We spend a lot of time in the car. Driving from class to class, often 30-60 minutes in each direction. I don't mind because we have a very comfortable, safe car, I love watching the scenery change through the seasons and my kids are involved in some unique and amazing activities.
Many homeschool parents love the time they spend in the car with their kids and use it as time to chat. We do that, but to be honest, it is really hard for me to concentrate on the road and converse with three kids at the same time. Listening to music is good, but there tends to be too much DJ'ing and lively discussion over each song and which is next.
We have a DVD player that came installed in our car, something I never thought I would embrace. We use it to watch movies on our 20+ hour trips up and down the eastern seaboard (CT -> FL -> CT) but have tended not to use it in day to day life too much.
I recently did a time audit with Merrick Weaver as part of her online class "Leadership of Homemaking." From it, I decided to reclaim our time on the road and created the:
Minivan Movie House.
On trips over 30 minutes on the interstate the movie house is open. We watch all the documentaries, foreign and classic films that I think are an internal part of a well rounded education but might not make it on to the roster for family movie night. We watch films that directly connect with the classes they are taking or nascent individual interests. The films are calm, sometimes deeply moving, and allow me to drive safely. The upside is that I get to listen too, which I enjoy.
Some recent favorites:
The Hobart Shakespeareans
Dancing Across Borders
The Tempest
various Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes films
Resolved
The Eagle Huntress
Vitus
Our Little Sister
Boy & the World
The complete Daria and Dilbert series
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
Monkey Kingdom
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet
Monsieur Huglot's Holiday
Frontrunners
The French Chef with Julia Child
any American Experience
How do you reclaim time spent in the car? Share in the comments or drop me a line.
We are avid audiobook listeners in the car. Since we moved closer to downtown four years ago, our drive time is greatly reduced. I may have to look into movies for our longer drives. Thanks for the list.
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