In this video (day three of my Back to Homeschool Week), I’m sharing what I’m actually focusing on teaching my preschooler this year—because preschool is “pre-school” for a reason. After doing a bunch of research (and reading Parenting Without Borders), it really hit me that pushing super formal academics at ages 2–4 isn’t the most valuable thing. I’m not a professional and I’m not telling you what you “have” to do, but I am sharing what I believe matters most at this age: building the foundation so our kids can thrive later. Instead of stressing over ABCs and counting, I’m focusing on 10 core areas: manners, hygiene/care of self, practical life skills, creativity, nature, coping with emotions, problem solving, fine and gross motor skills, good character, and narration (Charlotte Mason-style—my son narrates, and I write it down). I also share how I still sprinkle in “academics” in a reasonable way through play: science through nature, phonemic awareness through lots of reading, and early math through patterns, one-to-one correspondence, and casual counting during everyday life. My goal is simple: keep it fun, cultivate a love of learning, and use all those mundane moments as teachable moments.