I have never entrusted the academic instruction of my preschooler to another. Ever.
Imagine you have four young children and enjoy this multiple-choice survey.
Options:
A)the public school.
Pros: It's free. They teach children how to sit at their desks, stand in a line, listen to stories, come in when recess is done, how to talk to their teacher, counting and learning their letters. This preschool prepares them for fewer suspensions and write-ups from kindergarten. The hours align to when Kaith and Trevor have school, so I can drop-off three birds with one stone. I would only have one child with me for eight hours a day on weekdays. Simplified housekeeping. Time for me to read or do hobbies? (I have no idea how Sterling would respond to life-without-sister).
Cons: Miriam is ready for kindergarten math, reading and (almost) writing. Eight hours a day, for 180 days. Getting dressed at 6:30 every morning without hating the mother who is making it happen. Coming home when two big brothers also want to monopolize mother's attention with stories of their day while not walking to the house. One-on-one time with Mom is no longer daily.
B) 3 days of homeschool-preschool, 1 day of dance class, 1 day of library storytime or playgroup
Pros: It's nearly free. Well, okay, semi-cheap. Plenty of quality time together. She gets some social interaction, and so do I (other moms go to playgroups). I'm sure I'd enjoy coming up with the booklist for the year, and the daily reading time. Also, it would be quite satisfying to see my 4-5 year old bearing fruits in kindergarten math (I'm looking at Singapore) and early reading and writing. Remember, I was a kindergarten learning coach for WAVA. I have a pretty good idea what a balanced curriculum is like now.
Cons: will she fail to learn to stand in a line? Will she fail to adjust to the sudden full-day-ness of kindergarten? Will she cry when recess gets over, come kindergarten? Will she wander around the classroom during storytime in kindergarten? (None of this would matter if we were dealing with half-day Washington).
C) Send her to the Lutheran preschool 2 days a week, for $130 a month.
Pros: It's only part-time. Some parents like it. She might learn to stand in line and be social without becoming alien to her mother.
Cons: $130 a month? And I don't get to choose the curriculum?
I see this as extra taxi-driving for me, but I'm quite doubtful I'll see a cleaner house or time to indulge in my talents/fill my calling (RS President).
