Why oh Why...keeping a journal!

[JJ&JSMOM]

What we did for DS8 (non-special needs) was bring a small notebook and had him jot down where we went on that particular day, favorite ride or show, not so favorite ride or show, favorite thing for the day, characters he met & his favorite one. We also bought some disposable cameras and he loved taking pics on the safaris ride at AK.

When we got home I had made him a journal using some journal pages downloaded from mouse for less (somebody earlier posted website address) and put them in a report cover. We made our own SeaWorld page so making your own is fun too. Then we sat down each day (or ever other day) & completed a journal page. It did take much longer this way but my son had time to reflect on his trip once we were home & what he remembered the most (pool, pool & pool - he loved the pool). One day he did get tired of writing so we did one journal entry on the computer which helped him practice typing.

The pics he brought in for show 'n tell. He had some really great pics - I was surprised as KS is such a bumpy ride. We also had him practice his math skills by tracking his souvenir money. Again we found it easier to do this at home - we saved his receipts and then did the math at home. We did try to do this while at Disney but its such a busy vacation that it turned into being more frustrating trying to squeeze it in. Perhaps next time when DD2 is older and more self reliant so I can sit down w/the older ones.

We thought about writing a report on his favorite animal at AK but we had done enough. Getting DS8 to write for a brief period of time is like pulling teeth & he had done enough journal entries. I do think for DS8 to do his journal while at disney would have been too much work for him - he doesn't like writing which I know he'll have to "get over" eventually. But I wanted this vacation to be just that a vacation for everyone and I think keeping it short & simple while there (buying postcards, writing short notes, taking pics) and then putting it altogether once you're home at easy pace works great. Make it fun - because you'll be at Disney!!!! Have a wonderful trip!

Good luck!

 

[wld4mky]

The trick is getting him to do it without is seeming like work and more like a fun part of the trip. "Guide to the magic for kids" is a great book about disney and he adds his own comments on what he thinks of each ride and attraction. Maybe somthing like this?? Just a suggestion. I purchased this for a friends girls 11 and 7 for thier first trip to the world and they loved it!!
Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[afinnteach]

I love the picture idea. Maybe you could have him caption his pics when he got home. Perhaps, specific questions that you want him to answer with his photos like: favorite ride of the day? Where we ate breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Which park we went to? Things like that!

Good heavens, I'm a teacher and I feel like we just expect too much of kids especially when they are on vacation. I HATE when my husband brings work on vacation, why would I want to saddle my students with it!!!! (Okay, so I'm a music teacher and hardly ever give homework, but still...)

I'm also thinking you should check with the teacher and make sure whatever you decide will meet his/her needs. That way your son (and you) won't put in effort only to be told that it isn't what is expected when you get back!

Good luck,
Amy

 

[Forevryoung]

I went to Disney with a family back in 2005- we used those same journal pages and I put them in a pronged folder.

On the plane ride down the three of us decorated the folders with Disney stickers (yes, I made one too- it couldn't be cosidered school work if I was joining them )

Then every day I brought a spare day's page with us and we talked about what we were going to write about while we were waiting for dinner every night (planned out our thoughts... I jotted things down for everyone)

Right before bed we sat down and completed 1 page a day with the notes from earlier

They are great mementos from our trip and I still have mine and enjoy it's memories!

 

[bellebud]

just wanted to chime in that while all these ideas sound wonderful, i'm in the camp of no homework on vacation. This is just me, but the idea of 'having' to think of something for that day to write down would be enough to really annoy the pants off me. I think the 'breaks' from the regular work we give our kids are just as important as the work itself. and the totally stress free family time is something most kids/families don't get enough of in everyday life. so for my family, while we're on vacation, we're on vacation!

now that's not to say don't do an assignment if the teacher asks for one. I'd just have a big poster board ready at home, and maybe decorate it a bit before you leave. Then randomly take pics on vacation, without the thought of "we need a pic of this". after you get home, between your ds's picture taking and yours, you'll have enough photos to do the journal, and he can write a short sentence for each after you're home on an index card. the photos and YOUR memory will help him remember something from enough pics to do the assignment. keep it simple! You can even have him pre write some of the index cards... "this was my favorite thing i did on vacation" and he can just pick from the pile of pics you'll have in front of him. Heck, his favorite thing might not even be something "in" disney... i remember my kids answering once that their favorite ride on vacation was riding the luggage cart (in the comfort inn during our drive down to disney!) I could have saved a lot of money that time and just stayed there! between the "cafe" as the kids called it (the free continental breakfast in the lobby) and the luggage cart, the kids were in heaven!

enjoy your time w/ your kids... when they're grown, you'll never say "we didn't work hard enough on that 3rd grade vacation journal while in disney". don't let the assignment interrupt your family time. i'd pre-write as many index cards as you can, to keep the post-vacation work from being overwhelming for him. i'd try to keep it to mainly him picking from photos to go along w/ his pre-written cards. you can also fill in the board w/ momentos (plane tickets, etc). And don't forget the masks and/or passports in epcot, but only if your ds will enjoy the activity.

enjoy your vacation!

 

[thedizwizkid]

Oh I agree with you. I think that he should not have to do any homework on a trip that is sopposed to be fun filled. I remember I once went to Florida I had a packet of things that my teacher wanted me to do(at least I think it was homework) . I like the idea of a picture journal because then he would just have to take lot's of pictures choose his favorite ones and glue them in.


I hope this is great advice

 

[crisi]

We have our kids keep journals. They usually do them in the room over breakfast the next day. Is it hard? - yes. Do we make them keep up anyway? - yes. Being pulled from school is a privledge - if they can't take ten minutes to write in a journal, we'd be better off going when school is out and we don't have to worry about that responsibility. We also make sure they have books to read - most days they don't have time for the books, but if we are stuck sitting waiting for a dinner reservation - there are books in the backpacks.

Both my kids are pretty good students, so we have them write one paragraph about something they learned (sometimes this is a little hard to come up with - we point it out during the day) and one on what was the most fun. In Kindergarten and First they drew pictures and I wrote down what they were drawing.

They love going back to their old journals and looking at the trips when they were littler.

 

[smylie1]

Do you have a video recorder? You could do a video diary. He could be a reporter and tell about what's going on around him. I also thought that the picture idea would be fun too.

That's what I was thinking. Let him film and give commentary, interview CM's (especially those at World Showcase, Animal Kingdom, Innoventions, etc,), and at the end of each day recap what he has learned.