My Busy Big Boy

I have a precious little imp in my care who smiles with at least 6 dimples and has ridiculously large blue eyes.  He is energetic.  As a teacher we used lots of euphemism to describe those boys in our class like "busy", "full of energy", "active".  We really meant hyper :)  Sorry to demystify for all of you former parents of mine out there.   My former colleagues think it is hysterical that I got one of those little guys but I'm delighted.  Those little boys with the ants in their pants were some of the smartest and most fun to teach (on most days).   As a society we have feminized and tried to shove these little fireballs of energy into the mold of the quiet student (girl) with hands folded and feet still.

Don't get me wrong.  Self-control is important to cultivate and there are very important times when these little peeps with testosterone need to be able to sit and listen.  What I have learned as that my little man uses his energy to help me without being asked most of the time.  He walks around saying, "I love you Mommy" more times than I can count in a day.  I've also learned that learning that involves that energy is so fun for him.  As a former teacher, I have been given what some homeschool moms refer to as "the teacher curse".  I spent about a year trying to reproduce a preschool classroom at home, to no avail.  I'm learning that all day at my house is the school day and that I can just as easily teach the alphabet using playdough and rice in a cake pan as I can forcing him to sit at a desk and do a workbook.  Preschooling should be fun.

I've started to use a curriculum piece by a publisher called Heart of Dakota.  The book is called Little Hands to Heaven.     The lessons take less than 30 minutes and "includes letter recognition and formation, letter sounds with corresponding motions, beginning math skills, Bible activities, devotional topics, art projects, dramatic play, active exploration, fingerplays, and music."  What I love about this little manual is that I don't have to reinvent the wheel or do lots of cut and paste prep.  Many of the activities are conversational and active without being worksheet heavy.  This makes my little big man happy . . . more time for playing with 'struction vehicles outside.