I thought this was particularly interesting for those of us in big cities and the "rich" suburbs. Here in north Atlanta, the pressure to put your child into a preschool by age 3 is HUGE!!!!!!!

What Your Preschooler Really Needs

By Susan Lemons

The world has a lot to say about parenting nowadays. From Dr. Spock to Dr. Phil, from the Super Nanny to our own families, a plethora of “experts” scold us with a never-ending barrage of advice—most of it conflicting. The newspapers and magazines scream at us about the “needs” of children and the latest “unbiased study,” while the publishing companies profit from the confusion by churning out numerous books on parenting every year. Slick ad campaigns report that parents need only buy the latest “educational” toy, or enroll their innocents in the newest “educational” program to guarantee academic success and future happiness for their children.

Meanwhile, parents are stressed and confused. According to CBS News, 54% of parents with 2-5 year olds admit to feeling worried about their children’s academic progress, and more than 90% think that starting “early” is the key to success. Parents are enrolling toddlers into rigorous academic tutorial programs in record numbers, and routinely over-schedule their youngsters with play-dates, lessons, sports, and classes, all in hopes of giving their children some sort of “advantage.” Whatever happened to childhood?

Homeschoolers are not immune to these phenomena, either. . .

Read the rest at   http://www.crosswalk.com/homeschool/11541408/

And recently at my house we created "Painted brother"  . . .