It's Getting Close

My due date is right around the corner. I'm due March 25th, and I'm so looking forward to meeting my new little person!!

For those who asked, I did decide to use a doula. I hired her last week. My husband kind of did not see the need to hire one, and I wasn't totally sure that I needed to either, but I want to do everything that I can to try to have a successful vaginal birth this time around. So, we went ahead and hired one, and I do feel a greater sense of comfort knowing that I have one.

On the school front:

I shared a few weeks ago about feeling sad about sending my son to kindergarten this upcoming school year. And, you know what would make me feel better about it? Him attending a half day kindergarten. I've researched, and there really aren't that many schools in my area that offer half day kindergarten, but I'm excited that there are a few.

Doing that, to me, will ease the transition for him (and ME!!)to going to school each day. My husband thinks maybe he should just go for the full day and get used to that, but in my mind I think going a half day is perfect. I don't even feel that sad about him starting kindergarten if I know he's only going a half day. I think the school day is just too long. 8-3 is a long time for a 5 year old to be at school. Maybe I'm overthinking this. . . but, back in the day many kindergartens were half days, so I don't quite think that I'm just being a hovering mommy.

Transitions

Last week I went to a Christian school open house. My son will be starting kindergarten this fall, and I have mixed feelings about it. I have been homeschooling for preschool, but my husband is not on board for homeschooling for K-12. So, I have been looking at Christian schools in my area to see what might be a good fit.

I liked the one last week, but wasn't totally impressed with it. After leaving the open house I felt so depressed. When we got home I kept looking at my precious little boy, and sadness overwhelmed me and I began to cry. He's still my baby, and I'm not ready to depart from him just yet.

This baby is coming at a great time, I suppose. Maybe I will be so engulfed in caring for a new baby, that it will ease the pain of my oldest entering kindergarten.

Maybe.

Purposeful Toddler Homeschooling

Homeschooling is fun! I didn't realize that it could bring such focus to my day, and make me bond with my children more. I see how much fun learning can be, and how excited my children are to learn new things. They are eager to learn and work on projects and such.

For the past year or so my "homeschooling" has basically consisted of me reading the children books, teaching when we go outside to play, and teaching things here and there, like teaching scriptures, a bit of Spanish, numbers, colors. All of it was done in a random way, and my children just kind of absorbed it, like how they both know The Lord's Prayer, from hearing me pray it. My son can recite the entire prayer, and my daughter can recite about half of it.




It is much more relaxed and fun that way. But, yesterday, I decided to be more focused with our school time. My son will be 3 and my daughter 2 in September, and suddenly I have been bombarded with people asking me is my son going to start Pre-K this year. Like everywhere I turn someone asks me when I'm going to start him with school. I haven't told anyone that I teach them at home, because it's not in a structured way, but they always comment on how smart they seem to be, and how much they know.

The past two days have been so much fun as I have focused more on incorporating "school" into our everyday routine. I have a block of time in the morning and in the afternonn strictly for school. They have been soooo excited to learn new things and work on skills. I am more intentional in teaching them things, and being creative with it as well. I feel a greater sense of purpose at home and with my children.

Homeschooling My Toddlers

I first thought about homeschooling when I was a teacher, because I could really see the inadequacy of effectively teaching every child. There were just too many students in a classroom to be able to give each the attention that they needed. So, back then it was just a thought in the back of my mind.

For the past few months, I have been reading a bit on homeschooling, just to get a better picture of it. Currently I am reading, Morning by Morning: How We Home-Schooled Our African American Sons to the Ivy League. So far it has been very thought-provoking. I am really enjoying reading this book. My husband is not on board with homeschooling as of yet, and I'm not sure that I am completely either, but it's something I am really thinking about.

Last week, I thought about the fact that while I am home with them, I can "homeschool" them now. Even though they are two and one, there are things that I can do with them each day or each week to help them develop intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Of course I have been doing this anyways, but not in a focused, intentional way. A great resource that I have found is Hands On Homeschooling and Tot School, which provides me with a loose schedule of things to do with my kids each day during our homeschool time.

I think a great bulk of homeschooling toddlers can consist mainly of reading aloud and active play outside. There are so many teachable moments that can occur during this time. But, it's also great to have different and creative activities to engage them in on a daily basis. So far, it has been great to add more structure and focus to our days.

Back to School

It's been quite awhile since my last post, and I have been wanting to blog, but just wasn't sure of what to say. I have been busy due to taking a class toward my teacher recertification, and boy is it intensive. Many times I have thought of just quitting, but I'm trying to forge onward.

Once the kids start school, if I have to work, I would like to work in the school system. Then we would have the same hours. I've been observing high school classrooms, and the other day I had to teach a lesson, and get observed by an observer at the college I'm taking classes from. It was nerve wrecking, but I survived. I don't really want to be a teacher again, but it's a good back-up job in case of emergencies. I'm considering obtaining my master's in library science or school counseling to become a school librarian or school counselor. I cannot make up my mind on which one.

But, of course, I really just want to be home with my babies right now. School is a nice diversion sometimes, but it's been kind of stressful at times too. Women don't realize how lucky they are when they have a good, strong, hard-working husband who supports their decision to stay home.

Homeschooling?

I started thinking about homeschooling my children after my second year of being a middle school teacher. There were so many needy children who could not read properly for their grade level. It was very challenging to try to meet their various needs, while still stimulating the kids who had higher reading levels. I realized how it's like that in many classrooms, and many teahers admit that they teach to the middle of the bunch. Not necessarily challenging the brighter kids, and not slowing down for the students who just couldn't grasp what was going on.

It's very easy for kids to slide through the cracks and just skate along through school, never having learned anything.

I'm not exactly sure if I want to homeschool, but it's definitely a strong possibility. My husband is not on board with it yet, citing socialization and such. I guess we'll wait and see when our son is older.

I read an article in the newspaper about how about forty percent of Georgia's eighth-graders had failed the math portion of the CRCT. And seventy to eighty percent of sixth- and seventh-graders had failed the social studies section of the test.

Many parents are outraged at these scores. It does make you wonder about how well schools are really educating students.