The past couple of days I had really been stressing about educating the kids. I knew that second guessing yourself and not feeling qualified to educate your child are feelings common among homeschool moms. I didn’t think I would have a problem with that. I feel qualified to teach literature, and Algebra. Imagine my surprise when I began doubting my ability to teach my young children. Yes I was scared of Early Childhood Education.

I knew that the TV and computer were draining many hours away from my children. I knew I had contributed to the problem by not monitoring it while I was busy with other things. Yesterday I put a major effort into coming up with things to do with them only to be frustrated by continual requests for TV and computer. I went to my parents and poured out my heart. My mom said, “you can’t get so frustrated just because they ask. Just be firm,     provide consequences and realize it is a process.”

So I thought about that. I had been ready to go buy all these curriculums and schedule the days of my 5 and 3 year olds. Truth be told I would just love for them to play and entertain themselves–to be free and unstructured for awhile. The problem is I am a structured person and I wasn’t sure how to get them playing.

I turned to the Adventist Home Educator manual for ideas and this quote from Ellen White once again inspired me, “For the first eight or ten years of a child’s life the field or garden is the best schoolroom, the mother the best teacher, nature the best lesson book. . .He should be surrounded with the conditions most favorable to both physical and mental growth.” Education page 208. The Manual also quotes liberally the Moores who advocated when it came to schooling it is, “Better Late Than Early.”

So I was reminded once again that homeschool is not about curriculum and textbooks, it is about real activities and experiences. Cooking and cleaning, reading together, going for walks, even the occasional movie but its about living life together. I have plenty of ideas about how to amp up the learning, more reading throughout the day, art projects, cooking and cleaning together on a daily basis, having morning and evening worships, walking the dog and taking care of the chickens and other animals. Winter is still a problem, but I am encouraged, now I just need to put it into practice. More to come on our progress.