I was babysitting a two year old a few days ago and he pointed at the clock and named all twelve numbers. My three year old can't do that, he can probably do 1-9 but I really haven't worked with him on it all that much. Perhaps my jealous mommy side should have kicked in and I should be drilling him on numbers 1-20 in English and Spanish on a daily basis, but rather I started to wonder if we push our kids too hard sometimes. I never had preschool yet still managed to get a doctorate but there are families that think their kids will never succeed if they don't get into the 'right' preschool. I almost ended up in a class for those with learning challenges, not because I had a learning disability, but because I thought the things we were doing in class were rather inane and decided I didn't want to participate (this was in first grade); my teacher thought my lack of cooperation was because I couldn't rather than I wouldn't, thankfully my mother intervened on my behalf. We have a wrestling program in our tiny town open to four year olds!
I am okay with my kid learning about birds and flowers and sunshine before ever he memorizes the multiplication tables. He's a bright little boy and picks up things quickly, and he has years to learn his letters, I'd rather he got to be a kid for a little while before I place the weight of the whole world on his tiny shoulders, and no, electronic devices have very little part in his life right now. His imagination and a few sturdy, simple toys are more than enough to divert him for hours on end. Childhood is short enough these days, and most of us spend our entire lives looking back longingly thereon, my dearest hope is that he is not one of them.
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