From 1965, the HMHS Podcast Network presents Jay Can Do It, showing how an 11-year old boy and his brothers share each others interests and activities. This film suggests that experimenting, creating and doing a job well has real value in character-building. It includes projects such as building a tree house, baking cookies and coloring Easter eggs.
Now a little editorializing, if I may. Of course I believe that the benefits of homeshooling are myriad, but to keep on the subject and theme of this episode of Vintage Video I would like to share a couple here – keeping in mind that not only are our children home educated, but also live in a home devoid of television. While I understand that the majority of adults, young-adults, and even many children would view this video with a mocking eye; noting how “campy” or “corny” a film such as this is, our kids aren’t aware of that. Though they, as all of us, are capable of deriding such things, they don’t know to look scornfully on them. They take things at face value and make their own judgments. They see, hear and process things based simply on “Is this good, or is this bad?”
Our children aren’t influenced (what the homeschool detractors call socialization) by kids at public school – teaching them words and concepts that kids have no business even knowing about – or things on television programs and commercials that, again, children should not be exposed to. Those things are not socialization; they are indoctrination. Learning what clothes, hair styles, music and media, etc. are acceptable in a peer setting, or being taught how to look on those who are different as inferior or “un-cool” isn’t cool, nor is it socialization. Socialization is learning to apply the Golden Rule to everybody, and our kids get plenty of that; although they are still learning. Socialization is learning to speak in an appropriate manner, and saying words that are good. We have taught a simple axiom about proper speech: If the word sounds ugly it probably is ugly.
What does all that have to do with this video? Simple; our kids watch a video like this and like it… a lot. We’ll ask what they like about it and they’ll each tell us what was neat to them: the tree-house, the Easter Eggs, the Policeman. When asked what they didn’t like they’ll answer with “We wish they showed more of the kitty!” There is no “It was totally lame, dad. Like, totally!” In fact, the little secret about the HomemadeHomeschoolers Podcasts is that they are for our kids. They love them. We listen to the radio shows while driving in the car, and the kids listen attentively. It allows for great discussions about life while traveling to our destination. They watch all the videos on the computer – and for special treats on daddy’s iPod! We always have a conversation about what they’ve watched, and they usually have wonderful questions. These podcasts have really opened up great learning opportunities even though my kids don’t know that they shouldn’t enjoy them.
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