The Learning Umbrella

My husband has been telling me for awhile that I should do my own blog. I've been resisting because I feel like I'm not officially a homeschooling mom yet - after all my son is only 2 years old. But what I've realized in the last few weeks is that homeschooling doesn't start when a child is school age, because homeschooling has a lot more to do with Home than it does with School. Especially with the recent pushes toward preschool for all children (have you seen the article in this month's Home Education Magazine? Check it out.), homeschooling begins as soon as a child starts learning anything at all. From that point of view, I could stretch it to say I'm homeschooling my unborn baby in the womb right now!
Even though my child is so young, I already hear concerned comments from family, friends, and strangers that he's not getting "socialized" because I'm staying home with him. He went to daycare for two years while I was getting a Masters in Teaching, and now some people describe my decision to stay home in terms of "pulling him out of daycare". Children that young may receive some socialization in daycare, but I'm not sure those are lessons I want him to have to learn. I've worked in daycares, and some of those lessons are: "if you are bigger, you can take my toys away", "my needs cannot be met right away so I might as well be quiet", and "my personal preferences cannot change the schedule we all must follow". I would rather that he get his early socialization in small doses. We go to a Kindergym class three times a week, and he gets to play with other kids and do "circle time" there, while I am on hand to make sure he's fully supervised and safe.
In fact, I need to go make snack and take him to his kids Halloween party!