BBHSing is Hard, Part 2

This is the second part of a two part series. Click here for Part 1.

For a really long time I didn’t understand why I couldn’t get much traction with homeschoolers in Greater Boston. Sometimes I would meet people who we seemed to get along with, but then something made it become clear we weren’t compatible, and I wasn’t entirely sure what it was.

Photo by João Jesus on Pexels.com

In 2017 we lost our apartment to a $250 rent increase, we struggled for almost 6 months to find a new apartment. We couldn’t find anything within an hour’s drive of Boston and ended up in North Central Massachusetts. We lived there for almost 2 years, all the while working to find an apartment back in our old neighborhood.

So anyway, while in exile, what I learned about homeschoolers there opened my eyes. If you go outside the I-95 belt, and especially outside I-495, you will very quickly find more middle class and lower-middle class homeschoolers. You will easily find organized events catering to those homeschoolers. YMCA’s with very affordable homeschool gym and swim classes. A Boys & Girls club with a competitive swim team for $50/year. Mass Audubon homeschool classes that cost only $15 per class meeting. So many libraries with homeschool specific events! Coops that cost $50/year plus materials. Organizations of all kinds have easily found affordable homeschool classes.

I came to realize that the PRIMARY reason we couldn’t connect with homeschoolers in Greater Boston was that we were not in the same class. It’s so expensive in Greater Boston, it’s almost impossible for anyone below upper middle class to homeschool here. The cost of housing is the number 1 reason. If you have a middle class job, you really need 2 incomes to make it work in Greater Boston. Homeschooling and living on one income is wicked hard.

So many area homeschool events are SO EXPENSIVE! $300/academic class. Dance/martial arts/fine arts classes priced at $30/class meeting or above. Parts & Crafts! The coop at the Blue Hills! Not to mention that people with good resources are likely doing things on their own together and not advertising them on local homeschooling boards. Therefore many homeschoolers in the area are unavailable to BBHSers, we just can’t go where they go.

Add to that the fact that countless families have already been displaced and you have an awful demographic shift, where most of the people left in Boston are wealthy or poor. There are so few BBHSers because of the cold realities of economics which makes it harder to join together to create opportunities for ourselves.

There are always sacrifices that must be made when you live according to values. Sometimes it’s painful and solitary. And so, this post is dedicated to the BBHSers out there, homeschooling through stress, taking care of their families and making it work!

MLK Jr. Day & Lunar New Year – Tips on visiting the MFA on free days

The Museum of Fine Arts' Fenway entrance with people walking out the door and down the stairs.
MFA’s Fenway Entrance, Source: BBHS

I know the Museum of Fine Arts is crazy-busy on their free days, but they do offer lots of really wonderful family programming on those days. It can also be a great, low-cost way to spend time with friends. Even this introvert has gone to 4 or 5 MFA free days over the years!

The next free admission day at the MFA is on January 20, 2020 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. And if you can’t make it, there’s another on February 1, 2020 to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Here are my tips to maximize your visit:

  • Arrive EARLY is #1, the lines in won’t be as long, and the lines for the coat room won’t be long either.
  • Arrive LATE, another good move if you don’t mind a short visit. Note that most of the family programs will be winding down by mid-afternoon.
  • Do not drive there! The garage, lots and street parking will be full and traffic will be sluggish around the museum with people trying to park, save yourself the headache and either take the T or plan to park far away and walk over. Also, museum parking is NOT free on free days.
  • If the line to get in winds out to the sidewalk on Huntington Ave, go around to the Fenway entrance. The line is usually SO MUCH SHORTER! Keep in mind, the Huntington entrance also has a long line inside, whereas the Fenway inside line is about 1/4 the length. The Fenway coat room usually has a shorter line too.
  • The downstairs cafe is going to be mobbed, consider eating outside before going into the museum, or visit the cafe at non-peak times.
  • You can bring your own food into the museum to eat at the cafe, make sure you’re carrying it in a museum approved bag.

Do you have any tips to share? Please leave them in the comments below! ❤️

BBHSing is Hard, Part 1

When we ultimately came to realize our kids needed homeschooling, I was a totally newbie. I literally started out with the web search “What is homeschooling?”

Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com

Wow, did I have a lot to learn back then. Based on rose-colored accounts of homeschooling in blogs and message boards for newbies, I started out thinking classical education would be best for our family. I started out thinking it wouldn’t be hard to make connections. I started out thinking coops were common wherever homeschoolers were. I was so optimistic, unprepared and naive. (Optimism has been one of my faults for a long time.)

Learning that homeschooling is not homogeneous* was probably my first surprise. Given how welcoming everyone sounded online when discussing homeschooling, I really was unprepared for the tension between various philosophical tribes of homeschooling.

I remember our first organized homeschooling class was a fall sport clinic. I went there with such excitement to be meeting local homeschoolers, but was quickly met with blank stares when I went to introduce myself to the field-side moms. I immediately felt like I was back in elementary school, trying to make friends at a new school with a very chilly social environment.

I tried again in the winter at the MFA homeschool classes and made some promising connections, but it was hard to socialize while accompanying my high needs 5 year old through his Artful Adventures class.

Spring came and we tried the Watertown playgroup at Arsenal Park. By then I was already struggling with isolation and worn down a bit by the demands of homeschooling. So arriving at Arsenal and not knowing anyone at a busy, fairly spread out park, was very hard for me to cope with. By then I already knew that there were homeschooling social pitfalls I couldn’t easily predict, which made branching out feel very difficult.

As a second-choice homeschooler, I naturally found more in common with other second-choice homeschoolers. We are a pragmatic bunch. But one of the downsides to making friends with second-choicers was that they might change things up as needs and strengths evolved. Our first homseschool friends all went back to school within the first 2 years of meeting them.

First-choicers are homeschooling for an entirely different set of reasons and had a well formed sense of identity and purpose for their homeschooling family. They weren’t ever going to send their kids to school. This is a lovely set of life choices, and I have always admired and also envied their certainty and preparation. But the difference in our reasons for homeschooling was fundamentally tied to how different we were as people and that inhibited the formation of closer ties.

* Although homeschooling in this area is NOT as racially diverse as the general population.

Stick around for Part 2, coming tomorrow!

Boston’s First Night 2019, Family Events

New Year’s Eve is almost upon us. With a sleet and rain storm on tap for the next two days, I’m crossing my fingers that the weather will be good enough and safe enough for a little celebrating Tuesday.

Images courtesy of First Night Boston

Boston’s First Night has been through a lot of changes over the years, and isn’t nearly as big as it used to be, but it still has a good number of events for families. All events are now FREE! You just have to pay attention to which events require tickets so you can go early to get some.

This year I hope our family can check out:

  • The Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association’s Arts & Crafts and Cultural Performances running 1pm to 4pm in the McKim Exhibition Hall at the Boston Public Library at Copley Square.
  • One of Improv Boston’s performances on the other side of the BPL at 1:15, 2:30 and 3:45. These are free but ticketed performances. Go early to get tickets!
  • My kids might not be thrilled at this one, but I’m really looking forward to The King of Instruments organ performance at Old South Church at 3pm. Have you ever heard an E.M. Skinner organ? They are WONDERS and make such beautiful music. It’s so powerful, you experience the music with your whole body, not just your ears! And they can make all kinds of sounds, including trumpet and flute sounds. It’s like an orchestra packed into one enormous music machine. The program says they’ll have music for the whole family, so hopefully the kids will enjoy it too.

Some other lovely events in the early afternoon for families are the Puppet Showplace Theater performances in the Copley Mall, and interactive drumming sessions and ballroom dance instruction both at the BPL. Click here for the full schedule of events.

There’s a several hour break between those family events and the next events we might attend.

The Skating Spectacular on Frog Pond starts at 5:30pm. But the People’s Procession from Copley Square to the Common starts at 6pm. So we’ll have to choose between them. Finally, the Family Fireworks light up over Boston Common at 7pm. I love heading home at 7:30pm on New Year’s Eve. I definitely feel like we celebrated AND get to leave before the city gets crazy with New Year’s revelers.

Because of that few hours break between activities and fireworks, I’m not sure what we’ll do. As a BBHSer, I love the free holiday festivities, but I don’t want to spend a lot on food in a more expensive Boston neighborhood. I’ll have to research where we might go before we head down to Copley Square on Wednesday. If you have any tips for cheap eats within a reasonable walking distance of Copley Square and Boston Common, please share them in the comments below!

MFA December Vacation Week Activities 2019

One of our favorite activities at an MFA vacation week was a weather-vane project, where my “avant-garde” 4-year-old made a dog weather vane with a spiraled, yellow pipe-cleaner attached to show the dog peeing 😂😍🎨 The museum educators facilitating the activity were wonderfully supportive of him and even suggested art styles his creation would fit right into. The child has a sense of humor!

Another time we made Polynesian stick charts after looking at a Navigation Chart from Micronesia. This was right around the time the Disney movie “Moana” was big, and my kids really enjoyed an activity relevant to something they loved.

Now, I know as homeschoolers we don’t usually like to go places during school vacation weeks, there are just so. many. people. But I do make an exception for the MFA’s vacation week activities because the quality of the activities is very good and very kid-friendly. The activities are also more low-key and free-form compared to Artful Adventures. Giving my kids a positive experience with art, history and museums is something I highly value, and can usually accomplish at the MFA!

This year’s December Vacation Week Activities are focused on the solstice and light, and runs Thursday, December 26 to Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Cover image for “Ancient Nubia Now” special exhibit
Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

From 10am to 4pm everyday, you can visit these activities:

  • Reflected Light – Features a Persian mosaic with mirror pieces and a mosaic making activity.
  • Light from Above – This activity invites kids to look for the rainbow in a painting called Blue Niagara and to see if they can find rainbows in other paintings. The connected art activity is to make your own picture with colored pencils focused on water and light.
  • Light of the Sun – After visiting the Ancient Nubia Now exhibit to see how the Nubians used gold to represent sunlight, kids can make their own jewelry.
  • Infinite Light – Kids can look at a bronze Altarpiece with Amitabha and Attendants, and then make their own mixed-media sculpture as they “imagine a special place filled with endless light.”

On Monday December 30, 2019 at 11 am only, you can visit this activity:

  • Riley the Museum Dog Book Signing and Scent Training Demonstration – Meet the MFA’s canine volunteer who helps sniff out bugs hiding in the museum that could damage art works. There will be a demonstration of his skills and a book signing.

The MFA full-price admission isn’t cheap, but you can get passes for $10 admission for 2 people at most area libraries. Children 17 and under are free whenever school is not in session. An EBT card will get you $3 admission per person.

Have you gone to any of the MFA’s vacation week activities in the past? What did you think of your experience? Leave a reply below 🙂

Harvard Semitic Museum, Cambridge

Sandwich board sign outside the Harvard Semitic Museum showing an Egyptian sculpture and advertising Free Admission and open hours Sunday-Friday 11am-4pm. My son leans against the sign with a smile on his face.
Welcome Sign at the Semitic Museum. Source: BBHS

A few days ago, we spent some time visiting collections at Harvard University, including The Semitic Museum which is tucked behind the Museum of Natural History at 6 Divinity Avenue. Admission is free and open to the public.

When I first heard about this museum I wasn’t sure what it was about, maybe you’re scratching your head too. Here’s a lovely text from the museum to explain:

An informational text from the Harvard Semitic Museum which is titled "A Museum for All People." Text reads "David Gordon Lyon envisioned an institution that highlighted the tremendous cultural contributions of the Semitic peoples of the Ancient Near East: Israelites, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Arameans, Babylonians, Arabs, and many others. For students in Lyon's time, the achievements of ancient Greece and Rome were common knowledge. But long before those great civilizations arose, the kingdoms of the 'Fertile Crescent' had already developed fundamental concepts that would shape all of Western civilization. Three great religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - emerged from the Semitic world, as did the modern alphabet and elements of complex mathematics."
Text from the Semitic Museum. Source: BBHS

My favorite object on display here is a painted, plaster cast of the Stele of Hammurabi that is in the Louvre! Our first time to the museum, we were totally surprised to see it. We had come to see Egyptian artifacts and I had no idea Greater Boston had a life size replica that we could visit. I remember learning about the Code of Hammurabi as a kid. We covered it in our ancient history homeschool curriculum. The pictures didn’t prepare us for how massive it is in person. We were also surprised to see the text covers the entire surface, front to back, and that it’s roughly cylindrical. The long story short is that seeing an object in person is powerful!

Laws of Hammurabi. Source: BBHS

The Semitic Museum is very small, and is nestled among academic offices on three floors. You can visit objects that are at least 5 thousand years old, see Egyptian sarcophagi, cuneiform tablets, pottery and more. And, you can see everything in under an hour.

On our visit this week, the first floor gallery with a life-size reproduction of an Israelite home was closed. I can’t say if it’s a long-term closure for renovations or temporary for minor repairs. Call before you go if that’s what you want to see most! The third floor has a newer exhibit on reproductions of ancient Mesopotamian palace carvings, which I personally think is really great! We can’t all have original objects available to see in person all around the world. Well made reproductions give people a wonderful opportunity to have first hand experience with important art and artifacts.

“From Stone to Silicone” exhibit at Harvard Semitic Museum. Source: BBHS

There are two really cool technological features available from the museum. One is an augmented reality app you can use with the reproduction of the Dream Stela on the second floor. You can either borrow a tablet from the information desk downstairs or download an app to your own device. Click here for more on experiencing the Sphinx and Dream Stela in augmented reality.

The second are digital models of artifacts that you can download and recreate on a 3D printer. The cuneiform tablet image above is actually a 3D printed model. When you visit the digital models page, click on the little blue box on each model image to go to sketchfab.com where the downloads are available.

Have you been surprised to find an important artifact in one of Greater Boston’s museums? Tell us about it in the comments!

Kendall Square Ice Show moved to 12/21 due to ice melt

Because today was so warm, the rink postponed their ice show to Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 2 pm.

Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard U.

  • Water Lens in the Science Center
  • Commodore 64 station once used in Harvard’s Cyclotron
  • A 1st floor display
Source: BBHS

Yesterday we visited the Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments located in Harvard’s Science Center at 1 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Admission to the collection is free and open to the public.

This is a lovely, small, but high-interest collection with lots of objects from Harvard’s long history of scientific research and study. The collection spans 400 years and includes “telescopes, microscopes, sextants, medical tools, and computational instruments.” You could easily connect your history or science studies to objects on view here. Before you go, you could search their collection online using their Waywiser database to see what’s on view that you’d like to see.

The main entrance to Harvard’s Science Center. In the summer, there’s a mist fountain among the boulders, which are a fun obstacle course for kids year-round. Source: BBHS

While you’re visiting the Science Center, you can see some wonderful examples of Mid-Century arts and some fun science objects on display in the hallways. There’s also a Clover cafe on the first floor where you could stop for a snack or coffee. You can also bring your own food and eat in the cafe seating.

Source: BBHS

Have you visited the CHSI? Do you have any favorite scientific instruments that are on display? Would love to hear your comments below!

Free Online Learning for You!

One of my favorite parts of this homeschooling journey has been the opportunity to fill in gaps in my own education. I love learning about history, culture and science.

Over the years I’ve used some online education portals to pursue some amazing classes. Not only is it a great way to pass time while my kids are doing their own work, it’s also a powerful way to demonstrate to them my values around education.

Two textbooks. "Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and its Challenge to Western Thought" by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. A geology textbook, "Understanding Earth, 5th Edition" by Grotzinger, Jordan, Press, Siever.
Books I used with online courses, Source: BBHS

Here are my fav online learning portals, let me know of your favs in the comments!

EdX.org – This platform was created by Harvard and MIT and hosts courses from colleges and universities around the world. Most courses you can take for free. The first amazing course I took was “The Science of Religion” from the University of British Columbia. I’ve also taken courses on Chinese History, the basics of Neuroscience, Ethics, History of Architecture. Most EdX courses do not require any outside materials or text books, though classes may suggest optional readings. The site is user-friendly, and you can go at your own pace.

MIT OpenCourseWare – From their site: “MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.” I’ve taken an introductory course on Geology through this platform. Compared to EdX.org, OCW isn’t as user friendly. The courses available, however, are actual college-level courses! You will often want to buy or borrow the textbooks for each course. I bought my textbook off eBay for less than $20. If you can get your course’s books from the library, these courses are truly free and high quality.

A few years ago, a homeschooler was in the news for using MIT OpenCourseWare for his entire homeschool education and getting admitted to MIT at age 15.

Coursera – This platform is a lot like EdX. The biggest difference with Coursera is that you need to keep up with each course’s timing. It’s not as relaxed as EdX, but I do think the courses are at a slightly higher level. I haven’t successfully finished a class on Coursera because of the timing issue, but have found some really great topics, such as entomology and fair use copyright law for blogs!

Do you use these online platforms yourself? Do your kids learn from them? Please share your experiences in the comments below!