I've Moved!

My blog has changed a bit and moved as well! It is more focused on homeschooling, missions, and my life in general. Feel free to check it out at endlesslyunfinished.wordpress.com

Why We Chose to Start School Early

Science Poster made by Jenna - Age 4

I don't talk in detail about homeschooling Jenna with many people yet. It feels slightly strange to write a blog post for anyone in the world to read when I rarely talk about it with people I actually know. 

Jenna has always been a very bright child. As her mother, I'm incredibly proud of her just because she's my daughter, but I also recognize that it's more than just motherly pride. Before she was even two years old, she could identify letters by name and also tell you the sound they made. (I always give a big shout out to the Leapfrog Letter Factory video for this one. I don't like trying to teach kids via cartoons, but this happened quite by accident.) She has also been a whiz with puzzles. I have a feeling she may have somewhat of a photographic memory.

Because Jenna was an only child for some time, and I am a stay-at-home mom, we had plenty of time to add in fun learning games. We would count buttons, play with puzzles, do silly flashcards, and other fun things. It was never rigorous and she always enjoyed it. 

As a little side note: I learned a GREAT lesson about not comparing children around this age. I remember going to church and a little boy who was a few months younger than her was listing off colors of different things. I realized that Jenna didn't know her colors yet! I was sure I was failing her as a mother and she was doomed for eternity. 

Well.... maybe slightly less dramatic. She eventually learned all of her colors, and I realized that children learn what you spend time teaching them. 

Jenna working with her flashcards (almost a year and a half old)

I could tell Jenna was ready for more, so I picked up a Preschool workbook at Costco and when she wanted to do "school" we would choose pages out of the book to do. It started feeling random and her skills and desire to do school continued to increase as time went by. Honestly, at first I thought playing school would just be a phase, but it's years later and she still LOVES school.

Not incredibly surprising though. You know the panicked moment when you realize your child is in another room and they have been quiet for just a little too long? I would run into the room afraid of what disaster might await me and find this...

Reading her Bible in her room

After much consideration, conversations with my husband, and prayer, we decided to start Jenna on an actual curriculum. I wanted to teach her with purpose, not just randomly do worksheets because it was taboo to do Kindergarten at this age. At this point she had just turned 3 years old. A friend who had just finished using the My Father's World K program gave us almost everything we needed for that year. I only had to order new student sheets so it was perfect for us! 

Because Jenna was so young, my plan was to just go as quick or as slow as she needed. The program was a perfect fit for her level and we had so much fun! One of the reasons I'm a bit shy about admitting where Jenna is academically is because of some of the reactions. Some people think I'm trying to push my child. Others have claimed that you will ruin your child in their later years if you do schoolwork before the age of seven, or that it's a big waste of time because they'll eventually slow down and be at the same level as their peers anyway.

Yay for people being so incredibly supportive! (note the slight amount of sarcasm in that last sentence). I've read MANY articles about how damaging it is to start your child on a "formal education" too soon. The problem with these studies is that they are done for a PUBLIC school setting not a homeschool environment. It truly is comparing apples and oranges. When Jenna first started the K curriculum, we would do 10 minutes of work a day. 10 minutes! Fast forward to today... She is 4.5 years old and spends a total of 30 minutes working on her schoolwork. Let's do the math:

24 Hours in a Day - 12 hours of sleep - 1 hour quiet time/nap - 30 minutes school = 

10.5 Hours

I only allow my child 10.5 hours a day to let her "be a kid". To allow her time to have imaginative and free play. I better start saving up for her future therapy bills now. Should I mention that I have had her help do laundry since she was old enough to walk, or does that border on child abuse?

Okay, I think I'm done with my snarky attitude for the time being. It just gets to be incredibly frustrating. I would think that fellow homeschool mothers would understand the flexibility it allows you and that we all try to make the best choices that are right for our families. It's unfortunate that even in these circles you are met with opposition.

I understand that Jenna is young and I plan on her taking a much longer time to finish her work than it would of someone at the appropriate age/grade level. She finished MFW K this past Summer and has moved on to MFW 1st. When we get to something tough, we give it extra time. If she eventually evens out and is at grade level with the rest of the children her age, I am totally fine with that. I wouldn't trade my decision for the world though. Doing school together has given us time together with just the two of us and it has been such a precious time. She loves to learn and loves to explore new things. There are days when she is begging to do more school and whining that it's already over.

And what about Connor?

This little guy just turned two. He can count to ten (sometimes), has no idea what an alphabet is, and anything he loves he claims is "blue" because it's his favorite color to say. He is completely different than Jenna and I love every little bit of him just as much. He knows the names of different kinds of trucks, and runs around the house asking permission to "poke" or "hit" you with a stick. (Permission denied Buddy!) Doing school with him will be completely different and completely wonderful.

Fun With Noodles

I made a batch of dyed noodles using this tutorial. Keep in mind that when you dye yellow noodles, the yellow color will alter whatever color you are attempting. So my "red" noodles ended up coming out quite a bit orange and the purple ended up looking more brown than purple.

I made a small hook on the end of a pipe cleaner (so the noodles wouldn't slide off) and Connor practiced threading the noodles onto it.

There are quite a few activities we play with the noodles. They are great for fine motor skill practice, counting, colors, and making messes.

Color Sort:

Take clear plastic cups and have the kids sort the noodles by color into each cup. 

Number Guessing:

Scoop a random amount of noodles into a cup and try to guess how many are in it. After making a guess, dump the noodles into a pile and count them to see if you are right. For older kids, you can practice addition and subtraction skills by having them figure out how many noodles their guess was off by.

Noodle Necklaces:

Take shoelaces or pipe cleaners and have the kids string them on. You can start a pattern and have them figure out how to finish it.

If you have any more variations of noodle games please feel free to share in the comments section!

Active Kids Indoors - Obstacle Courses

This week's activity was a simple obstacle course. The kids loved racing through it, and Jenna had to dig out some medals from previous 5Ks we've done so I could award them to the "winners".

It started with a "balance beam" created by wrapping an old 2x4 in a towel.

Then they crawled through our Ikea tunnel and climbed through the "spiderweb". This was created by wrapping ribbon randomly between two chairs so they had to weave their way through.

They needed to throw the ball into a "basket" for the last obstacle. While I could have dragged Connor's basketball hoop out of his room, I decided it was easier to just flip Jenna's play table upside down instead.

The obstacle course was a hit with both kids and they played with it even when I stopped to make lunch. For some of our activities, I've noticed that they seem to have fun while I'm playing with them, but once I need to move on to something else, they do too. So the fact that they continued to play was a testiomony to them truly enjoying this game the most!

Active Kids Indoors - Tired Mom Style!

This week's indoor "game" is brought to you by tired-not-feeling-good mom. 

Items Needed:

TV

Netflix account

Set Up:

Turn on tv and start (slightly) annoying show called "Bo on the Go"

Directions:

Lay on the couch and rest while your kids run around following the actions of the show.

Notes:

I know I'm being silly with this one, but sometimes mom is tired, sick, or just needs a little time out. In my honest opinion, the characters are slightly creepy looking, but the idea behind the cartoon is to get kids to move. The whole cartoon the main character Bo has the kids doing active things like jumping, crawling, etc. My kids get really into it and it's a little like a fun workout video for kids. 

Active Kids Indoors - Cone Games

This week's "indoor" activity was moved outside due to a break in the rain. So, this is still possible to do indoors, but the fresh air was beckoning us to come outside!

Items Needed:

Cones (I found mine on Amazon)

Balls

Set Up:

Pay close attention to this part as set up is quite difficult... I'm kidding of course. Just put the cones out in a straight line spaced evenly apart.

Directions:

Have the kids weave in and out of the cones racing to see who can reach the other end first. If you have an older child, they can dribble the ball with their foot between the cones.

Notes:

When we first started, I tried to get the kids to kick the ball as they ran. I must have forgotten they are 2 and 4 because that was a complete flop! Jenna was able to run weaving between the cones, and eventually I encouraged Connor to follow her as she ran to help him figure it out.

After the kids grew tired of running through the cones, we took their balls and played "knock down the cones". They kicked and threw the balls until they knocked them all down. It's amazing how such simple games can provide so much fun for kids!

Overcoming Obstacles. The beginning of my homeschool blogging!

Jenna's First Day of School June 2013
(3 Years 4 Months Old)

 I have entertained the idea of blogging about our family's homeschool journey for quite some time. There have been a few reasons for why I've always decided against it though. 

1. Time: Blogging takes time. It takes effort, energy, and writing skills that I'm not quite sure I possess.

2. Interest: Let's be honest... Do people really want to come visit a blog where all I do is brag about how brilliant my kids are and all the wonderful things we're doing?

3. Avoiding Conflict: Our homeschool journey is unique because my daughter is MUCH younger than your average child in school (public, private, or homeschooled). 

So what should I do about it?

1. Time. I always feel like I don't have time to blog. But it really comes down to priorities. Right now the kids are both in nap time and I've decided instead of laying around watching my new favorite TV show (Gran Hotel - It's like a Spanish version of Downton Abbey with a few murders tossed in for good measure) I could use this time for something a bit more productive.

2. Interest. My blog is just starting and I think I might have one follower. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm doing and I'm hoping I don't make any atrocious mistakes. I think writing in my blog is more for my own benefit of having a place to journal ideas than anything else though. I often worry about what people will think. The nice thing about the internet though? You don't have to read anything I write if you don't want to! It's totally a personal choice. So I guess that really isn't an issue either.

3. Avoiding conflict. I dread the day I first read a negative comment on my blog (although, since I only have one follower, it's probably not likely to happen!). I'll probably get my feelings hurt, get mad, then cry a little, then finish it off with a bowl of ice cream or bag of chocolate chips and get over it. That's just how it works! 


What really prompted me to find a solution to all of my excuses was realizing I am not the only one doing this. While there may not be many, I know there are other moms out there that are homeschooling their children at a young age. Sometimes I feel a bit alone in this journey, but I know I'm not the only one "breaking the rules" and schooling my kid early.

So I'm going to do this! I don't want this post to turn into a gigantic mess, so I'll hold back on my reasons for why we chose to start schooling at a young age for another post! My hope is that other moms who may need ideas or encouragement will be able to find my blog and it can provide that for them!