If you never planned to send them to school, when did you start HE?

[Jojobump1986]

I'm just curious really! I have a 19mo & another due any minute day now. I'm beginning to feel like I should be doing more to stretch DS1 than just letting him potter around the house with the same toys... I'm not talking about trying to teach him to read he can't even say read properly yet!, I'm just thinking about starting to plan activities that provide more varied learning opportunities than he currently gets.

I suppose what I'm really trying to do is to get myself into more of a HE mindset. I don't plan on being a very structured HE-er, but I want to be providing him with opportunities to learn while he thinks he's 'just playing'. I plan on education being something that 'just happens' while we're busy having fun until he gets to the stage where he's ready to start jumping through hoops for exams.

Part of me feels like it's too early to be 'home schooling', but if he was going to a nursery they'd be observing him & planning activities to extend his learning so I guess what I'm aiming for is similar, just with less paperwork!

Has anyone else taken this approach & planned activities for such a young child with the aim of giving them learning opportunities? I think all the planning is more for my benefit than his - so I can start getting us into good habits early. I'm very disorganised but I figure if I start setting aside a little time once a week to plan something to do on the days when we don't have groups to go to then at least I'll be getting used to actively thinking about his learning! Other parents seem to manage to do these things without actively planning but if I don't plan then we'd never do anything! I need to know what I'm doing & when or we'd never do anything & he's getting fed up of just hanging around the house!

Children learn by playing and by interacting with their parents. If you really feel the need to plan, why don't you plan on involving your 19 month old in your daily activities.

Forexample, fold laundry together and say the names and colours of each item as you put it away. Basically any activity that you would normally engage in can be a fun playful learning experience for a child. I think the key is constantly explaining what you are doing and allowing your LO to get involved.

Birth

I guess I'm wondering what you do do. For a 19mo, all activities have learning opportunities. We counted everything, spotted letters on things, did jigsaws and games (normal toddler ones involving fitting shapes together, etc.), cooked and did craft, read books and went to the library, went swimming (although that might be easier with DC2 on the outside), went to the park and pootled around with sticks, etc.

I wonder if part of it is that you are doing less because of being pg? That's understandable and will ease in a few months.

I agree with SDeuchars. It may be a while before you are able to get out with your child and your new baby. That's OK. This won't last forever. Of course, if you happen to have friends and relatives who would like to take your toddler out occasionally then that's even better, but it isn't always possible. Is there a toy library nearby where you can get access to different toys?

In the longer run, I think educating a young child is all about trying things and carrying on with whatever he seems to like. For example, if your little boy seems to be getting fed up of being in the house, then once you have settled into life with your new baby it would make sense to go out more. Experiment until you find the right balance... which will change over time as your children grow.

Here's an example of how things have been going for my particular six year old. She has been very into water, so she has more baths than she used to. I try to think of different household items to chuck in with her for her to play with. She has a go at the washing-up. (She's no prodigy and it all needs re-washing afterward, but she likes it!) There's a little spring-fed brook nearby where we go sometimes. I can sit and relax while she spends ages damming it up.

For the first time she has showed an interest in writing, but she hates to make mistakes or for anyone to see what she is doing. So she uses a magnetic drawing board which can be rubbed out.

She never used to be too bothered about having friends, but that is beginning to change. She plays with the neighbour girl several times a week and I make more of an effort to get together with my friends who have children. Whereas before I used to mainly just consider her teenaged sister's needs and the little one came along for the ride, now I am starting to focus on the 6yo's social needs.

So my little girl's home education looks different to that of some other children her age, and as she gets older it will continue to change. When she's happy, I know I am getting it right. When she isn't so happy, I try different things until it gets better. Don't worry, it will come to you. Home education is just an extension of parenting in general. It revolves around your family's individual needs, and it changes.

When I used to take my toddler son to Soft Play sessions I was struck by the way some parents spoke to their children in a consciously "instructive" or "educational" way eg "ooh look you're holding a red ball, this ball is red, what colour is this ball, lets see how many balls we can count, if we took one ball away how many would we have left" etc etc, not as though they just couldn't help themselves but in a way which suggested they'd thought about it and decided it would be A Good Thing.

Home education starts from the moment your toddler asks you about anything and you try to answer him. So it may do at any time and unconsciously. The first steps in learning are revelation for both. You revisit those memories when they have grown up.

LOL Fiona, I overheard a funny conversation the other day. We were at the (outstanding!) Museum of Welsh Life where a woman observed that there were bits of wool caught in the fence. She had three children with her aged about 8, 10 and 12. "Why wool?" asked her son. She launched into Zealous Educating Mode.

"Well, what are those animals over there?" she asked. No one deigned to answer. "And who knows where we get wool?"

"I do. Sheep," said one child.

"Very good! We get wool from sheep!! And where do we get beef from?"

After a tired pause, someone volunteered, "Cows." Apparently this was not a new game, or one they enjoyed.

"Yes! That's right! Beef comes from cows!! And where do we get pork?"

"From porcupines!" said one child with gleeful sarcasm. Everyone was amused except the mum.

Yes, I think you have to guard against that. I'm sure we've all see the toddler who deliberately uses the wrong colour name because it is degrading to both child and adult to ask a question to which you both know the answer.

I'd say it's important to try to ask genuine questions, not testing ones.

I have dd 16 mo and have been wondering the same thing.

I have a diary I use to remember hospitals appts and other commitments and at the END of each day I haven been making a short list of some of the things she has learnt or practised, it has really helped me appreciate just how much you without noticing.

It has really boosted my confidence in my ability to HE