Of course there are lots of these as parents. There are lots of these for kids, too, and lots of these in life in general. On the way back from our outing today, Isaiah said to me:

Today was not a good time.

This morning we had set out to go to the local science museum and check out the dinosaur exhibit.We drove all the way there on the shitty, icy roads just to be met by a dark museum and a sign on the door reading "today is a holiday."

My son said he wanted to go check out Toys 'R' Us, so we went over there and he played with all the new and exciting toys he has yet to have at home for himself. Still, I was tired, absent-minded, and not as attentive as I could have been, and he was a bit tired, and also was picking up on my mood, it seemed.

Some points of light in the not-so-fun day.

Perhaps points of light mainly for me. Either way, one of these was the beautiful feeling I got while watching my son assemble and disassemble, over and over again, robots disguised as shinkansen (bullet trains).

It struck me how much more valuable this exercise was (to him it was merely play) than any lesson in an elementary school textbook on engineering, problem solving, or visualization could ever hope to be.

I've known it for years. I continue to see it every day. Kids learn through play and...so do adults, actually. Most of the useful knowledge I have acquired and actually quite effortlessly retained over the past ten or more years has been as a result of pursuing my passions. This has never, ever, felt to me like a "job."

Here's a video of Isaiah demonstrating the process:

The other wonderful thing I witnessed was Isaiah once again taking an immense interest in caring for a doll.

Though the tough guy, masked rider, ninja-fighting "boy" image is ever-prevalent, it always amazes me how children instinctively and intuitively want to take care of others--especially babies and smaller children.

Isaiah has always been like this, and today was a reminder that it is important for me as a dad to nurture this side of him actively and enthusiastically.

All in all.

I was tired today, and kind of down. I think my son sensed it. While it wasn't the perfect day, we did our thing, and made the best of it. I think maybe I need to get more sleep, so I have more energy for him.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll keep you posted as new adventures and revelations unfold!

~ KafkA

(If you missed my last unschooling blog post you can find it here)

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person.)