If I had it to do over again....

Just yesterday Princess & I were going over the SAT words at the back of the Baron's SAT prep book.  She takes her first SAT exam in two weeks.  WOW....two weeks!  Why do I feel like the whole school experience hinges upon this one culminating event?  In a sense it does, but in reality I know it really doesn't.  So as I am watching her separate the vocabulary cards into piles of words she knows and words she doesn't know, I panic.  I began to reflect on the fact that I haven't done all the preparation that I'd wanted to do.  If I could start over how would I do it?

I had kids in my early 20s.  I was still coming to grip with who I was as an adult, newly married woman, and mother.  I was growing in my relationship with Christ and there was a lot going on.  I wasn't totally comfortable in my role as a stay at home mom.  For as long as I could remember my life as a wife and mother wasn't going to begin until age 30.  Until then, I was supposed to be building a career.  God had other plans.

If I had the insight back then that I have now, I would have enjoyed that season of my life a lot more.  In my mind I would have:

Preschool Years

• spent time with other moms with preschool children so our children could play & learn together

• had lots of learning toys at home

• turned the TV off

• went to library reading times every week and participated in all the free library activities for preschoolers

• spent lots of time doing outside activities (farms, playgrounds, childrens' museums etc.)

• I would've probably still participated in a 3x/week half-day preschool for the structure

Elementary Years

• homeschooled using ABEKA language arts, math, & bible

• Lots of reading and written/verbal narration

• field trips every week

• co-op for enrichment

• nature study & fun experiments

• music classes

• foreign language (Spanish) & Latin (maybe CC Foundations / Essentials)

• Soccer, Track, or Volleyball clubs 

Middle School

• formal grammar study to include diagramming using Abeka or Rod&Staff (I see a direct correlation with preparation for SAT)

• Literature study (using Socratic method & Unit studies) 

• Composition Skills (narrations, outlining, essays)

• Math

• Formal science study (emphasis on research skills, lab work, and the scientific method)

• field trips relevant to course work

• co op for enrichment

• music classes

• foreign language (Spanish) & Latin (maybe CC Challenge A & B)

• Soccer, Track, or Volleyball clubs

High School

formal 4 year course of study (Language Arts, Math, Science, Foreign Language, History)
Public Speaking/Communication, Economics/Financial Courses
take advantage of online courses, academic co-ops, dual enrollment
Lots of community service & community based programs (Art Museums, STEM courses, etc.)
Special Interests
Physical Education & Health

Graduation & College Prep!

Hindsight is 20/20.  We do the best we can with the information we have at the time.  I am grateful for doing a lot of things right but secretly I wish I had started from the very beginning. 
Since I'm near the end of my journey perhaps I'll work with my kids in educating my grandkids :)