A new school year is upon us, and parents of toddlers and young children everywhere are visiting preschools, making decisions on where to attend, and putting their names on the best waiting lists.
Except me.
Don’t get me wrong. I think preschool offers lots of great benefits and I fully support those who make the decision to send their children. And while I do understand that some parents’ desire to place their child in preschool is due to work, there are just as many parents who stay home and also make plans to enroll their little ones in preschool.
Just not me.
As a stay-at-home mom, my husband and I decided NOT to send our daughter to preschool. Here are five reasons why….
It’s Not Necessary (or an indicator of future success)
I have a son who is more than 10 years older than his toddler sister. When Jack was her age, it wasn’t as common to send your child to preschool. Today you are more likely to be asked where your child goes to preschool than if your child goes to preschool. Although preschool can provide great benefits for your child, it’s not detrimental to their success in the future. Just because your little one doesn’t start school at age 2 doesn’t mean they are destined for less success than their early education counterparts.
I Can Teach My Child the Basics
I can teach my child what she needs to know before entering kindergarten, and so can you! You can purchase flashcards, or penmanship paper to create your own flashcards, from the Dollar Tree. My 14-month-old and I currently go over ABC flashcards several times a week. Even with infants you can start by singing the ABC song at least once a day, and they’ll be singing along in no time! Index cards are also fairly inexpensive. You can write colors of objects on them from around your house. If your table is brown you can tape an index card to the table that reads “Brown” with a brown colored marker.
My Child Has Lots of Social Interaction with Other Children
My daughter and I are members of two very active local play groups. We spend a lot of time interacting with others. I do understand that some children need the social interaction of preschool, but my child gets tons of time with kids her age (as well as younger and older). If you’re lonely and want some Momma friends check out the Columbia SC Moms Blog Play Groups! We offer activities for moms and kids, as well as a chance to connect with those close to you throughout Columbia and the surrounding areas in the Midlands.
It Can Be Expensive
The average rate for preschool is $148 a month for two days a week and $245 a month for 4 days a week — which can really add up! Even $148 a month can be a huge chunk out of your budget, and that’s just for two days a week! I can get a membership to our local zoo for less than $100 for an entire year where we can learn about animals through exploration together or take advantage of some of the group learning opportunities, story times and activities offered for preschool children.
Time is Short
Trust me, I look at my older son and wonder where the time went. You only have a few short years to spend with your baby before people from the outside world start molding her into what they think she should be. I want our time together to be spent learning through play and spending time with Mama. Before you know it she’ll be choosing friends over one-on-one time with me. These early years of life are fleeting and extremely precious, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to spend them with my daughter.
We aren’t sending our 4yo to preschool for the exact same reasons! Thanks for this perspective. Now I don’t feel so odd when people ask me where…I just say we don’t. 😉
Us too! I want to savor and spend as much time with my son before he goes off to school. Teaching him and watching him learn and grow has been such a joy.
You’re last reason makes sense and the others dumb down my profession. Please never use flash cards. There are so many more developmentally appropriate ways teach engage your child in learning (especially at that age!)!
Our intent was not to dumb down your profession, but rather provide a different viewpoint and tactics used from a mother who decided not to send her child to preschool. We definitely agree that preschool can provide great benefits, just as there are benefits to deciding not to send your child to preschool. We would love to hear some of your suggestions as well on different ideas for engaging preschool learning from home if you’re willing to share.
Preschool is just an awful part of an ideological push to institutionalise children at increasingly younger ages. Sadly, most parents these days have been utterly brainwashed into the whole idea and are giving the most precious years of their children’s lives to complete biological strangers. It’s insane! Save your money and allow your child to stay at home where they are safe, loved and secure. No stranger has your child’s best interests at heart.