So… when you think “field trip”, what places come to mind?
Zoos. Aquariums. Police and fire stations. Museums of all sorts — science, art, history, childrens. Music halls. Nature centers. Amusement parks. Orchards and farms. For older kids you could visit national monuments, historic sites, government centers and capitals. Etc, etc. etc. I could go on, but you get the idea. Places where there’s cultural enrichment, educational and inspirational opportunities. Like, if we’re studying Astronomy, it would make sense to take my kids to a planetarium, wouldn’t it? And if my child were so inspired by the day that she delved deeper into the possibility of Being an Astronomer Someday, well then… that would be fine with me.
That’s a field trip that Makes Sense to me.
But lately on the homeschooling community message boards we belong to, I’m noticing this odd trend of planning and taking the kids on field trips to places like supermarkets, and restaurants, and large retail crafting stores. At first I thought it was just some over-zealous homeschool moms who’d gotten so tired of the science museum that they’d finally said: oh to hell with it, let’s just tour the Super Walmart and have done with it. It’s so close, and then I could get my grocery shopping done while the kids were taking the tour. But then, last week, I heard one of the karate moms talking about the field trip her son’s kindergarten class had taken to a nearby supermarket.
It was pretty interesting, she said, but her eyes weren’t alight with wonder or anything. They took the kids on a tour of all the warehouses in the back, and the butcher section and everything. Then even let them use a register to ring up some items.
Oh… how nice, I said to her. Because what else does one say to a story like that?
What I wanted to ask was if the deli-counter manager had given out hairnets to the kids as souvenirs. Because you just know that’s what ALL the kids want these days. Hairnets are IN, baby. To hell with the fact that the Zoo gift shop is now stocking Webkinz, man! It’s really all about the hairnets!
And I wonder what kind of speech the store manager gave to the kids at the start. Was he all: Well, hi there, kids! And welcome to the Acme! I know you’ll love our tour today. In fact, when I was a kid not much older than you guys, I wanted to be a fireman! But then, one day, while on the run from some bigger kids from the middle school, I slipped into the back warehouse of a Woolworths, and I knew from that moment on, my future was in shelving and inventory!
Can you imagine a duller afternoon than that? Seriously? I do everything in my power to avoid going into a grocery store. And when I’m in one, all I want is to be done shopping and get the hell out. To agree to spend an afternoon in one even though I’m not currently low on milk seems not just boring, but kind of crazy.
But I’m just weird like that, I guess.
So, I guess it’s not just bored homeschool moms looking to streamline their schedules that have started this odd new trend. It’s more like homeschool communities are going out of their way to mimic the latest trends in public school field trips. And I’m all like: whatever happened to Raising the Educational Bar?
I haven’t taken the kids on one of these new-fangled field trips yet. And I seriously doubt I ever will. Because I can’t imagine saying to them: Now girls, you need to calm down and get your Latin done or else you won’t be able to go on the field trip to Dennys next week, and you’ll miss out on the inside look at Your Exciting Future Career in…
retail.
Can I claim I was there at the birth of this story? No, I know you had it mulling around before then…but you know, still…I know that you know, I actually went to a Large Chain Craft Store Field Trip, but for your readers in general who are entertaining thoughts of taking their kids, listen to me: Don’t.
Unless you want a refresher course in Being Talked Down To 101, No One Can Move On Until EVERYONE Is Done,Folding Paper Airplanes for Tweens, and my favorite: Crowd Control For Groups of 10 or Less. I think we would’ve done better with the course Homeschoolers Let Loose In Craft Store Uninhibited for 1 Hour. But c’est l’vie and Wow! What fodder for discussion! And great blog posts~as this one. Well done!
Maria,
I was actually hoping you’d blog your Incredible Experiences. I’m especially interested in hearing about Crowd Control for Groups of 10 or Less! That’s hysterical!
I always figured public schools did field trips like these because the kids are cut off from the real world and will have no clue how to function in later life (“Okay, kids, when you eventually graduate and get a job as an office drone, you’ll have to do things like ‘shopping for food’ after work”).
But homeschool groups doing this sort of thing? Hmm, do you maybe have a bunch of doomers in your group that want to their kids to see what life was like before the impending economic collapse and end-of-life-as-we-know-it so they can pass it on to future generations huddled in their compounds?
RegularMom, do you remember that field trip when we were very small to Burger King. I credit that field trip with making me a vegetarian.
RegSis
RegularSis,
No, I have no memory of that. I must have blocked it out so that I could still eat hamburgers.
And Gail, I wish I knew why the homeschoolers are going on these things. I really think we shouldn’t, as a demographic group. I mean, we really need to stand up and say: Hell No to Boring Field Trips!
Our local groups do this too. I think someone started it as a way to do “local stuff” for free or teach “life skills” as I’ve heard it called. Museums are costly in our area. And even though I didn’t participate back then either, my old Moms groups used to do it too.
Having said that. Let me say, what the frick? Loved this post, RM.
That sounds so boring! If they want to know retail, why can’t they just wait until they’re 14 and work as a bagger? That’s the normal way to learn about it, I think.
Yes. Exactly.
I don’t want to sound snobby with this post, although I’m sure I do on some level. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working in retail or food services. I just don’t think it requires a whole lotta field trip inspiration. We don’t take jobs in retail because we’re inspired. We do it because we need the income. And that’s cool.
But, to try to make it all GLAMOROUS by creating field trips to show off the exciting opportunities… well… I just don’t get it.
So, way back when, like 3 years ago, I used to coordinate field trips for my mom’s club and no one ever came, except me and one friend, which truly, was fine. But, the president had to talk to me about doing more “local” things. After the police and fire station, I was done. And she suggested . . . the grocery store (she was also the woman who suggested the book club read Cosmo. That’s another story). So, I set it up, but didn’t go. Everyone else did. I quit.
OMG, so funny. But I must say that our homeschool group went on a tour of a chocolate factory where they were, in January, making your personal stash of solid chocolate bunnies because I think you really scared the Easter bunny last year or whenever that was. And they gave all the kids and moms hairnets. And while my daughter (who is six and SUCH a fashionista) was completely mortified and would only let me take her picture because I begged and promised to include other kids in it, it was a total prize to some of the kids! One mom had cleverly called it a Princess Hat, and that pretty much made it a score to a 3-year-old. So what are we? In between new-fangled and old-school?
Believe it or not, I saw a pre-K curriculum for a school that included field trips to laundromats, shoe stores, doctor’s and dentist’s offices, pizza stores, supermarkets, hardware stores, etc. All I could think is that the school in question must think the kids are real shut-ins. My seven-month old has been to most of those places already.