Comments on: For younger kids: don't stress!!! http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1 Your Life. Your Bliss. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:10:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Kristin http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10067 Kristin Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:17:28 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10067 My husband and I have just made the decision to home school in the last few months. I was home schooled, so I shouldn't have this much anxiety, but I do (I have no idea how my mother worked a part-time job, and home schooled 5 of us)! This article has helped a lot in calming my fears. I just want my kids to succeed, and it can get overwhelming! My husband and I have just made the decision to home school in the last few months. I was home schooled, so I shouldn't have this much anxiety, but I do (I have no idea how my mother worked a part-time job, and home schooled 5 of us)! This article has helped a lot in calming my fears. I just want my kids to succeed, and it can get overwhelming!

]]> By: jill http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10066 jill Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:16:24 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10066 I qualify for having older kids, middle kids and little kids since I have eight children ages almost 23 down to almost 3. I can say "amen" to everything you've written about encouraging your kids to be readers but I have to add something...it can be quite discouraging/dismaying/embarrassing/disconcerting (can you tell that MOM loves words lol!) when your children get older and older and still aren't reading! It will test your "faith" in what you say you believe in (that is, that what you are "doing" with your children will eventually produce an educated well-read child). I have had several children who haven't read "fluently" until age 12. Both became amazingly enthusiastic readers but it sure took a long time! My current 12 year old is still struggling while his ten year old brother reads on a college level! Even after all these years of knowing that what we do in our home produces a love of the written word (ie. we read aloud daily from babyhood, they see me read all the time, we visit the library lots and lots, we give books as gifts to the children, we teach them phonics/site words and anything that will work with that particular child...etc.) it still can be a struggle to hang in there without caving to both internal and external pressure to get "help". I am so very very glad that my children had the freedom to learn at their own pace without being put in the "special" classes and that they knew that even though they weren't reading yet they were still smart and capable and mom believed that they were going to be just fine. And nothing is more delightful than sharing favorite books with your grown children! My teens come home chortling over their latest "deals" at the used library sale and all my children have their own libraries of books. Jill I qualify for having older kids, middle kids and little kids since I have eight children ages almost 23 down to almost 3. I can say "amen" to everything you've written about encouraging your kids to be readers but I have to add something…it can be quite discouraging/dismaying/embarrassing/disconcerting (can you tell that MOM loves words lol!) when your children get older and older and still aren't reading! It will test your "faith" in what you say you believe in (that is, that what you are "doing" with your children will eventually produce an educated well-read child). I have had several children who haven't read "fluently" until age 12. Both became amazingly enthusiastic readers but it sure took a long time! My current 12 year old is still struggling while his ten year old brother reads on a college level! Even after all these years of knowing that what we do in our home produces a love of the written word (ie. we read aloud daily from babyhood, they see me read all the time, we visit the library lots and lots, we give books as gifts to the children, we teach them phonics/site words and anything that will work with that particular child…etc.) it still can be a struggle to hang in there without caving to both internal and external pressure to get "help". I am so very very glad that my children had the freedom to learn at their own pace without being put in the "special" classes and that they knew that even though they weren't reading yet they were still smart and capable and mom believed that they were going to be just fine.

And nothing is more delightful than sharing favorite books with your grown children! My teens come home chortling over their latest "deals" at the used library sale and all my children have their own libraries of books.

Jill

]]> By: Jenn http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10065 Jenn Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:40:35 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10065 What an awesome post! My daughter is only 18 months but I get stressed thinking about homeschooling, even though I know it's what we want to do. Especially after seeing this: www.expelledthemovie.com !! Can you believe it? What an awesome post! My daughter is only 18 months but I get stressed thinking about homeschooling, even though I know it's what we want to do. Especially after seeing this:

http://www.expelledthemovie.com !! Can you believe it?

]]> By: Sharon http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10064 Sharon Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:53:32 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10064 My 16 year old son and 13 year old daughter have never spent a day in school. They are well educated and well socialized. So much of your post is right on the mark. My kids have wonderful relationships with adults, rather than the adversarial relationships kids develop in school. They know how to interact with children of all ages, rather than just the same age. And, they know *how* to talk to strangers, rather than "Don't ever talk to strangers!". There are so many better ways to learn rather than sitting at a desk for 6 hours. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do anything different. My 16 year old son and 13 year old daughter have never spent a day in school. They are well educated and well socialized. So much of your post is right on the mark. My kids have wonderful relationships with adults, rather than the adversarial relationships kids develop in school. They know how to interact with children of all ages, rather than just the same age. And, they know *how* to talk to strangers, rather than "Don't ever talk to strangers!".

There are so many better ways to learn rather than sitting at a desk for 6 hours. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do anything different.

]]> By: Katie http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10063 Katie Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:41:24 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10063 (Ooops! I entered that comment before I was done...) hehe! I was just going to add that I am astonished, yes ASTONISHED, that more people don't want to homeschool their children and do things like this with them!! (Ooops! I entered that comment before I was done…) hehe!

I was just going to add that I am astonished, yes ASTONISHED, that more people don't want to homeschool their children and do things like this with them!!

]]> By: Katie http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10062 Katie Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:37:23 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10062 Incredibly awesome post!! Incredibly awesome post!!

]]> By: Mrs. Fussypants http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10061 Mrs. Fussypants Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:02:59 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10061 Wonderful Brea! You are such a great part of this site. Thank you a million times! Wonderful Brea! You are such a great part of this site. Thank you a million times!

]]> By: Elizabeth http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/for-younger-k-1/comment-page-1#comment-10060 Elizabeth Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:01:55 +0000 http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-delights/for-younger-kids-dont-stress/#comment-10060 Thank you SO MUCH for this encouraging post! I plan to follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy with my girls, but at times I panic and look at "curriculums" for my 4.5 yo. I know it's because she's my first, so I'm focused on her. I really do think that just reading and teaching her through every day life is the way to go right now, but sometimes I need a more experienced mom to reassure me! :) Today we went to an animal farm day and the farmer's market... I hope she learned something other than they give out lots of samples of free strawberries there! :) Thank you SO MUCH for this encouraging post! I plan to follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy with my girls, but at times I panic and look at "curriculums" for my 4.5 yo. I know it's because she's my first, so I'm focused on her. I really do think that just reading and teaching her through every day life is the way to go right now, but sometimes I need a more experienced mom to reassure me! :)

Today we went to an animal farm day and the farmer's market… I hope she learned something other than they give out lots of samples of free strawberries there! :)

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