Do you feel the pressure to put your kids in preschool? I feel it. People are usually surprised when they ask, "which preschool is she in?" and I tell them "she isn't in preschool." The truth is, they don't need it, so we are skipping preschool.
I think everyone sends their kids to preschool for different reasons but there are some common themes.
1. I want my child to get social interaction and learn how to interact with others.
2. I want a break during the day.
3. I want my child to be ready for kindergarten when the day comes.
These are all great reasons. I can relate to all of them. The issue for me is, preschool isn't the only way to achieve these things. Though, it may take a bit more work to accomplish them. And, let's be honest, it is the best way to achieve number 2 unless you get a nanny. But, sending your child to preschool is way more socially acceptable than getting a nanny when you aren't working. But I digress.
Here are the reasons we are skipping preschool.
1. We get lots of social interaction. We have built in social interaction plus we see their friends frequently and they attend church and a class during my mom's group. Plus dance class. That's a lot.
2. I enjoy teaching my children. Teaching them the basics is fun. I loved teaching Naomi to read (OK, I didn't always love it, but I love that she can read). I love reading about different learning theories and I love watching their minds tick. I love teaching a new concept or watching the lightbulb turn on when they figure out a math problem. I get excited when they say, let's do a lesson! I love watching them try to teach Maggie these same things. I really should record that.
3. I like having them around. I like them being together rather than split up in different classes at preschool. They'll have the rest of their lives to be split apart so we want to enjoy the together time while we can.
4. It is expensive. Really expensive.
That's basically it. Do you "do" preschool? How did you make your decision to put them in preschool or not? Did you feel pressure one way or the other?
