| The life and growth of a child can be likened to the | | | | are able to permit what influences you find acceptable |
| growth of a seedling or sapling tree. Take a look at | | | | in your child's life. You are also able to protect your |
| why you should keep your children home, right from | | | | child from those things which can cause a desensitizing |
| the preschool years. | | | | to the ways of this world which are in fact damaging |
| Growing up with an avid gardener for a mother, I | | | | to a young child's soul. |
| watched the principle of planting, protecting, and | | | | Reason#3 - Time for feeding - Your child's unique |
| establishing first hand many times over. It was only | | | | interests |
| when I had my own children that I realized how much | | | | While the first two reasons were more negative this |
| this analogy meant to a mom with young children. | | | | next one is one of the more positive benefits for |
| Reason #1 - Time to plant - Grounding | | | | keeping your little ones home. In the preschool years, |
| As our child moves from babyhood to the early | | | | your child is like a blooming flower. They are thrilled by |
| childhood years we are able to begin to share with | | | | the world around them and the people and places that |
| them correct behavior patterns, Godly attributes, moral | | | | make it up. They also begin to show particular interest |
| reasons for why we do things as well as basic good | | | | in certain topics. Just as you wouldn't feed a |
| manners. We have the ability in a home-based lifestyle | | | | hydrangea the same food as a rose, you cannot |
| to deal with the many children training situations that | | | | teach vastly different and unique children on one level. |
| come to us day to day. | | | | A mom who knows her child is able to groom and |
| If our children are away from us for up to 5 hours | | | | grow them according to their interests. She is also able |
| each day, we loose this valuable time with them. We | | | | to intimately know the child's weaknesses and |
| loose countless opportunities to train their soft and | | | | difficulties in learning areas and work to help her child |
| pliable hearts. This is the time that you are preparing | | | | achieve and acceptable standard. |
| the ground for your seedling or sapling. You are adding | | | | Reason #4 - Time for pruning - Discipleship |
| your compost, raking it over, and watering the ground. | | | | Most parents will tell you that the time of the most |
| Instead the child who is sent to preschool is spending | | | | intensive child training happens in the first 5 - 7 years |
| time with other children who do not have the same | | | | of a child's life. It is this time that you lay down |
| wisdom as you do. Your child is in an overpopulated | | | | boundaries and acceptable levels of behavior. |
| class with a teacher, who even on her best day | | | | When a child is in playschool, you not only have to deal |
| cannot give your child the same one-on-one attention. | | | | with normal child training issues but also with the |
| This is besides the fact that she does not love your | | | | unfortunately bad behavior that a child picks up in a |
| child as you do and does not have the ability to train all | | | | schools setting where most of the time is spent with |
| the little ones in her preschool in kindness, gentleness | | | | children who are as emotionally and morally immature |
| and self control. | | | | as your own child. |
| Reason#2 - Time for weeding - Influences in a young | | | | When your child is at home with you, you are able to |
| garden | | | | nip bad behavior in the bud before it takes root. You |
| Raymond and Dorothy Moore, grandparents of the | | | | are able to prune and trim your child, in a gentle and |
| homeschooling movement in the USA, state that the | | | | loving manner, when you see that undesirable behavior |
| fewer the outside influences in a young child's life, the | | | | patterns are setting in. |
| better. Their reasoning is that when a child's heart is | | | | Reason #5 - Time for enjoying - Watching them grow |
| soft and receptive, they are able to not only pick up | | | | Your child, after your diligent constant care in their first |
| the good in others; they are often more than likely to | | | | 5 years, is now beginning to grow into the things they |
| pick up the faulty behavior exhibited by peers. As with | | | | have learnt - like a tree that is providing its first |
| a young sapling tree this is the time that you stake | | | | branches with leaves for shade for you to sit under |
| them to protect them form the wind, as cover them | | | | and enjoy. |
| with Hessian to stop frost. | | | | You still need to be there for your child, to direct and |
| Having spent many years (over 60) in early childhood | | | | guide. Your child, although well grounded, is still in need |
| education, the Moore's were able to take sample | | | | of your input, the intensity is less though as they have |
| studies from various groups of children and deduced | | | | been taught to respond to your correction with a |
| that a child does not need more than 3 or 4 close | | | | happy heart. What a wonderful time this is, why hand |
| friends in their elementary years. | | | | them over to another to enjoy? From this point on, |
| Again, if your child is away from you for long periods | | | | with your continued diligent care and leadership you |
| of time each day, you are not able to see the | | | | and your child are set to make being together a |
| influences that they are under. You, as a mom who | | | | lifestyle choice as you homeschool them through the |
| chooses to be close to her child in the young years, | | | | elementary years. |