Tea Party at School?

This morning for some odd reason I was recalling a conversation a few years back at a homeschool meeting where a mom was talking about how she has a weekly Tea Party with her girls as part of her homeschool curriculum.  I asked her "You actually consider that part of their curriculum?" to which she replied along the lines of "Absolutely!  I think it's important that they learn manners and how to serve one another."

This morning, just like back at that meeting, I was thinking how odd it is that we consider normal everyday events or life skills as needing to be taught as school curriculum. 

Isn't it strange to break our life down into little lessons to teach?  Shouldn't our children be learning these things thru life experience, living in family, living in community?  If our children are engaging with people of all ages around them, they should be learning by example many of the things that they need for being established adults.  Not necessarily on a time-schedule as set out by an 'educational board', but when the opportunity and the interest of the child arises. 

I think I might have a Tea Party today with Gaelyn who is looking for A Date with Mom after I was away for 4 nights, but I think we'll just use it to reconnect and enjoy each others company.  I think a Tea Party is a great idea to connect.  I just find it strange that we take that sort of thing and make it a course.  Like PE.  Isn't exercise best to just be part of life (both work AND fun?) rather than a course?

Unschooling......Living Life!