Human Nature’s Toby Allen says homeschooling has been difficult
Human Nature’s Toby Allen’s life out of the spotlight has taken a different turn after he revealed what home is really like with his twins.
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The bonus of home schooling for Human Nature’s Toby Allen is the fact he gets to brush up on the basics himself.
Allen’s seven-year-old twins Roxanne and Harvey are in grade one of primary school in the United States, where they are based in Las Vegas.
“Even some of the ways they learn to do stuff in school is different from how I would approach even like maths,” Allen explained. “They’ve got different techniques that they are teaching them. Even in first grade, there is a bit of a learning curve.”
Allen said he and partner Darren Weller were hands on in their children’s schooling even before COVID-19 although even more so now.
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“Before they went to proper school, they were at preschool for three years and it was a co-op so all the parents were actually rostered on a certain number of days a month to go in to the classroom. So it is not necessarily new to us, but it it’s different doing different doing it from home than in a classroom with their friends.”
Human Nature — Allen, Phil Burton, Andrew and Michael Tierney — have been based in the US for more than a decade, playing headline residencies on the Vegas strip.
Coronavirus means all shows are on hold with the entertainment industry crippled there as it is in Australia.
“There’s definitely a lot of stress and anxiety,” Allen said. “I’m going to bed earlier these days because the days are fuller, particularly with keeping the kids occupied and all of that. Obviously we are in the same boat as a lot of people not earning money while we can’t do our shows. The other tough aspect of it is that there are people that rely on us as well when we do our show like our band.”
Human Nature have been active online to keep their fans involved, recording and sharing content from their respective homes using the Acapella App.
“We’re trying to keep a presence for people so they don’t think that we’ve just fallen off the face of the earth,” Allen said. “And we are looking at other ways we can record more comprehensive performances in isolation but still present it like a show.”
On the home front as a nice distraction, isolation has been the perfect time to welcome new kitten Bruce to the mix.
“It is actually a really great time to have a new kitten in the house. We get to spend time with him and get him used to our dogs as well.”
Originally published as Human Nature’s Toby Allen says homeschooling has been difficult