Sophie,
I'm praying for you right now as you think through what to do with your oldest. It sure can be difficult to decide sometimes.
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
Just wanted you to know that I'm another mom who has been exactly where you are.
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
My oldest has always had everything come very easily to him and was a super early talker. He was in paragraphs by 1 year old, and the Parents As Teachers man who came to visit us brought along his testing stuff when Grant was not even 18 mo old and he was already well past what they expect from a 5 year old in all the language/thinking skills categories. He learned to read quickly, and loved to read to me. He learned to write and it was neat, too.
And while I really understand that curiosity and love for learning that's there in your 4 yo (because I saw it in mine), I think the caution is that we moms can easily snuff that out by pushing our 1st borns at that age, and then they're discouraged when they're 8. And, I think that's what Tamara was saying, too. Her little girl couldn't get enough at 4 either...and it wasn't until
several years later that she didn't love the challenge anymore and they had difficulty. We just don't want to see that happen to you in 4 years.
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I think it's pretty normal for our 1st borns to be much more advanced academically as they get so much more one-on-one time with us through those toddler years. I know that for me personally, even in public school where I attended, they did special testing and told my parents that they could move me to 2nd grade as a new K'er. I'm glad they didn't.
For our family, Grant ended up going to K and 1st at a small Christian school in town. Many blessings for our homeschooling journey have come out of those years, but one of them definitely is that it prevented me from pushing him at that time. School is so much more enjoyable for him now because of that.
Now, all of us moms know that God has given YOU the job of parenting your son.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
We know that it's for you (with His help) to decide what's best for your family. We'd all love to support you on your journey what ever you decide.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
But, like the other ladies here, I can see how someone pointing these very things out would have helped me so much as I couldn't envision what was down the road at that time. (Now, I have no idea if I would have listened.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
) But when we're asking God for wisdom, I know that he has provided that for me through other like-minded moms who are following Him and are down the road a ways ahead of me. And, I am so thankful for that!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I know that He will give you wisdom when you ask as you ponder this next year in your family's life.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Kathleen