05/07/2026
HOMESCHOOLING IN THE WILD: FISHING EDITION
Last Tuesday afternoon turned into one of those unexpected core memories for our family. My daughter cleaned nine fish — yes, nine — and she did it with so much confidence that I had to stop and just watch her. She used a real fillet knife, scissors for the fins, a spoon for descaling, and her own steady hands to remove the guts and rinse each one. She even asked me to record her step by step, from cleaning to seasoning to frying to eating. She said she wanted “documentation,” like she’s filming her own fishing-and-cooking show.
She’s been using an open‑face reel since day one, baiting her own hook most of the time, and catching fish like she’s been doing this for years. Meanwhile, I’m over here learning fishing vocabulary for the first time because I never grew up with poles or reels. Back home, fishing wasn’t a hobby — it was survival.
My father fished in the ocean using a sudsud — a traditional handmade push net made from two long bamboo poles connected like scissors, with a net in between and old rubber slippers tied at the tips so it would glide through the water. That was our life. That was how we ate. No fancy equipment, no reels, no tackle boxes — just skill, timing, and whatever materials you could find.
And now here’s my daughter…
Fishing for fun.
Fishing for dinner.
Fishing because she loves it.
Fishing because she wants to “beat Dad’s score.”
Fishing because she likes to make the fish “talk” by wiggling the tail and opening the mouth like a little puppet. That’s her personality — capable and silly at the same time.
Watching her fall in love with something that was once a necessity for my family feels like two worlds meeting. She’s learning real skills, building confidence, and connecting to something deeper without even realizing it. And the best part? She eats whole fried fish with me — bones, skin, crispy tail, everything. Her dad sticks to fillets like a true Wisconsin man, but she and I? We’re the whole-fish team.
We ate everything she cooked that day with rice and our own dipping sauces — mine with Silver Swan soy sauce and spiced coconut vinegar from the Philippines, hers with soy sauce and lemon. I taught her how to chew slowly and feel for bones before swallowing. She listened. She learned. She enjoyed every bite.
I’m posting this today, Thursday, because I wanted to share the video of her cleaning the fish — the part she was most proud of. And so do we!
I’m grateful for her.
I’m grateful for her dad who guides her with patience and pride.
I’m grateful for moments like this — moments that remind me how blessed I am.
My heart is full. My blessings are loud. And my daughter? She’s officially the little fisherwoman of the family.
HomeschoolFreedom
