Preschool Problems

Every time I read all the great activities on the various preschool link ups I think I aught to get organized and plan work for Baby Girl, or at least record it after the fact.  (I do often steal ideas for a quick fun session with her)

I seem to be a bit to lazy for that.  Oh I could plan great fun, I LOVE lesson planning.  Silly I know, but like Algebra organizing things so they fit together and getting all my T's crossed and I's dotted in a nice neat plan is fun to me.

Actually implementing a plan with 5 kids, one a 3 month old, and the various hazards of life, not to mention my complete dislike of following orders (even my own) leaves those lovely plans collecting dust.


When I first had Dude I did make a plan or three (or more)  and I followed each one as long as it worked well enough.  Then came Princess, and Little Man, and Scouts, Baby Girl, and Co-op and  Little One and 4H.  Now I only indulge my love of planning when I have free time and nothing else to fill it with.  And when done I promptly recycle the paper or ignore the file.  Because I know deep down, nothing will be well followed.

As I get more kids, I have learned to follow them much more.  I let them choose what they are most interested in, even in letters and basic numbers.  So what if the kid wants to know a B before she can make a proper L  And really does it matter if she wants to count past 10, even though she always skips 4?  Every time she tries to go past 10 she had to stop and fix the 4.  And as much as it kills me, they never want to study Orange in October, Brown in November, or Green in December.  They do still seem to learn regardless.

They older ones are easier to influence, they seem to have a rather large curiosity about whatever is around them, so Pumpkins in October are a go (though I could never be as in depth as Almost Unschoolers, wish I lived close I would love a co-op with her talents!)

Recently I decided to try a Mural for Baby Girl.  Whenever she is in the mood we grab some crayons, scissors and we make a shape or letter or number that she knows to put up on the wall.  If I make one she doesn't know, we review it and don't put it up.  Turns out she knows an awful lot for all my haphazard lack of planning!  The wall provides both a handy way for mea to learn what she needs help on, and for her to review.  (as she has to go around telling the world what she put up there)

BTW since none of my kids (nor most of yours) are going to school I think everything we are doing is pretty much considered PRE school (pre meaning before)