Preschool at Home Series: {part 1} Why?

We home{pre}schoolers are an anomaly in my area. The conversations I encounter usually go a little like this:

Loving, caring neighbors: "So, what preschool does your Buddy go to?"
Me: "Oh, ermmm...we home preschool...that doesn't mean I look down on you for sending your son to school, but ummm...it's best for our family." (I should probably just refer them to this awesome post from Growing Home)
Neighbor: "Oh...my child is so social and/or won't learn from me, but good for you!"
Me (trying to articulate about 1 million thoughts in just one sentence): "Oh, Buddy is social for sure (have you met this kid?!) He really does learn from me."

Cue: awkward end to the conversation.

So, today friends, I share with you the top reasons we homepreschool. If your children attend preschool, you are still their main teacher and hopefully you can gain some insight and tips from my list as well.

In no particular order, although the last reason is the real kicker:

Fun
Remember those field trips you loooved in school? I basically get to re-live those experiences anytime I want while teaching my son all about the big world around him. I think this makes me a classifiable nerd, but I am so okay with it!
My favorite moments are those when I get to see him learn and have fun. I cherish those times and relish them like a shameless addict.

Flexibility
The schedule that we follow is loose, but it allows for life to happen with school scheduled around our family time and activities.
Our curriculum is also very flexible and we can focus on one subject for as long as we like. My tongue is twisted in knots trying to pronounce the names of the dinosaurs we have been learning about for a few weeks!
Speaking of interests, have you ever noticed how much education can be included in everyday activities? Our conversations in the car or while we are out and about turn into huge learning activities. Nothing makes me happier than to hear my Buddy ask "Mom, why does...XYZ." This is especially fun when I don't know the answer and we research more. It's happening every.single.day and I attribute it to the spontaneity that is homepreschooling.

Control (yes, I said it!)
While touring our closest preschools last year, I kept thinking "Buddy already knows the concepts that they are teaching".
Let me back up, I am not raising a savant...he isn't a genius and it is definitely not due to me or my teaching. He's just...a quick child. Little brother is changing the tides on that one though, that boy is so stubborn!
Anyways, I wanted control over the content of his schooling. I know that right now we are working heavily on rhyming, because I noted last week that the concept hadn't stuck. His learning is tailored to his needs.

Cost
The costs in our area are not extreme, but I am about as frugal as they come and like to DIY. When I see something I could do myself (with help of course), I jump right in!

Conviction
This point alone is why I started homepreschooling. When God began planting the seeds of homeschool in me through people both in real life and through blogging, I listened. It went a little like this: "He's stubborn and so am I, this cannot work!" "Ummm...my time is my time God." "I can't do this!" "I really don't want to!" "Are you sure this is what's best?" Sound familiar?
This is my internal dialogue about most hard things (did I mention this journey isn't all rainbows and fairytales?) With the decision to homepreschool I let go of my worries and listened, really listened to where my Heavenly Father wanted me to be.

Boy am I am glad I listened.

What about you? What has your choice been for preschool and why?

  Stay tuned for my next post of this series: what curriculum and resources do we use? You should all know up front, I am not THAT creative (just take a look at my Pinterest boards!)

Also coming soon:
How do you fit it all in? Scheduling ideas
So, what about next year? Committing to homeschooling.
The elephant in the room- what about your preschooler's social life?
Encouragement for the stressed preschool mom

"Others are watching, you know": How Your Mothering is Making an Impact

"Others are watching, you know."

I sat in the living room of one of my seasoned neighbors. She had just uttered this simple phrase and left me with a feeling that I can't explain.

Her children are long since grown and I have no doubt that she raised them well. Yet, here she was telling me how a very small act, one that I don't even remember, made an impact.

My sons were wrestling at church- not really Mother of the Year worthy behavior. My Buddy accidentally knocked his little brother to the ground. According to this dear neighbor, I "scooped him up and gave him a love without even reprimanding either one."

At that moment, I was reminded of a thought that had been planted many months ago. My personal call to be the mom my kids deserve and in the process, let mothering be seen as the blessing that it is.

YOU, Momma, make more of an impact than you know. In a world where the family is being challenged more than ever and children are seen as mere inconveniences, we have the opportunity of turning the tides. It's an exhausting job, in every sense of the word. Things go wrong and perfect just isn't a reality. Kids misbehave and throw fits in public and discipline needs to be enforced, yet our behavior can be positive.

Remember the sweetness behind those little eyes? The potential that every one of our children have?  Elaborate parties, magazine worthy homes, designer clothes and making everything in your life appear perfect is not what this calling is about. It's not even about being the perfect mom.

It's about showing that we love our children and cherish them. It's about giving loving, patient care to your children in all situations. It's about giving our all, both in public and private because our children are worth it. It's about giving young women and other struggling mommas gentle encouragement that it can be done and that it's a wonderful journey. How? By simply being the mom you were meant to be.

Give it your all, remember why you love being a mom, strive to be the best mom you can. For yourself and your children and also because "others are watching, you know."