Skinship

Are we ready for homeschooling?

It was a warm spring morning and I had to take some papers to the accountant. I was home alone with Jun and decided to take a challenge...to make a meeting with the accountant exciting for both of us, my two year old and myself.

He enjoyed the taxi drive and I was trying to explain where we are going but he didn't really listen. He was entertaining himself by counting the passing cars. When we arrived to the office the real fun began. He was exploring the office, playing with the stuff while I was going through the papers with the accountant. When he saw me stamp the documents, he got this special look "Oh, I have found the best new toy in the world!". So, for the rest of the meeting he has stamped every single paper he could find in the room. "Oh, that was smooth" I thought for a second, really surprised that I have just had a serious meeting with my boy running around. He took an apple on the way out and we had ten minutes on the sun before the taxi came.

We have headed to the town centre. I had some more things on my list that day. One of them was to go to the kindergarten to sign the papers because Jun was accepted to start kindergarten this fall. While we were walking around the building trying to find the entry I had a strange feel in my stomach but I somehow ignored it. When we came inside the garden Jun immediately saw the sandpit and  a ton  of toys inside...his target was set :-) While he was playing I was  observing the kids playing and the teachers talking. Everything was nice, but I still felt that strange feeling in my stomach. I have realised Jun was really into his play, so I sat there on the sun and I got those few minutes for myself. "Do I really want to put him to school at this age? Do I really want to be away from him most of the day? Are we ready to put our life on schedule? So many questions and only one answer. No! I felt at that precise moment that I want to stay home with my son for some more time.

We are doing great for now. I manage to do all of my work without being away from Jun for too long. We have a wondeful babysitter who comes couple of times a week and my mom jumps in when I have to teach in class. I try to do most of my work when Jun is sleeping or playing. But we still get those precious moments together...waking up slowly without an alarm, having breakfast together, breastfeeding before and after his nap, lunch at home or outside and a long walk with our dog. And at the end of the day this are the things that really matter to me. And I want to keep it this way for as long as possible.

And who knows, maybe we will end up homeschooling one day.

Kindergarden in the woods (Waltkindergarten)

While many parents and schools around the world push young children to read, write and use computer as early as possible in order to prepare for an increasing academic competition. Germany is taking an old-new approach. They have around 700 "forest kindergartens" in which children spend their days outdoors all year round. Children age 3 to 6 walk into a forest each weekday, come rain and shine. They sing songs, build fires, roll in the mud, experience nature and learn about it.

The teacher who is heading one of those kindergardens for five years says it is much more peacful than inside the room and she says that no child has ever asked for a toy. The kids impovise with what woods have to offer. And according to experience there haven't been any accidents beyond the occasional scrapes, bruises or bee sting.

I really like the idea. Maybe that is the way to avoid the "early academic fatigue syndrom" when 5 year-olds are already tired of going to school. Maybe we will all need to do a step back in academic pressure in order to make an important step forward- to raise children who want to learn and not children who must learn.

You can find more info here.

The story is summarised from the article "Primeval education: In Germany schoolchildren get back to forest" by Mike Esterl from The Wall Street Journal.