What I Learned From Preschool

// 6.23.09 // Filed under: Homeschooling, My Daughter, Parenting

Most readers of this blog know that I homeschool my children. Many also know that I sent my daughter to preschool this past year. Now that preschool is over, several people have asked me if I’ll send her on to kindergarten in a traditional school. My answer is no.

Preschool was fun. Playtime, with some education and social etiquette thrown in. It was a good experience for our whole family and it actually taught me to more fully embrace homeschooling. I learned that as much as I yearn for more “me” time, I like being with my kids and sharing their learning and growing process. There were several times that Cassie shared something she learned at preschool and I’d get this prickly feeling, like, “Oh, you learned that? I wanted to teach you that.”

I did consider sending her to school. I don’t “get” my daughter the same way I “get” my son. Our personalities clash. And the arguing that goes on between my kids makes me want to find a way to separate them permanently. But none of this is a valid reason to put my kids in school.

A valid reason might be believing that they would thrive and be challenged and be taught to think independently and pursue their passions. But I don’t believe that would happen. I believe they’d learn to mock or shun kids that are different or younger than they are. They’d learn to memorize facts to pass a test and get a good grade. They’d likely learn to be bleeding-heart liberals. And would I be any less stressed? I doubt it. If preschool is any indicator, I’d have my hands full helping with homework (that I’d be pissed off about because subjects weren’t being taught properly), field trips (that I’d rather do on my own in a more leisurely fashion), parties, assemblies, fundraisers and other responsibilities that come with attending a public or private school. And I’d know much less about my kids.

I homeschool my children because I believe they’ll be better off. And because I want to. For awhile I wasn’t sure that I wanted to. But I am now.

So thank you, preschool. It was an interesting ride. But I’ll happily give up the early-morning rush, getting homework in the backpack, scouring the house for a show-and-tell item, and packing up snacks and craft items and permission slips. We do that once a week when we have our homeschool co-op. The rest of the week we’re happy to have leisurely mornings in our jammies before moving on to our field trips and playdates. And the learning? With just a little suggestion and a rich environment, it happens all the time. It’s beautiful, natural, and pretty darn exciting to be a part of.

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