Recently, my husband (computer programmer turned math teacher) announces to my son Michael that this summer he is going to teach him math before he goes to preschool in the fall. That\u2019s fine. Then, he says, \u201cI\u2019ll be teaching you the math in addition to what mommy has been teaching you.\u201d Then, he turns to me and asks, \u201cSo, what are you teaching him?\u201d <\/p>\n
After my initial \u201cExcuse me?!\u201d mental reaction, I\u2019ve been thinking about that question over the last week. What am I teaching my oldest son? These are the top four things that I came up with:<\/p>\n
1. I\u2019m teaching him to have his own faith. (For example: Last night, my husband asked Michael what was love. He promptly replied, \u201cGod\u201d. He\u2019s getting it!)<\/p>\n
2. I\u2019m teaching him to treat people the way that he wants to be treated. (That\u2019s not easy with four year olds, but I see consistent progress.)<\/p>\n
3. I\u2019m teaching him to have integrity. (In my opinion that quality is so lacking in today\u2019s society. From an early age, Michael has been encouraged to be honest and to do what he says. Yes, even kids should be expected to keep their word!)<\/p>\n
If you read this blog regularly, you\u2019ll know that I\u2019m not a \u201cflashcard\u201d type mom. I much prefer that my son learns from experiences and in fun ways. So, I think that the last main thing that I\u2019m teaching him is to be open to a variety of people and experiences. I do this by exposing him to an assortment of people and events \u2013 art, music, theatre, etc. Also, he was practically raised at the library \u2013 hence, his love for books. I\u2019m teaching him plenty!<\/p>\n
(Just to be on the safe side though, I checked the New York State Pre-K Standards site to make sure that he\u2019s on track academic-wise. Although I take \u201cstandards\u201d with a grain of salt, it\u2019s reassuring to see that he\u2019s just fine.)<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"