“Einstein has never used flashcards.” Haven’t you heard that one before? If you like to introduce your children into the wonderful world of knowledge and skills early, then I am sure you you’ve heard it.

While Einstein never used flashcards, it looks like most of our geniuses had some kind “early learning” experience. Take Mozart: he started composing/playing the piano when he was just two. Well, it sounds like his parents ALLOWED him to play with the piano (and actually encouraged!) at that young age – at the age, when most of the parents actually encourage their kids to stay away from the valuable objects in their home. Mozart’s father was a musician and devoted his life to developing his talent.

Einstein’s father was an engineer: he had his own company manufacturing electrical equipment. Einstein spent his childhood playing around different engineering machines and even built his own ones for fun!

Small kids are always drawn to what their parents do, they want to help, they want to try things by themselves. Usually their help is a nuisance at that age, so they are discouraged – “NO!” “Don’t touch – this is dangerous!” “Don’t touch – this is valuable!” “Play with this toy. It’s safer/better…”

At age five, Einstein’s father showed him how compass works. Sounds like Einstein’s parents were also not so shy about introducing “adult’s valuables” or even “dangerous objects” into their kid’s lives early. Compass is not a flashcard, but you can definitely look at it as early development experience.

In today’s age many kids are closed in some kind of protection device that limits their explorations, and provides relative safety – swings, bouncers, playpens for as long, as their parents can keep them there. While I am all for safety of the kids, I think that this greatly inhibits learning process. Safety – means learning about dangerous or breakable objects and learning how to handle them safely. Under supervision, of course. It is much harder for the parents, honestly – a lot more stressful. Yet I believe – it is necessary part of learning – encouraging kids imaginations, explorations is crucial at all ages.

I show my son variety of presentations on all different topics. At the same time, my three year old is also the best helper around the house I could ever imagine: he cuts vegetables for the soup with the REAL, SHARP knife, he is helping me to sort the laundry, he is helping me around the baby, vacuum cleaning the house, loading/unloading the dishwasher, hammering the real nails as my husband builds something. I take every precaution possible – I am there with him at all times. Otherwise, I let him learn how to use dangerous objects – I find this safer, then hiding them.

Moreover, I think it is important to introduce new concepts, images, ideas. Why constantly look at Disney princesses or multicolored trains with little eyes in front? I love Disney, my son really enjoys his Thomas train, we read plenty of child’s books (we actually spend probably at least 2-3 hours a day) but I still think that looking at works of Leonardo da Vinci or Picasso – opens more horizons to him.

As for flash cards – we were always playing with them: we “climb” the really tall buildings in architectural presentations, we “dig” with ants or “gather honey” with bees when we watch insect presentations, we “take photographs of the planets of the solar system” as we are running around our development… it’s all about fun.

I do believe that learning can be and should be FUN. Lots of fun. But as long as this ia a good flashcard, it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.