tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1362320174903447124.post735974189737450006..comments2024-02-21T06:29:38.765-08:00Comments on A Mommy Is Made: To Preschool Or Not To PreschoolDominique Pastre Rohrbeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12782936122634758455noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1362320174903447124.post-46033026687953213032011-10-25T12:14:19.507-07:002011-10-25T12:14:19.507-07:00Amen, Krissy. And Renee, Thanks for the advice!Amen, Krissy. And Renee, Thanks for the advice!Dominique Rohrbecknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1362320174903447124.post-44493462041517873102011-10-23T12:49:24.433-07:002011-10-23T12:49:24.433-07:00So funny your wrote this. As you know..my "f...So funny your wrote this. As you know..my "first batch" ..as I like to call them, were all 18 months apart. Preschool was probably the #1 event that caused UNNECESSARY stress. Don't do it...not until 3 1/2 or 4. Totally not needed. Glorified, EXPENSIVE babysitting. You'll wind up with a car full of glitter and "projects" that have some unknown glue used on them that never dries. Then there are the contagious toddlers with strange diseases you would not even have heard about unless they were at "school.".. Followed by hours at the computer googling the signs and symptoms of these diseases. Don't forget the big bill to pay. Mackenzie will learn all she needs to know from YOU right now. Enjoy this time. Teach her numbers and letters, sing as you clean..we know you like to clean...as do I! Play music in the car. Have "snack time" and teach her how to put her toys away. THAT's IT. My little man is now 3..still keeping him with me for now. Plenty of time for routines, schedules, rushing around and glitter in your car! Your the best preschool teacher Mackenzie will ever have. Most of all, come April you will be SO HAPPY you do not HAVE to go anywhere!Reneenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1362320174903447124.post-22836596443051068482011-10-22T18:53:31.147-07:002011-10-22T18:53:31.147-07:00I was stopped in my neighborhood last spring by a ...I was stopped in my neighborhood last spring by a mom asking, "So where are the boys going to school in the fall?" I hope she couldn't read my mind because even though I responded with a cheery smile and, "Oh we're not registered anywhere. We stay plenty busy and I enjoy the time," what I was really thinking was, "Huh?!?! Preschool? That's not even on my radar yet. I stay home with my kids so I don't have to pay for them to play elsewhere. To be honest, I can't yet afford double tuition. And selfishly enough I'm really not ready to let them go yet." And then it turns out that every SAHM on my block and the next sends their kids to preschool, some starting as early as 9 months. They've been on those waiting lists since they were pregnant. Did I miss a mommy-memo! Once I finally came to my senses and realized that I'm not harming my kids for life by not enrolling them in school at an early age I also remembered the importance of PLAY, structured and unstructured. And we do a lot of playing around here. I do indeed believe in moms needing a break and I get mine through morning workouts and the occasional sitter. And I also understand the importance of socialization, but I'm confident my kids are quite social enough at the play ground, library, museum, music class, and in our backyard with friends. I'm not knocking the notion of starting school early - you gotta do what works for you - but I also gave up stressing over not sending them to school just yet and probably won't do so until they're 3 1/2-4 years old. Kindergarten is indeed becoming more 'academic' as you mentioned, but sadly enough it's also becoming more and more developmentally inappropriate. No doubt McKenzie will be able to keep up with the best of them whether she's had 1 year of preschool or 3. And with such high costs should I expect arts and crafts projects made of 24 karat gold or something?!?! It all makes my head spin...and it's only the beginning.Krissyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14724958461169007370noreply@blogger.com