Out of the Mouths of Babes

Conversations we didn't see coming.

There’s the homeschool you plan for.

And then there’s the homeschool that actually happens.

This is the second one.

A running collection of real conversations, unplanned lessons, and questionable life advice delivered by Chalk and Cheese, usually before I’ve finished my first coffee.

Sometimes hilarious. Sometimes terrifying.

Always, somehow, educational.

None of this was on the curriculum.

Nobody handed us a worksheet on "spontaneous breakfast debates about propaganda and human decomposition."

There’s no assessment rubric for researching "how long it takes Hitler’s balls to rot."

No neat little outcome box to tick for "arguing about soil acidity over cornflakes."

Guess what: learning still happens.

Not because we planned it, or forced it.

Because kids are wired for curiosity, even when it looks nothing like school.

No tests needed.

Breakfast, Propaganda,

& Decomposing Dictators

Tuesday 29th April 2025

CHALK:

“What’s propaganda?”

CHEESE:

“You know the song ‘Hitler Has Only Got One Ball’?

That’s British propaganda from World War II.

It’s when you spread a story that makes your side look good and the enemy look stupid.”

CHALK:

"Do you think if we dug up his remains they could find out how many balls he really had? They’ve probably disintegrated though. Maybe they could tell from his bones?"

CHEESE:

“Balls have definitely decomposed. Bones take about 20 years depending on the soil.”

ME: 

*Googles "how long does it take human bones to decompose" in private mode*

GOOGLE:

"The decomposition of human bones can take anywhere from a few years to several decades, depending on various factors like the environment, burial depth, and the presence of scavengers. Bones in acidic soil can dissolve within 20 years, while in neutral or sandy soil, they can last for hundreds of years."

✅ History – Understanding historical events and explaining their impact.

✅ English – Listen, speak, and respond clearly; understand and connect ideas; build vocabulary.

✅ Science – Explore living things and their environments; describe biological processes like decomposition.

Sometimes I wonder who’s really homeschooling who.

Also: be extra nice to Cheese.