Little People

I was having such fun the other day watching my two year old play with our toy kitchen. He and his sister were stuffing plastic food into a little oven and later, pouring water from cup to cup, as they prepared a "meal". Little people are developing and changing so quickly, it is a joy to watch the development happen.

If prayer were the number one way a mom might be "leaving her children to themselves," the second temptation might be to simply ignore them. This is especially easy when we are homeschooling and busy with the so-called important work of teaching fractions, or government. With so many demands on our time it is easy to forget about these growing little people in our home. Letting them play on their own all day, while perhaps creating very imaginative and resourceful young people, will leave them without guidance in gaining self care skills, vocabulary, and moral training. Studies show that young children's brains are poised to develop new skills and we need to be available to talk them through the development of those skills.

This doesn't mean they need to learn their ABC's at a year old, it does mean that we as their mothers are nearby, able to guide them through their play and talk with them about our work. Providing opportunities to do large and fine motor activities will be much more useful than throwing workbooks at small children, it is guided, hands on activities, even such simple ones as learning to brush their teeth and put away their clothes, that will really lay a good foundation for life and learning. Keep them nearby, talk with them often, and take time out of your other activities to teach them about God, the world He made, and His good purpose for them in it.