins and goes off to find the info I want.

But even though I’ve asked for some details, I haven’t quite decided whether I’m going to buy a mirrorless camera or not. Perhaps I can keep making my videos using my older DSLR. And if Sophie wants a new camera, maybe she should save up for one on her own (even though it will take her forever). I wouldn’t want her to think she can have everything she sets her heart on, would I?

With these thoughts in mind, I follow up all the links Sophie sends me, and then I say, “I’ll think about it. We’ll see.” I know this is a totally frustrating answer.

And then the right answer appears: What if I call the camera a ‘resource’?

Many homeschoolers buy things such as curricula, textbooks and online courses. They pay for them because they think they’re essential for their children’s education. Their kids don’t have to save up and pay for these resources themselves.

So I decide a mirrorless camera is a piece of ‘school’ equipment which Sophie needs if she is to continue learning about her biggest passion. It’s essential for her education.

I order a camera online. It arrives in the mail. And Sophie is absolutely delighted. (She’s appreciative too.) I am delighted as well because we’re sharing the camera. We’re going to have lots of fun with it as we continue to improve our photography. And, of course, it’s going to help us with the many projects we want to work on this year.

“Hey, Sophie! Have you worked out how to use the camera? You have? Can I have a go?”

I think I’m about to further a passion!

What about you? Have you ever bought any essential, unconventional educational resources to further a passion?

Update: I recorded a short video of Sophie answering the question: Should We Buy Kids What They Need to Further Their Passions? We also talked about mirrorless cameras and what we plan to do with ours.

I think I need to learn more about the camera’s settings to improve the video quality, but this will do for a first attempt!