The following
post is written by Steady Mom's monthly contributor, Hillary.
Two weeks ago my younger brother left with the Peace Corps for Panama. We made the six hour trip to the Boston area so we could say good-bye and attend a farewell party at my mom's house.
It was a really hard good-bye for me because because I keep thinking about time in terms of my children. For example, he won't see my new baby until they are two and half years old! The next time he sees my oldest he'll be almost eight!
Children are such a great reminder of appreciating all the little moments because they grow and change so rapidly. In grown-up world two years might not seem so long, but in the world of a little one the time is immense!In response to my sadness of his departure I've been collecting ideas for ways that we can keep him in our thoughts and build our relationships with him even though his is in a different part of the world.
As I gathered great ideas from friends in real life and across the blogosphere I realized what a great learning opportunity my brother is providing for my family.
We now have a real life connection to an entire new world. New learning experiences have opened to us and a real reason to study and learn about a place, a culture and the idea of time and space. (I'm sure the learning opportunities aren't even limited to those subjects!)
Here are a few ideas we've come up with to foster learning and build a connection with him while he's away:Maps & Geography
We love maps in general and have enjoyed showing my oldest where we live in perspective to where friends and family live around the country. We plan on opening our map collection to include North and South America and track his plane trip and talk about places.
Science & Environment
It's going to be interesting (and natural) to talk about the ways Panama is different than where we live. We can talk about plants and animals as well as eco-systems. Maybe even broach the idea of the equator!
People & Culture
We are so curious to learn about the new culture my brother will be living in. We can look things up on our own and hopefully he will keep up his blog so we can hear stories and learn more. How are their lives different and similar to ours?
Agriculture & Food
I don't think he'll be eating chicken fingers and french fries! What do they eat in Panama and where does their food come from? Are farms in Panama like the farms we visit and get our food from?
Writing & Reading
We want to make a conscious effort of playing pen pals. Not only is it fun to get mail, but he might not have access to the internet and being in a new place he is sure to appreciate getting letters, drawings and photos from us.
Creative Arts
Drawings and photos of course! My five-year-old loves taking pictures and I'll be sure to include some of those. And who doesn't want some hand drawings from their nephews to hang up on a wall far from home?
While I am still sorely missing my brother it has ended up being a blessing in disguise. The learning opportunities are rich, authentic and rewarding.
**Do you have family and friends in far away places? How does your family keep in touch? How do you incorporate your children in this experience?**
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Hillary
is a thoughtful mother, loving wife, and a conscientious cook and
consumer. She
credits her two boys (& a baby on the way!) to her ever expansive
knowledge base and blogs about mindful family living at infinitelearners.com.
