My response to Bonnie:

When it comes to "homeschooling" very little ones, my recommendation is to teach them what we should teach any sweet little children at home. That is, love him and teach him, by both word and example, and by the simple, every-day enjoyable things in life:

-Teach him his basic prayers by praying with him at home. You needn't make him kneel down next to you, but you could start by taking him on your lap or having him sit next to you as you pray aloud some of the shorter prayers, like the Morning Offering or the Guardian Angel Prayer and the St. Michael Prayer. Do this every day, and again before bedtime, and he will learn his prayers.

-At the same time, teach him how to make a reverent, "large" Sign of the Cross (this usually takes quite some time - as in months or years - because most children tend to make it backward! So be patient and gently correct him each time). Never make or allow him to make a hasty, small, "frightened" Sign of the Cross, but teach him to make it expansively, and without showing off.

What do I mean by "expansively"? I mean a Sign of the Cross that is made slowly and carefully, not one done quickly and "shortened up" inside the head, shoulders and chest as though we are embarrassed someone might "catch" us. The Sign of the Cross is the Sign of Our Faith, and we should make that Sign with charity and fortitude, and teach our children to do the same.

-Take him to Mass with you and teach him how to behave at Mass. This includes genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament and telling him why - because Jesus lives there. At the Consecration, have him kneel next to you and whisper to him, "Jesus is here. See? (Point out the elevated Host) Now we can tell him we love Him." Don't worry about confusing him that Jesus is in the Tabernacle and again present at the Consecration. That is something he may not ask about for years, but he certainly isn't going to ask when he's two.

If at all possible, do *not* use the cry room but sit near the middle or back of the church. The cry room is for infants who literally can't be taught how to behave. Praise your little one for his good behavior, but never tolerate misbehavior (like speaking loudly in church, running, sliding off the pews, kicking the pews, lying down on the pews to play, eating, etc.). It helps to explain in ways he can understand, like "Now when we go into the church, we must always talk like this" (and lower your voice to a whisper, and ask him to try it!).

Try to avoid bringing toys or food to church. (Toddlers who need a drink are another story, so bring a "sippy" and only use it if absolutely necessary.) You could bring a small children's Bible "booklet" or a felt book for him to quietly look at (nothing heavy that he can easily drop), but these are not play things and should not be treated as such. Plastic rosaries are not really a good idea, either - they are too easily mishandled because small children tend to put them around their necks (a safety hazard) or swing them in the air.

There are many ways parents can gently teach children how to behave in church, but it is always a "work-in-progress. " In short, don't expect miracles. Teaching children how to behave and, later, what to pray and do at Mass starts when they are toddlers who can stand alone. By the time they are ten years of age (sometimes sooner), they no longer need any reminders about their personal behavior, about genuflecting, about what to pray during the Consecration, or to make their thanksgiving after Mass. (However, sometimes those ten years do seem like forever!)

-Teach him obedience and courtesy (every-day manners), which are the absolute foundation for a pleasant childhood, for both you and him.

-Read to him (if he'll tolerate it at this age), or point out colorful pictures in a little child's catechism or a nice story, and talk to him about the story in your own words.

-Color with him (which is an easy pleasant way to teach him his colors). Give him blank paper, a small package of coloring crayons, easy coloring books and let him have fun! After some time, ask him "What color is that sun you just made? Is that a red sun? Wow, is that nice - it looks just like a big, red bouncing ball!" This can later progress to: "Did you ever make a green sun? You didn't? Well, let's see what a green sun would look like - let's see, which crayon is the green one?" Help him find the green crayon, point out the color again, and play around with "green" that day - make green grass, a green person, a green dog...and he'll learn the color "green." The next day, ask him, "Now where did that green crayon go?" and have him find it.

(Btw, I always gave my small children the regular-sized crayons, not the super-large ones. It never made sense to me that such short, little fingers could easily wield a huge, bulky crayon. The only thing that can be said for those big ones is that they are virtually unbreakable. )

-Go for outside walks whenever and wherever you can, and enjoy watching your son enjoy them! You can have some nice, little conversations, too, about all the things he sees. He may also want to come home with some souvenirs, like colorful leaves, acorns, or pinecones. (Always be sure to check for bugs and spiders hiding in pinecones!)

-Sing to him or sing with him! Let him listen to all kinds of pleasant music - the kind you enjoy, classical music, and "children's songs" available for purchase, too.

-Let him play! Allow him to choose what he wants to do (within reason, of course). Don't feel you have to entertain him most of the time. Let him learn how to keep himself happily occupied with good things. For children of this age, playing IS learning.

Speaking of avoiding the "entertain me" mentality...

-Limit or completely cut off family access to the television, if you have one. Television too easily snares and captures both children and adults, who just as easily become its willing victims. Too many television shows and commercials are immoral, seductive and occasions of sin to excuse its use. You might have a family member (perhaps your spouse) who finds an excuse as to why you "can't get rid of it," but that's all they have - an excuse, not a good reason. Favorite shows or sports are mere excuses and not worth the immorality to which children will be exposed the rest of the time.

If you can only reach a compromise, aim for one in which the television is "off" most of the week, only used for pre-taped family shows (in other words, DVD's), and perhaps only on Saturday night IF everything else is done - prayers, work, and baths!

Television is the reason families don't spend real time together, and it is probably the major contributing reason as to why we, as a culture, are "trained" to expect constant entertainment and noise in our ears. (Ever notice how almost every place we go, including stores and hospitals, have canned music or a television endlessly droning in the background?) Let your son enjoy silence...because it's the place where God speaks to us most often, and the place where we can hear Him most clearly.

These are just a few things you can teach and do with your son, some of them on a daily and some of them on weekly basis. However, none of these things (except the Mass or the prayers) need be done "formally," because as a Catholic, "pre-school education" is an attitude you wish to avoid. This precious time, when your son is small, is a fleeting one and you will find yourself wishing for these days again before too long.

God bless you and yours always!

Marianna Bartold, Author & KIC Forum Moderator
The Keeping It Catholic Home Education Guides
We're "Keeping It Catholic" on the Net at http://www.keepingitcatholic. org