My New Mantra

We didn't get to the chopsticks "lesson" yesterday. Or today, for that matter. Rebecca, my youngest, had to be woken at 11:30 am. 11:30 am!!! According to my husband last night she didn't eat dinner. So I'm guessing she's sick. This meant that we tiptoed around the house finding things to do all morning that were quiet. Natalie and Leah first got a special breakfast in Natalie's bedroom, since it is downstairs, of granola and chocolate milk. Then I let them hand wash my pile of dishes (generous of me, huh?) :-) After playing in bubbles and running around on the deck, we headed outside to climb fallen tree trunks (we have two which fell together during a storm and lie parallel, so even though they go quite high up -- having landed on the branches of some other trees, they are stuck diagonally in the air -- you can safely climb on one by holding onto the tree trunk which is right next to it). Then the children played "digging worms for the toad", demolished a bale of straw with a rake and spade, blew dandelion seeds all over the yard, and climbed into the doghouse. Meanwhile I was pacing the yard, checking Becca's window for any signs of movement on her part, and worrying about her. I was also thinking about my lesson plans. Monday was supposed to be the chopsticks lesson, Tuesday papermaking, and so on... But you know that children that age are really supposed to be spending the majority of their time just running around in free play (see "What Are the Needs of Five Year Olds?" by Joan Almon for more on this) and so what am I worrying about "lessons" for? As the article says, it's hard to have the confidence in the face of all the pressure on early education to just let your kids be. I use our themes in school quite loosely -- I believe -- and it is a guide for me as to what of the hundred thousand free time fun things you can do we should be doing. Otherwise the choices are overwhelming. Like making paper for example. Great free time fun activity. Especially good for school since Natalie will help Papa build the screen and then she and I will do the rest of the project together. This makes it more of a family effort. Ditto with the bamboo tipi covered in morning glory and moonflower vines. She and he will go out together to cut down the poles. Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that I am working hard to look at my children run around the yard in circles and not think, "I should be doing something more." How ridiculous would it be to take two happy thriving children and force them to stop what they are doing to come inside, sit quietly on a carpet, and try to learn to use chopsticks???? So my new mantra to repeat when watching them play: "This is a happy childhood."