My sister’s neighbor
Last night at my sister’s cookie exchange, her neighbor invited Noah to come over for her homeschool preschool. It’s not anything hugely formal but C (the neighbor) is a wealth of developmentally appropriate ideas and art projects. Her daughter wasn’t happy at preschool so C. brought her home along with two of her friends for “preschool” at home. She’s invited Noah to be a part of it.
Noah really likes visiting her house and not just because they have cable. C is a wonderful, wonderful, loving, respectful mother. She’s one of those people who are really gifted with children and she “gets” my sometimes prickly son. Her parental creativity astonishes me and I value her input. She used to be a teacher and we’re trying to figure out if she can be my homeschool supervisor even though she hasn’t kept up with her certification. The one drawback, I think, of homeschooling is that it’s hard to gain perspective on your kids but I really trust C’s knowledge and her instincts and I think that her presence in Noah’s life will benefit both him and me.
I’ve learned a lot from watching C parent. She’s so good about loving her children exactly where they’re at and also at encouraging them in everything they do. Her house is always a hubbub of welcoming activity and if she has an art project on the table, there always seems to be enough supplies for every kid in the neighborhood to have a shot at it.
I wish I could let you peek at the way she does things. Any activity is open to the kids’ suggestions and she’s happy to give them lots of room to experiment. But it’s more than that, it’s her language, too. She communicates so respectfully and excitedly; her enthusiasm is genuine. She encourages children to stretch without ever making them feel pushed. That’s a terrific gift.
I am fortunate to have a mom friend who sounds a lot like this woman. She has TRIPLETS, and she used to be a preschool teacher, and she just has this fabulous house that is filled with all sorts of cool developmental toys and art supplies.
She also started up a co-op, so I’m double blessed to be able to participate in that. Yay!