WHAT?! You have evening events? We are a busy family!
The most common reason we hear that families can't join us is that their evenings are full or they have family time priorities. We get it! Those are important. We don't like meetings just to fill time either. Everything we do is intentional for something that we need. Here are our reasons.
Dad's Night Away and Mom's Night Out
Time to talk about school and life with other adults in a similar life situation is invaluable. It refreshes us to go back and keep going, day after day. You might find that once a month doesn't feel like enough once you start. We share meals and fun activities, we build friendships. Really at the end of the day, if we didn't finish that textbook and stuff doesn't get done, but we have solid friendships to carry us through our hard seasons, aren't we better off?
My husband doesn't want to participate. If he doesn't can we still join?
Your husband particularly might not want to get together with a group of strangers, that's okay, several men don't participate. Hopefully, he can come to our Harvest Party in Sept/Oct and meets a few guys. Maybe he tries the next DNA and see if it works for him, if it doesn't, no pressure. In all honesty about half of the guys come about every time, because of work, church or other obligations. With that mix, over the course of the school year, most of them have shared an activity or meal.
Do the guys talk about homeschooling?
Uh, no, not usually. They talk about things of interest to them. So if your husband doesn't want to talk homeschooling, he'll fit right in.
Gutsy Guys and Gifted Girls
Why a clubs for the kids, we're already in a kids program?
Many of our families have a Wed night or other program they do. The reason we still do Gutsy Guys and Gifted Girls is we are creating a place where they can learn from any of the parents in the group, skills, but more importantly Biblical truths! We all know each other and trust each other as men or women who can speak into our children. As they get older it is imperative they are both hearing truth from other places, but maybe more importantly, have other adults they can ask the tough questions. Your kids and you trust the same people to speak into their lives. That is why we take an hour and a half once a month to do these clubs. (The friendship and "I can try that" attitudes it builds are no small matter either!)
Dad's Night Away and Mom's Night Out
Time to talk about school and life with other adults in a similar life situation is invaluable. It refreshes us to go back and keep going, day after day. You might find that once a month doesn't feel like enough once you start. We share meals and fun activities, we build friendships. Really at the end of the day, if we didn't finish that textbook and stuff doesn't get done, but we have solid friendships to carry us through our hard seasons, aren't we better off?
My husband doesn't want to participate. If he doesn't can we still join?
Your husband particularly might not want to get together with a group of strangers, that's okay, several men don't participate. Hopefully, he can come to our Harvest Party in Sept/Oct and meets a few guys. Maybe he tries the next DNA and see if it works for him, if it doesn't, no pressure. In all honesty about half of the guys come about every time, because of work, church or other obligations. With that mix, over the course of the school year, most of them have shared an activity or meal.
Do the guys talk about homeschooling?
Uh, no, not usually. They talk about things of interest to them. So if your husband doesn't want to talk homeschooling, he'll fit right in.
Gutsy Guys and Gifted Girls
Why a clubs for the kids, we're already in a kids program?
Many of our families have a Wed night or other program they do. The reason we still do Gutsy Guys and Gifted Girls is we are creating a place where they can learn from any of the parents in the group, skills, but more importantly Biblical truths! We all know each other and trust each other as men or women who can speak into our children. As they get older it is imperative they are both hearing truth from other places, but maybe more importantly, have other adults they can ask the tough questions. Your kids and you trust the same people to speak into their lives. That is why we take an hour and a half once a month to do these clubs. (The friendship and "I can try that" attitudes it builds are no small matter either!)
Is this the right group for my child with learning challenges?
While your child might do well in a traditional classroom setting, the way we run classes could exacerbate their challenges. In collaboration, often the projects require physical contact, sometimes blindfolding, and active movement. Gym is also physical and doesn't respect personal space. It can be noisy and feel chaotic. While skipping things that they find too challenging might be options some places, we have learned through experience, that allowing some kids to sit out makes other kids want to sit out because they don't want to do something. We are there to do group work and require kids to participate in everything. In addition, we often have just one teacher per class. It works fine with small class sizes, but we don't have staff if students have additional needs or behavior issues. We've had kids with learning challenges in the past, and to be honest, it hasn't been the best structure for them or others working with them to learn. In fact, none of them have stayed with the group very long.
While your child might do well in a traditional classroom setting, the way we run classes could exacerbate their challenges. In collaboration, often the projects require physical contact, sometimes blindfolding, and active movement. Gym is also physical and doesn't respect personal space. It can be noisy and feel chaotic. While skipping things that they find too challenging might be options some places, we have learned through experience, that allowing some kids to sit out makes other kids want to sit out because they don't want to do something. We are there to do group work and require kids to participate in everything. In addition, we often have just one teacher per class. It works fine with small class sizes, but we don't have staff if students have additional needs or behavior issues. We've had kids with learning challenges in the past, and to be honest, it hasn't been the best structure for them or others working with them to learn. In fact, none of them have stayed with the group very long.
Where have you gone on field trips in the past?
We've gone to and will continue to go on field trips to places like these:
Wargo Nature Centers Heritage Lab
Christmas at The Landing
MN Center for Book Arts
KTIS
MIA - special exhibits
Great River Energy Resource Processing Plant
MN Transportation Museum
Historic Fort Snelling
Stages Theaters - Number the Stars
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
U of M Raptor Center
Mill City Museum
Maybe you've been to all of these, so have we. More fun hands-on learning to come in the future!
Wargo Nature Centers Heritage Lab
Christmas at The Landing
MN Center for Book Arts
KTIS
MIA - special exhibits
Great River Energy Resource Processing Plant
MN Transportation Museum
Historic Fort Snelling
Stages Theaters - Number the Stars
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
U of M Raptor Center
Mill City Museum
Maybe you've been to all of these, so have we. More fun hands-on learning to come in the future!
