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JUNE 10, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Parenting Pearls
Beyond the Classroom This Summer By Sara Rayvych, MSEd
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ll you have to do is look at the community pages of TJH to see how much the schools pack into your child’s day. I received a wonderful yeshiva education years ago, and things have only gotten better since then. STEM is included routinely, while robotics and advanced art classes are no longer uncommon. Limudei kodesh, too, is taught with creativity and excitement. It’s a credit to the administration and staff that with all the necessary requirements they still make time to include what were once unexpected extras. This article is in no way meant to take away from all that the schools are offering. I can’t even imagine the challenges schools face trying to fit all the basic educational and government requirements into the day and to then include computer coding or Nach bekiyus on top of it. There is so much out there to learn that even if your child stayed in school from morning till night, they still couldn’t cover every topic. I mention this because often children will have an interest or educational passion that will never be covered in the regular framework. This isn’t a criticism; it’s just an honest observation. Each child is unique, and what appeals to one will bore the next. Schools can’t cover everything, and they shouldn’t be forced to. While for ease of writing I may mostly focus on secular topics such as science, everything I write applies equally to limudei kodesh topics, as well. We shouldn’t forget that learning Torah and our mesorah need not be something forced. Torah can, and should be, incredibly fascinating – particularly when it’s presented properly. I remember being taught Megillas Esther from the perspective of psychology and the motivations of the people in the story. I’ve never viewed the megillah the same since then.
pleasantly surprised how far they extend themselves. It’s a well-known but underappreciated reality that people study what interests them. Appreciate what interests your children. It’s another way of showing you appreciate and value them. Take an interest in their interest and be willing to help them bring it one step further. As much as you might find their topic boring and intolerable, you love your child and this is another way of showing that love. You may even find you can enjoy their passion when you see it through their eyes (no promises, though!). As the summer approaches, we have the opportunity to allow our children to explore topics and hobbies they wouldn’t have time for during an already busy school year. As this school year comes to a close and another exciting summer is about to begin, this is the perfect time to see if there is anything different our children could benefit from or enjoy.
Appreciate their Interests In school, children get exposed to a variety of topics and cover many of the basics. This exposure is wonderful, because it gives children a chance to have many of their bases covered and a chance to experience what interests them. In high school, I discovered I enjoyed both biology and Pirkei Avos. Ironically, my kids have for the most part found basic biology boring while zoology has interested them. It was a bit unexpected when we discovered that two of our kids took a big interest in forensics. Another one of my kids is a big engineering fan. My husband recently discovered a major interest in ancient Jewish history. I’m not a geography fan, but some of my kids enjoy maps. A friend enjoys languages and has become quite proficient in Japanese.
When you discover your child has a unique interest, it’s worth letting them pursue it. In fact, it may be worthwhile to encourage their passions. I’m not suggesting to let them drop the basics but the more advanced topics can often fuel the basics. The child that hates biology will study it when he realizes he needs it for forensics. The child that avoids math will take a greater interest once he realizes how much engineers depend on it. The child that didn’t pay attention during Chumash may take a new look at those pesukim once he can track them on his map. You never know what your child will end up studying or choosing as their long-term interests. Encouraging their educational hobby now could be setting them onto an enjoyable career path later. There are many people who studied what interested them, even when others scoffed, and turned that into a successful career. Additionally, allowing your child to learn what interests them is just a wonderful hobby. If your child wants to study Megillas Esther in depth rather than watch television, then you’re rather fortunate. Kids can learn so much when they research what interests them. As narrow as you might think their topic is, you might be
Bring Them to the Next Step As mentioned above, schools couldn’t possibly cover everything. Even though Pirkei Avos is rather mainstream, there still wouldn’t have been time in my school day for a separate class. Certainly, the schools can’t cover the in-depth halachos of the Parah Adumah as a full-time class. As their parent, you can help them find the resources to learn more about their unique educational pursuits. I will preface this by saying that your budget should not be broken to help them fuel their hobby. There are options for every price range, and children can be taught that there aren’t unlimited funds towards a hobby. One of my children came over very excitedly to show me a four-week class in engineering that he saw. Even as he asked, he knew that the price tag was too high and he understood when he couldn’t do it. While I am including possible resources to help fuel your child’s passions, this article won’t cover all your options and their interest will help determine which resources will best suit their needs. Whenever a resource is suggested, you should always check it first to ensure it’s appropriate for your child and meets your standards.
