So here I was the other day, thinking about homeschooling stuff.  Justin is almost 2 years old now.  Parents we meet in the park are talking about their children going to pre-school and kindergarten and when they think their child will be ready for such things.

I was thinking about that especially since one grandparent made the comment, but he's so smart now, we should put him in (talking about a 3.5 year old) pre-school, we don't want him to miss out on anything.

My immediate thought was...how sad for that child.  That he's smart enough that the parents are eager to put him in school so that his creativity, curiousity etc can channeled by the school board.  That they don't think they can give their child things that will interest him.   That this child, who still needs regular naps, will be sent to an all day program ....

I don't know.  It just didn't sit right with me.

It would feel better I suppose to me if he were a bigger child, and an older child.  But 3.5 years, to be sent off all day to school, because he's a smart lad who needs to be stimulated by the school environment.  I don't know... just doesn't seem right, he's so young yet.

Anyways, that's not where my thoughts were supposed to go on this.

Made me think of my boyo and raising him, and wanting homeschooling to be somewhat natural and easy flowing at least for the first bit.  Schooling that stems out of the things that we do.

Like learning the difference between push and pull by what we do with his favourite Thomas the Train toys.   Showing the difference between the north and south ends of magnets.   How rocks sink and feathers float!    It's not that hard to just take life and use it to teach (at least at this age).  :)  

It just makes me wonder.... what do parents think is so hard about stimulating and working with their children?  Why do they think the school can do it better?  ESPECIALLY with these little ones?