It sounds like you could be poised to go a little overboard. Doing stimulating intellecutual learning stuff is great, don't get me wrong, but it is REALLY easy to get carried away. It can turn into overkill and be actually damaging unless you really just take it easy. Our kids were in a very good daycare from 6 weeks until kindergarden. Either 3 days a week full day or 5 days a week 1/2 day. This is because we are both career executives in the family business. The day care was montessori and they actually are also a private elementary school on site too. Not a park'em and forget'em home daycare setup. I am so thankful for how they were set up and how well they taught and helped socialize our kids. It was a perfect compement to all the attention and caring we give at home every day. We read to our kids, keep them busy with interesting toys and activities, etc. etc. etc. Having the school there helped take the pressure off in case we forgot to teach them to count or eat with a fork at the right time (only half a joke). Don't be too dissapointed if a few of your high aspiring theories go quickly by the wayside when you are knee deep in diapers and bodily fluids, the house is a wreck, and you haven't had a full night's sleep in a month. The most important thing is to be there and to love your child and pay attention to them. Believe it or not, most of their intellect will come of it's own accord, despite a lot of what you do or don't do. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you can have any huge effect pre-10yrs. devil's advocate, but no one has ever proven that high school or life is any better or worse because you torture the kid with flash cards for 8 hours a day at age 3 (half a joke).
Seriously, there is a lot of research that links early childhood learning and learning skills and iQ with the kid getting enough sleep.
|