Why is this blog here?

My name is Jen. I'm a stay-at-home mom of a 20-month old daughter (born May 2007) who I'll call Nugget. In my former life, I was a computer geek. My family now lives in small-town Florida, but our parenting philosophies are heavily influenced by the 7 years we spent in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the first 6 months of Nugget's life.

This blog will document my attempts to homeschool my daughter -- as much as one can "school" a toddler. I feel this might be interesting to the world at large because I'm trying to merge two very different teaching philosophies that both appeal to me -- Montessori and Waldorf.

Many buckets of bits have been spilled writing about these two ideas. I'm just going to summarize what my take-home points are -- what appeals to me about them. From Waldorf, I love the freedom to imagine and live in worlds of a child's own creation. I want to embrace the emphasis on pretend and using simple toys that can act in many different parts. From Montessori, I love the child-led learning and the focus on working independently and doing practical life activities. I hope Nugget can gain the focus that it can grant, the inner drive.

At the two extremes of these philosophies, they can't be integrated. But I'm hoping that by taking a little of this, a little of that, I can merge the two in our house.

Another thread that will run though this blog in an emphasis on making our own materials. As a one-income family, I can't fill my home with store-bought Montessori work materials or Waldorf dolls. But I have a few hours in the evening and a drive to be productive. I'm hoping to be able to craft my way through, augmented by a few carefully chosen and price-checked purchases.

My ultimate goal is to raise a self-driven, independent girl who has a boundless imagination. Why aim low, huh?