The Sunday Parenting Party

<center> <a href="http://www.tamingthegoblin.com/search/label/The%20Sunday%20Parenting%20Party"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/FJIJWl.jpg"/></a></center> Its time for the Sunday Parenting Party. Please link up any and all parenting posts (old and new, fab or crappy - even if you think they are crappy someone else might find just what they are looking for), we love tips and tricks, anecdotes of good days and bad, birth stories and tales of triumph over tantrums. Please don't link Kids activities and crafts, these can be linked to the Kids Co-op. Thanks This week I am linking: *******

I should really title my posts about parenting "what I am worrying about this week". And this week I'm worrying about education. Every so often I panic that I am not teaching Goblin enough. He turns three this month and although a huge part of me feels he is too young for any academic type education, there is a teeny part of me that wonders if I shouldn't be doing more on numbers and letters.  This anxiety is exacerbated by the fact that I only have two days a week on my own with Goblin because I work three days a week. So I try and cram any of the 'educational' stuff into those days. More often than not I fail to do what I planned and end up feeling like I am failing Goblin. This week I had one of those days. I wanted to do some number work using Goblin's new clock jigsaw, and I wanted to read lots of books because this is something I feel I let slip. And I was conscious that we hadn't done any craft activities for a while. But instead we went on a plat date, a 5 hour walk in the woods. 

When we got home Goblin was exhausted and fell asleep for two hours and then all he was fit for was a bit of TV, dinner and bed. So I sat there that evening panicing that I had done NOTHING with him that day.

Then I thought some more about what we had done that day ......

While in the woods Goblin played with his friends - learning important socialisation skills

He pretended that he was driving a train - using his imagination and creativity

He walked across bridges, rocks and logs - practicing balance and gross motor skills He played hide and seek - practicing counting and observation He provided a running commentary the entire day - practicing important verbal skills He dug in the mud and played with sticks - full on sensory experience  And he discovered moss and fungi - educational botany 

When I sat down to think about the fact I hadn't had a chance to read with Goblin (except a book at bed time) or go through numbers with him, I realised that it wasn't important. Goblin learned loads that day. He just did it through play. I guess it was a form of unschooling. I really need to learn to chill out and trust that my child will learn things because he is inquisitive, and I don't need to provide a continuous stream of structured activities for his tiny mind to absorb information.   ***** This week I would like to highlight  22 things I love by The Cutie and the Beauty I can Choose by Little Moments Toilet Training? ... But I like my Cloth Nappies! by Mummy Musings and Mayhem Chill out corner - positive time out by Adventures at home with Mum Music to tame the savage beast by Breaking the Parenting Mold (you guys can grab an "I was featured" badge from my button page if you'd like one) And now to the link up I am sharing this with