Do you ever have times when you think you’re not doing much with your kids so you wonder if they’re learning enough?
We’ve had a very busy time recently. I’ve been rushing here and there doing errands. Gemma-Rose has been working. (She does a couple of shifts each week as a cafe all-rounder.) We haven’t had many of those wonderful free days that we can fill with unschooling adventures. Of course, we learn from everything that happens in our lives. I know this. But still, I’ve been yearning for the opportunity to strew some books or movies or ideas in front of my daughter. Enrich her life with things that she’d think about and learn from and enjoy.
[pullquote align=”left” style=”default” width=”300″ size=”16″ line_height=”18″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#222222″]Gemma-Rose has been enriching her own life.[/pullquote]But then the other day, I discovered that Gemma-Rose has been enriching her own life. She and big sister Charlotte found a playlist of musicals on YouTube. Each evening, they’ve been choosing a musical to watch together in their bedroom. I discovered my girls’ latest adventure when I overheard them discussing a video they’d seen. Then I got involved when they got very excited about a musical theatre production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: “It was good, Mum! How about we watch it again with you?”So that’s what we did. And as we watched, we chatted.
“Watch carefully, Mum. The Hunchback is about to come on stage. I reckon he’s got the most challenging part. Imagine having to sing while crouching over for a long time. He’s on stage for most of the production.”
“I love how they change the settings,” I said. “It’s very clever how they move everything around without stopping the action.”
“It’s not really a children’s story, is it?” I said. The girls agreed. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame seems a strange choice for a Disney animation.”
“They changed the ending in the Disney version.”
“I suppose the real ending of The Hunchback of Notre Dame isn’t child-friendly. Imagine all the kids leaving the cinema in tears. No, that wouldn’t have been good for business!”
The girls now want us to watch another video that they’ve already seen: a stage production called Jekyll and Hyde. Gemma-Rose would also like to read Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I bet there’s a film version of the book she could see as well. And after Gemma-Rose pondered the similarities in the plots of Jekyll and Hyde and The Hulk, she might even watch that movie too.
Charlotte and Gemma-Rose are going to watch more of the videos on the YouTube playlist, but they have also collected together a pile of musical DVDs from our shelf: Gilbert and Sullivan productions including The Mikado and HMS Pinafore, Westside Story, Oklahoma and many others. I think this musical adventure is going to last a long time!
This morning, Gemma-Rose and I continued our musical conversation as I was driving her to town for work.
“I can’t wait for the new Cats movie to be released,” said Gemma-Rose. “The trailer looks good.”
“You could watch the stage version again while you’re waiting,” I suggested.
“Charlotte and I watched it the other day. Twice!”
Then we talked about the T.S Eliot poems in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats which the musical Cats is based on. And we both agreed that one day, we’d love to see a live version of Cats. And we talked about how we love Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals. Except for Love Never Dies which is the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. Oh my, that musical was disappointing. Some stories should never be continued.
As we reached town, Gemma-Rose said, “I think Cats is my favourite musical.”
I wonder what your favourite musical is. Maybe, like me, you have a long list of musicals you enjoy watching. You could stop by and share some that you love.
And if musicals aren’t your family’s thing, perhaps something else is. Have your kids unexpectedly dived deep into something? Have they enriched their own lives by charging off on their own adventures? And have you enjoyed tagging along?
Some extras
Photos and Video
As well as watching musicals, my girls love singing all the songs. I took these photos some time ago, while we were filming a music video. Imogen was singing a song from Beauty and the Beast.
In case you’re interested, here’s the video! If you watch it to the end, you’ll discover that Beauty and the Beast has been Imogen’s favourite movie for as long as she can remember!
Blog Post
I wrote a blog post about our Gibert and Sullivan adventures: I Am a Pirate King!
Books
And you’ll find many stories about passions and interests and how kids learn in my books Curious Unschoolers and Radical Unschool Love!
Our kids are currently exploring morse code and cb radios. Right this moment one son has driven to the top of the local mountain to see the range of the cb.
He tells me he has become fascinated with the “electromagnetic spectrum”. Not sure where morse code fits into that, but it fits with radios!
I love seeing their engagement return after long bored years at school, when they follow their hearts.
xo Jazzy Jack
Jack,
Years ago, I learnt morse code but have forgotten it. And I might have learnt about the electromagnetic spectrum too because I had to at school. Unfortunately, I’ve again forgotten everything I ever learnt. It doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen to your son. Being fascinated is much better than being bored, isn’t it?!
My kids are learning things I have no idea about, things that sound difficult to me. I find this amazing. I wonder if you feel the same way about your kids’ learning!
Ok, this is perfect for us today. Thank you. Our time has not been our own this past week, and I have longed to do more with our kids, but have not been able to, yet as I discovered, like you, they have been learning, too! Mostly by reading, but also by exploring their own projects and videos. How wonderful! We love musicals, too, and even our 3 year old was singing songs from Cats, the musical, yesterday. Thank you for the links to the productions above – they will be watched and enjoyed.
Staci,
I’m so glad you can relate to my story! I love empty weeks that we can fill with lots of unschooling adventures, but yes, sometimes our time isn’t our own. Isn’t it reassuring to know that our kids continue learning even when we’re busy?
I hope you enjoy the musicals! Enjoy the weekend!
It is beautiful to read how your daughters learn and explore together and how they help each other with various unique projects.
I love musicals. Almost as much as I love the opera. When I was about 8, I fell in love with opera. I remember the other kids at school thinking I was odd. But I did not mind. I saw my first big musical production when I was around 10 I think. It was Starlight Express. Then I saw Cats in London and many other musicals followed. One I did not like was Miss Saigon. I enjoy the music and the cast in the production I saw was amazing. But I just do not like the story. The ending to be precise. I do not like the main male character and I get angry that he gets away so well in the end :-). Madame Butterfly and Miss Saigon….I love though how stories can be retold.
Theatre was a passion for me. So much so that I started working at a State Theatre after school and I loved the buzzing energy behind the stage.
My children have not been interested. Though my daughter, who just turned 9, has recently discovered the music of Wicked and she really enjoyed it.
I find it amazing to see what my kids are interested in. For a very long time it seemed the main thing, almost to the exclusion of much else, my son was interested in snails. Sounds strange, but snails it was. And so much learning can came from this interest. He still likes to read and learn about snails, but he is also interested in historical architecture and green building, food forests and permaculture.
My girl, who has never liked being read to and claimed that reading was a boring skill to require until last year, has started writing short stories. She is also very active and athletic. We hike and swim together a few times a week and she also climbs, boulders and practices aerial dance. She is currently interested in mythology and snakes.
I do not really get to strew. There is too much that they have planned for themselves already. Our days are seldom slow. Indoors is for sleeping. My kids say so. But our days are spent intentionally. There are so many connectios. And we get to be with each other and learn with and from each other. I am so grateful for this life we share.
Calla,
It sounds like your kids are interested in many things! You have a very full life!
It’s fascinating to watch our kids’ interests change and to see them become interested in things they previously didn’t like. isn’t it? It’s extra special when they become interested in our interests!
I haven’t seen Miss Saigon. I didn’t know that it’s based on Madame Butterfly. Yes, I love how stories can be retold too. We love West Side Story which, as you probably know, is a version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. There are lots of other Shakespeare retellings. And Shakespeare’s plays themselves are based on someone else’s stories!
It’s always lovely to chat with you. I hope you’re enjoying the weekend!