Pre-homeschool

Pre-schooling M'ija (my eldest) was ideal. Truly.

She was the only child for three years, so it was easy to dedicate exactly the time needed (while still getting housework done!)

We read daily (I'm a bookworm, we both were happy), did the educational puzzles regularly, counted everything, compared big/small, etc. All. The. Time.
She's also been the type that wanted to sit on my lap. All. The. Time.

So, the learning aspect of play was just... Easy. Ideal, really.

And cheap. Seriously, yard sales and consignment stores. Alphabet puzzles, shape and color puzzles abound.
I also bought those little puff balls used in crafts; they're great for counting, color sorting, comparing sizes, all sorts of stuff.

After her little sister was born, she CRAVED extra mommy time. Understandable, she was used to my (mostly) undivided attention.

Cue nap time!

So, when baby went down for her naps, I spent the time counting, doing puzzles and phonetics, and reading to M'ija.  A lady from church bought a collection of Dick and Jane books, and one day, not long after her 4th birthday, I decided to let her try to read.

Shock! She can sound out many of the sight words... I was impressed. Ecstatic even.

I wondered what else she could do, so I bought math flash cards. Yeah, she can add and subtract up to ten easily / she can add more, but it's difficult because she uses her fingers.

Preschool for her was really what everyone dreams preschool would be.

Even as MiSol got older and napped less, M'ija could do things on her own (tracing words, mazes, 24-48 piece puzzles, etc) while I was trying to get the youngest to just stop crying.

Oh, yeah, the "other child".

Can I just say that preschooling one child is VASTLY different than trying to teach two?

First, your time is now divided.
Second, you have to figure out a different personality and learning style.
Third, jealousy. Oh my... I never dreamed how green the eyes of my precious children would turn (figuratively).

Happily, my eldest still loves any opportunity to learn, so she will do word tracing, reading, etc while I wash dishes (the table is right behind my back, it's easy for me to turn and look), do flash cards and math when she wakes up early from her nap, stuff like that. I can even get her to read to her sister!

MiSol, the littlest? Yeah, haven't really started with her yet. She's the type that doesn't sit still for more than... 15 seconds. I'm a bit behind, comparatively, but she does learn from her sister.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the little siblings, while they miss out on the large amount of one-on-one time the oldest gets, they see the older ones doing things and learn from example. It balances out eventually. I'm still waiting, but certainly....

The beauty (and uncertainty) of homeschool is that it's different for each child.
Beautiful because it's personalized for your and their needs.
Uncertain because, if one way works for one child but you have to do it different for the other, you're not sure if you are doing it right.

I'm not sure if I'm doing it "right" with my second. She's happy, healthy, seems to be mostly on track with the others in her library group... She's just not moving as fast as her sister was.

Comparisons. We know we aren't supposed to compare, yet we do anyway. It's a battle that leaves us feeling insufficient.

Then I remember - God blessed me with these children.
*Proverbs 17:6
"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."
*Psalm 113:9
"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."

He has a plan for me with these children.
*Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
*Isaiah 54:13
"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children."

So I will pray, I will do my best, and trust God with the outcome. I believe, as long as I keep God in the center of it all, I will one day be able to say what John said in 3 John verse 4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."