Heart of Dakota Life
Don’t overthink it! Just dive into Little Hands to Heaven!
I started Little Hands to Heaven (LHTH) when my boys were 3 1/2 years old. I homeschooled 4 days a week, and this worked so well, I planned on doing the same with my youngest son, Emmett. However, the dynamics had changed in our homeschooling. Though only 2 1/2, little Emmett was well aware I was homeschooling his two older brothers. They each had me to themselves and were having such fun. No surprise Emmett wanted that too! Oh, it wasn’t like I forgot Emmett! (Who can EVER forget a 2-year-old?!?) I had lists of ideas! Read his Bible. Do a puzzle. Color something. Throw a ball. Sing the alphabet. However, the end of the day came, and somehow I’d failed to do ANY of those things. I felt so guilty! Over 10 years ago, I realized I needed to stop overthinking it and just dive into LHTH!
My “Dive-In” Moment with LHTH Over 10 Years Ago
From a post I wrote on October 5, 2009: I was overseeing the semi-independent parts of Beyond and CTC today, and my little one was hopping all over wanting my attention. He was doing his “patty-cake” and “head and shoulders” rhymes (getting about every other word right), and I thought, “What am I waiting for? He’s dying to do LHTH. Why not dive in and do it?
A Happy “Dive-In” Day with My Little Emmett
So, I pulled LHTH out and did half of Day 1. He LOVED it! Before I knew it, he was strutting around shouting, “A, A, Adam” and doing all of the animals from the fingerplay, having a great time. He kept shouting, “Emmie do more school, mom!!!!” It was just too cute. I was going to start when he was 3 1/2, but I don’t think either of us can wait that long. Why oh why have I been overthinking this? I just needed to dive in and begin!
A Half-Speed Plan to Try
I think I’ll go half-speed. I have both Bibles, so I think I’ll read from the easier Bible first, do the Fingerplay, the letter activity, and the Bible activity the first day (that’s what we did today). Then the second day, I’ll read from the harder Bible, repeat the Fingerplay and review the letter flashcard, and then do the remaining boxes (music and rotating box) I haven’t done yet. I can tell this is going to fill a need I’m having right now. I’ll still have him do the Lakeshore boxes and Kumon books for fun the other mommy time I have planned, but I can see he’s going to flourish with LHTH. It was just such a great day – I had to share it with you all!
In Closing
I know lots of you are moms of many. You might be feeling the same way I as feeling 10 years ago. If so, I just want to encourage you, dive in! Give LHTH a try, even if it’s just half-speed. Don’t overthink it! Just begin. LHTH is easy to add to your day. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say adding LHTH for your little one(s) makes your day easier. Little ones demand attention, and we know they deserve it. However, we are pulled many ways as moms of multiple children. Simply doing LHTH with little ones helps them be happier, helps us feel better as moms, and teaches them some important skills along the way. If you are on the fence, dive in! Your little ones will thank you.
In Christ,
Julie
