Jun 23, 2020

Summer Enrichment for You and Your Child: Take a Class Together

Now that we've survived the most unexpected of spring semesters, you might be wondering what to do with your kids over the summer, particularly if they can't do the activities they might normally be doing.

More classes might be the last thing they want to do, but there are a lot of ways to make it feel different and fun. The main way might be the surprise of you taking the class with them!


Last summer, my older son and I took a community college class together. It was a good experience for him to see if he could handle the work. He was going into ninth grade, and all public high school students here can take community college classes for free. I had to pay a couple of hundred dollars for my own enrollment, plus we had to pay for the books, but it was a good experience for both of us. He did great, and I actually enjoyed myself. Plus we got to bond.

This year, I'm taking a coding course with my younger son. He's had a lot more experience with computer programming than I have, but since we're taking a beginner's course in Python, I'm keeping up. The course, which is by the University of Michigan and accessed through edX, is free for a month, and less than $50 to purchase access to the full program (which includes the ability to use the automated code checker - so I paid for it! thank you if you use that edX affiliate link).

In addition to community college and online college courses, you could take a class that teaches you a skill like cooking, knitting, piano, or carpentry. A huge benefit of a class is the built-in structure. I didn't have to nag my older son last summer, because the professor assigned due dates. I don't have to nag my younger son this summer, because we just do the next step every day.

Additionally, you both learn something new. You get to spend time together, hopefully with some good laughs. If you have a high school student, the class might look good on his college application, and at the very least is a potential essay topic (can't you just see it? "How I Survived Taking a Class with My Mother").

Have you taken any summer classes with your children?

No comments: