Newbie!How early did you start HE? Did you do NurseryGroup?

[justlookatthatbooty]

Am so happy to have been prodded to this section of the forum I could bawl with relief. I live in the Netherlands and have 2 DC, aged 2 years and another aged 7 months. Since an early age in my own life I've thought HE would be the way I'd do it with my own kids and now I find myself at the point of having to sign the kids up with school waiting lists and I'm not inspired by what we're looking at. Not just that the education itself is not that great but the whole school/classroom/conditioning thing really gets me down. Our happy little DS, a bright little 2.2 year old is doing so well and the thought of ruining all that wonderful energy by the constraints of the school system is heart breaking. The other night DP told of some friends in his aikido group that HE'd their kids and I remembered that it was my early life fantasy for 'if I ever have kids'...He then suggested that he take on HE for the kids and I take on making a living for the family or we share the HE/living making. We found ourselves spontaneously ecstatic with the idea and feeling such relief. Such a breakthrough to suddenly realise we do not need to be 'victims' of the system. None of us. All of a sudden I find myself taking greater levels of responsibility with the kids, like I've given myself a slap round the face. It's really changed something with the way I am with the kids even now in their young lives. Put the ground back under my mothering feet. So that's the background on finding my way here to this part of the forum. And now I'm asking (not for the first time) questions about Nursery School. I like that DS gets to sing songs and laugh with his little friends and run around etc but I don't enjoy the policed aspect of his young exploring life and the whole "Now we start this activity so sit down and do it".... Now we're stopping that activity so stand up and do this". Perhaps I should take him to the montessori playgroup where he can at least decide for himself when to start/stop something? Did you have HE thoughts at this age and if so what did you do about it.

[ommmward]

We already knew we'd have HE as default position at that age, yes.

Nursery groups: you find what suits you. We had some wonderful completely free-play play groups near us at that age (the kind where the mum stays too).

We tried out some of that kindermusik/sing-and-sign/Tumbletots type stuff, and it Did Not Suit Us At All, though I can see that a child who enjoys being within a predictable external agenda could well just adore it.

I have a friend who swears by montessori for that kind of age. I know others who love the pre-schooly bits of Steiner/Waldorf (depends if you can cope with the anthro-can't-spell-it or not)

I know people who are already just going to the local home ed social meet ups at that age, and not bothering with mainstream playgroups - particularly the case with younger siblings, of course, since the older ones are still around but not up for toddler groups aged 6, probably.

Check out the legal position in the Netherlands, yeah? Because it's quite closely policed in France and it's illegal in Germany and it's in the process of being outlawed in Sweden I think, so make sure you know exactly what your relationship with the State will need to be in the Netherlands

[MrsWobbleTheWaitress]

Ours didn't go to a nursery or preschool or anything like that. We did contact the local home ed email list and ask if there were other parents of pre-school aged children planning to HE on the list and would they like to meet up. We began meeting up when mine were 2 and 4m old, once a fortnight. We met at a private centre during their closed afternoons - the centre is built for disabled children and their siblings so there are lots of toys and a soft play area etc. We still all meet up now five years on, but at larger home ed groups and at eachothers houses.

Ommward - It's 'me' by the way, pink bird lady

[ommmward]

waves cheerfully

[justlookatthatbooty]

Thanks Ommmward and mrswobble. We went to Playschool this morning and it was at best a very low standard sort of okish but not great. Some people would accuse me of being overprotective but I don't feel that it's the kind of environment I would be happy and trusting to leave DS in but I"m only allowed to be there for a few times then I just "have to" drop him and leave. I find it somewhat objectionable that a child who was crying hard and didn't want to be left by his mama was accused of Pulling an Act and everyone was told to ignore him whilst he lay on the floor crying (after she had left him there and left). But I should go over to preschool topic to discuss that I guess. But in relevance to Home Ed i just found the nagging/projecting/partronising/disrespective vibe that I've come across a few times now with teachers and this is so far just the very reason that I want to pursue the HE subject further. I feel like I"m such a minority I'm realising that I'm going to have to stay tuned to my own feelings at all times not to get railroaded in the norms of others.

[Wolliw]

My eldest is 3 3/4 and he is loving nursery 4 three hour sessions a week. We may well continue with nursery come September when all his peers hit reception.

We are just starting to occasionally miss nursery because we have a better offer in an event in the HE community. I think it will be a gradual changeover.

I also have a 2 year old son, so nursery is a break away from his little brother for DS1.

The state nursery attached to a primary school we looked at was basically school for three-year-olds. 30 hour week, compulsory uniform, class of 60 with 5 staff. We ran away, fast.

We are very pro child choice, so nursery will probably carry on as long as DS1 is happy with it. It might be quite different next year when he is the oldest in the group.