Author: Jenny Irvine

WEE Review : Are Parents Really Necessary?

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I just finished reading another WEE Book; Are Parents Really Necessary? A Guide to Preschool Education. I was so excited when I found this WEE Book in The Old Schoolhouse store. It was as if it were written for me!

Some of you that know me personally know that homeschooling has always been a longtime standing interest of mine. I have read about it (long before I had children), researched it extensively, and prayed about it daily. Is homeschooling indeed the right choice for my family?



This little WEE book is packed and I do mean “packed” with research, statistics, and valuable information on the importance of parents in a child’s life! Especially when related to his or her education. Having one child that is of preschool age and another that will soon be trailing quickly behind I know first hand how quickly these years fly by. As any parent wants for his or her child a good education is not asking for much. That being said does the NEA (National Education Association) really have our children’s best interest at heart? Or are there underlying motives (i.e. financial gain?) Why do we send our children to school when they are barely out of diapers? Are our children indeed benefiting from this push for earlier education and longer days (i.e. full day kindergartens)? Explore these and many other “aha moments” while reading Are Parents Really Necessary? A Guide to Preschool Education.



So if you are like me and still not 100 percent certain that homeschooling is for you your families, preschool can be a great time to give it a “try”! “WEE” invite you to join us on our journey.

Organized Labeling

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I have been busy trying to get organized with Spring well upon us and more time spent outside I feel like the inside of my house is going to take a beating this Summer!! The more prep work I can get done between now and then the better. We do not have a big home by any means and the closets are incredibly tiny (they need to serve many purposes) I have changed the function of our 2 linen closets probably about 20x’s since we have lived here (5 almost 6 years). I figured
I would share with you my latest closet organization mission….labels!! I have bins for most everything (adult meds, kids meds, make-up, etc.) this by far has been the best organization system I have had so far. Although things are quite crammed in there anyone who comes over can visibly see where they can quickly grab a band-aid!

Below is my other linen closest now converted into “school” closet. We do not have a “school” room in our house (let alone anywhere to store all of the stuff). I literally have “school” scattered about and pray someday I will have one place for it all. However, for now this will have to work!

So if you have a black hole in your house that is just messy and serving no purpose; or maybe you have a space in your home in need of change I challenge you to think outside of the box! The funniest part of all of this is both of these closets used to be full of linens: who seriously needs that many towels?

Sisterhood

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We all have them “Friends” I sat in my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group yesterday learning about “How to Make a Marriage Last”! It was a great talk from one of my favorite guest speakers. If you are not familiar with MOPS I can’t say enough great things about it check to see if there is a group near you!! I have loved all of my MOPS mornings (2x’s a mo for 3 years now!!)

Now, that being said our guest speaker brought up how our husbands minds are wired differently from ours. We all know men and women really do think differently and come on ladies lets face it your man does not like to talk nearly as much as you do! That’s why we have friends. I got to thinking about all of my friends near, far, old, new, and those I long to meet in the future. Our life is full of different “seasons”! “Seasons” of change! Relationships change as God leads us on our journey of life. There are the childhood friends (you just couldn’t live without), college/party friends, the parenting friends, and now thanks to the internet online friends.

In all my many “seasons” of life thus far the one friendship that has remained virtually the same is that of my younger sister. We are each others rock through thick and thin. We have survived childhood, the unpredictable years of adolescence, high school, crazy college years, marriage, and we are now in the “season” of childbearing/early childhood years. As we anxiously await the new arrival of my newest niece or nephew to our family. I tell you this not to share a great story of how wonderful my sister is; and how blessed I am to have her in my life, but to encourage you as mothers of young children to foster those sibling relationship with your little ones. Encourage your little ones to have lasting, loving relationships with their sister and/or brother. It was the best gift my parents could have ever given us!!

Now, that I am in the “season” of raising children I pray for Gods strength to help me guide my little ones through their friendship journey together. I have thought many times as I watch my sweet little girls interacting together; the loud giggles, playing together, hair pulling, and lots of hugs, this is a process of their childhood. At times when squabbles may occur ask for strength and when all is quiet sit back rest assured that when you have passed on your children will have a “rock” an everlasting “friendship” to cling onto!