Hi Brillkidders,

I feel like I know you all personally from aangeles to teachingmytoddlers, daddude to mandaplus (and you guys are just a few of our forumers I've learnt so much from over these past few months!) ... to everyone I'd like to say a GREAT BIG HELLLLLOOOOOO  It's soooo good to be sharing rather than sculking hard core on the forum You know how it is, I purchased my first brill kids products at the start of March this year and boy have we become early learning converts over those months. Been through the whole doubtful husband who gets converted when he sees results stage. Been through busting budgets because our home is now heaving with EL products, dvds, books. But the new stage we're at in our home is making the decision that I should give up my job as a secondary school teacher to raise our son (going to be 2 yrs old in October/next month).

I am really excited about this and knew I would find some appreciative souls to celebrate this decision here    My husband was a full time stay at home dad through out last year and so he has been responsible for delivering DS early learning programme. My job was to prepare and provide a variety of materials that made it easy and fun to do so. Although I sometimes found it frustrating that DH wouldn't read any of the EL books we had, I was content to discuss the highlights of the techniques I learnt, as CONCISELY as possible before he totally lost interest in the conversation 

Anyway, the result is that our son knows all his letter sounds and names (Leapfrog style A says Ah), is starting to put letters together on a magnetic board/fridge (we are doing blending with Montesorri House DVDs and ReadingBear), and can read a fair few words from LR, YBCR (we're on volume 2) and colour flash cards. He can count from 1-10 in English and French and identifies body parts in french (my DH speaks french), I think he gets the idea number value but not precisely. He absolutely LOVES LMs and music and sings doremi and hums the notes but does not yet have nor demonstrate exact chord recognition. And all of this progress was within 7 months and a fairly inconsistent delivery of EL by my DH! Our DH really enjoys it though, which makes me proud as people who haven't tried this generally do believe it involves hothousing children 

Anyway, I am looking forward to taking DS EL to the next level with a more consistent and structured approach, and I am hoping to see more results especially in terms of his love of books - he loves em, but we probably only read a parental combination of 3/4 stories a day maximum. I'd like to have more story time built in throughout the day ala Daddude  I think I can achieve this by giving him two lots of physical/outdoor play time in the morning and afternoon so he use up all that energy that makes him not want to sit down for a story. I'd also like to see more progress with his music (thanks TmT for some great ideas on how to extend LMs lessons) and french.

Anyway that's enough about me and our goals! I am looking forward to posting some videos and progress updates in the future.

YEYYYYYYYY for taking the brave step to be a full time professional mom!!!!!!

I think the message in this image is very appropriate to the circumstances.

Effectively, the education establishment has not really thought through their entire paradigm, and it lacks and does not account for observed phenomena. In science, their hypothesis' and theories would be rejected outright.

They stopped thinking about it after Piaget. Our whole education system (UK/US) is based on the idea that there are fixed biological stages of development. Whereas educational theorists like Montessori and Vygotsky (with his Zone of Proximal Development theory) believe that with independence / support children can move quickly from their current level of ability to a higher one. How? By keeping work sensibly challenging, and giving the necessary scaffolds for the child to meet that challenge. You should check out Tools of the Mind (good elaboration on Vygotsky's theories, click the link for an article about the book http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27tools-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1) and How Children Learn: From Montessori to Vygotsky - Educational Theories and Approaches Made Easy, for more on the ideologies that influence popular attitudes towards early learning.

Hi Tombliboo,

Just wanted to reassure you as another parent who enjoys a full Sears approach to attachment parenting (co-sleeping, breastfeeding, baby wearing, he's never been in childcare - exclusively looked after by dad and myself etc.) that, as a few have already mentioned, this is most likely developmental rather than a negative effect from attachment parenting. My son is 18months and I could never get him to sit in one place, he goes out to make friends! He approaches strangers anywhere with a winning smile, flirts with pretty women, loves kids and has always been this way. But he is just happier and more relaxed when his dad and I are there with him (he likes to check in with everyone at regular intervals). It was only one or two months ago that he would happily stay with his grandma without us for several hours. Around the same time he seemed to get used to me going to work and would actually hug me goodbye! (His dad works from home).

That your daughter's preference is to be with her most beloved grown up, does not mean she won't seek and enjoy the difference of the company of others in her own time. I would suggest that unless you have a pressing reason to be worried about this - needing to return to work or needing regular non-baby time - do not worry yourself. Let her cry with grandma for a day if that's all you need. If you need to leave her with a care giver for regular periods, I would suggest you all spending a lot of time together first (we were staying over at grandma's for a few weeks during which they were regularly left to each other).

Good luck and enjoy the flexibility and positive full immersion of attachment parenting!