Growing from the Inside Out

From Sept. 28, 2008

To Be A Preschooler is...

to have sticky fingers

to cut your hair behind your sisters bed

to kiss your dollies and feed them pretend pizza

to color outside the lines

to chase butterflies

to be afraid of anything or nothing

to get very dirty and never notice

to go to the grocery store in your lady bug costume

to pretend to be a puppy and drink from a bowl

to want your mama when you wake up in the night

to crawl under the table and call it your fort

to cry for daddy when you fall down

Our kids have years to sit in desks and to walk in lines. They will learn how to listen to their teacher and to color in the lines. Being little is a gift, a gift that only lasts for a brief season. I hear so many moms worrying about their children being prepared for school. I want to caution them. Tell them to slow down. Let your children play and explore. There are so many lessons to be learned from a walk in the woods or a game of make-believe. Your little person is growing and becoming right before your very eyes- don't force them to sit on rugs and be quiet. Let them be loud and dirty, adventurers and criers. They will grow up stronger if they can grow from the inside out.

From Sept. 28, 2008

From Sept. 28, 2008

I am thankful for what the homeschool movement has given my family. I believe it has helped me to question the norm. I feel that the needs of a two working parent family has shaped our educational system more than the developmental needs of our children. School days are long and kids are taught in large groups because that is what is easiest for our society, not because that is what is best for our little ones. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed our family with the ability to educate our children at home. At home my children can grow and explore at their own pace, guided by parents who know them best of all.

My oldest child is about to enter middle school, and I am so happy that he has had the opportunity to gracefully grow into academic demands of this age. I feel he is ready to meet the challenges of the upper grades, and yet he's not burned out on school. In fact, he is excited about learning. All of my children are. I believe my children love learning because of the gentle path we've followed. We spend time cuddled up on the couch together reading books. We take breaks when school is getting too frustrating. We laugh. We discuss heavy topics. Of course, we have challenging days too, and some assignments that aren't very pleasant. However, these are things the children have grown into. When they were preschoolers my primary goals were to teach them to be obedient, kind, and imaginative.

So, in short, enjoy your preschoolers while you can. And, please, know- you can do more than any teacher ever will to teach them the love of learning. (And that is something far greater than the ability to sit quietly through circle time!)

j