Organizing the masses

It is amazing how many toys, crayons, stuffed animals, etc. can accumulate in just two short years. My daughter is at the point where she is only interested in her toys right after they have been cleaned-up. After the two seconds it takes to make a mess of them, she is instantly disinterested. I read in the past that it is a good idea to rotate your child's toys. Before now, I thought that would be more of a hassle than it was worth. Now, I know I was wrong. So, I am in the process of figuring at how I am going to easily and effectively rotate my daughters toys. I did get a great idea from Parents magazine about reusing baby items. I turned my diaper caddy into an art supply cadddy and also used a diaper wipe holder for crayons. Still trying to find some good solutions for the rest of my (er...Eleanor's) stuff.

Setting up shop (or school that is)

I am in the process of planning a flexible schedule that my husband and I can follow to help begin "teaching" our daughter. Most homeschooling books talk about "unschooling." According to Terri Lyn Bittner's Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath--You can Do This!, unschooling allows children to "learn what they want, when they want and the way they want. They might spend all day playing in the mud or they might spend hours on a workbook. It's their choice." Although this sounds ideal, I want to balance unschooling with opportunity. I want to make sure my child experiences anything she would in public school plus more. My daughter is only 2 years old, so I know I have time to figure things out. Right now, I just want to make sure I am nourishing her intake of knowledge. I want to avoid putting her in front of the TV for lack of anything else to do.
Here are some ideas:

For daily activities I have listed:

1. Outside play- It is easy to avoid the outdoors in Utah, because the weather is so extreme. It is either too hot or too cold. Well, we all know the current issues around sedentary lifestyles and obesity in children. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2008, 19.8% of children ages 6-11 are obese. Children are naturally energetic and playful, but this energy has been stifled by TV, computers, and video games. Not only is outdoor play good for exercise, it is stimulating. There are so many new sounds and sights and kids might feel they have more freedom and room to play. Unless it is a blizzard or something, my goal is to let my daughter play outside or go on a walk for at least 15 minutes a day.
2. Art- One reason I am choosing to homeschool is because art and music are really limited in most public schools. I am hoping that with homeschooling my daughter will have more time for these things with out having too hectic of a schedule. Right now I have finger paints, modeling clay, watercolors, and crayons and markers. I plan on alternating these activities each day and letting my daughter have as much time as she wants to create something. 
3. Brain Quest- You may have seen these sets at your local bookstore. I used to have them as a child. For older children, the booklets usually comprise of many trivia questions. I just found they have them for toddlers. I bought them just to try them out and my daughter really likes them. They basically just provide you with images of Max the Monkey in different scenarios. You let your child lead the conversation by talking about what she sees (ex. Shoes, car, bed). I then point out the words she doesn't know and before I know it I have just improved her vocabulary. Just today she learned the words clock and bus. So, I really like the set it kind of provides good bonding time, too. But, you could easily do this with any book or with any experience (ex. grocery shopping, the library, etc.).
4. Reading- Last, but not least, I read to Eleanor every night before bed. I have been doing this since she was born. She is starting to resist it now, so I try not to force it. Sometimes I will continue reading while she does her own thing or I will just put her to bed without a book. Funny thing is, she loves looking at books on her own. She will literally study illustrations and words for a couple of minutes at a time (which is a long time for a toddler).  

Well, these ideas may be nothing new, but things are generally easier said than done. What I am trying to do is say, hey, instead of watching another Elmo's World here are some options. The great thing is is that they can be done every day whenever it is convenient. I have homework awaiting, so my schedule is to be continued...

Hello Bloggers!

Hi, my name is Jenn and I live in Utah. I have a 2 year old daughter. I began contemplating homeschooling before I ever had children. I currently teach in a highly-structure preschool and I realize that this is not the way I want my child to be educated. I have decided that if I am going to be confident in homeschooling I may as well start now. I have noticed that many homeschooling resources are extremely Christian-based. My husband and I are atheist. I am hoping this blog will become a good resource for non-religious homeschooling.