Nothing-Much Day Learning

When my husband arrived home from work, he asked, “What did you do today?” and I wanted to say, “Nothing. I had a headache that wouldn’t lift. I haven’t done much at all. It’s been a waste of a day.”

But I’d done more than I first thought.

Hoping some fresh air would help my headache, I took our dogs for a walk. I saw a few different fungi that have shot up in the leaf litter and grass after our recent rain. I remembered that the fairytale red fungi belong to the same family as the death cap mushroom: they’re poisonous. I spied an unknown yellow fungus and resolved to look it up later.

I saw some discarded, half-hidden car parts. After feeling frustrated by people who spoil the bush by dumping their rubbish, I took a few photos, which I later edited.

Deciding I couldn’t possibly do anything else, I watched an episode of MasterChef. The contestants cooked classic French dishes while my mind filled with questions. What would I cook if I had to do this challenge? What distinguishes French cookery from other types of cooking? I did some googling. I also did some translating, trying to remember the French that I’d learnt at school.

“What did you do today?”

“I did botany, identifying fungi, and thinking about their ideal growing conditions. I connected the red fungus to the death cap mushroom made famous by the beef Wellington murder trial. That refreshed lots of past learning.

I took photos and edited them. That’s creative arts.

I did some physical education by walking with our dogs.

I immersed myself in geography, languages, creative arts, and home economics by watching MasterChef.”

And now I’ve done some English by writing about all the learning that I experienced during only two hours of a nothing day when I had a headache.

Just imagine what I would have learnt if I hadn’t had a headache

Just imagine all the learning children experience each day.

There’s really no reason to ask, “Is my child doing enough?”

Learning happens on good days and bad ones, when we’re feeling our best or not, whether we go on fabulous outings or have quiet nothing-much days at home.

We can’t prevent learning from happening. It’s just part of life.

Something Extra

Yesterday, I told this nothing-much learning story during the recording of a Virtual Kitchen Table podcast epsiode. Erin and Ashley invited me to join them to discuss What Is Unschooling? We’ve recorded two parts of the three-part series. The episodes will be published very soon. If you aren’t already subscribed to the VKT podcast, why not check it out?