To Preschool or Not To Preschool

The Man and I have thought long and hard about what we want for school for our kids.  Education is so important and we know it can and will have a lasting effect on their lives.  We are very, very thankful that our church has a grade school.  It didn't take much discussion to decide that we will be sending them there. The next part to decide was to when to send them.  In addition to the grade school, there is also a preschool, starting at age three. If we sent Munchkin it would be for two days a week, which I think it perfect for her age.  The teacher is great and I have no hesitation about Munchkin going.  Except....I don't want her too.  Three feels to little.

So for us, a good compromise is to keep her home and do a little homeschooling.  To be honest, part of me very much wants to homeschool our kids, even with having an affordable, faith based private school to send them too.  So to homeschool them, even a little bit for preschool, is something that I really want to do.  The plan, at the moment, is to homeschool her this year.  Then next year, when she's four, she can go to preschool three days a week.  After that is half day kindergarten.  The school offers full day kindergarten but at 5, I think a full day is too much.  The kids will be big soon enough and going all day, no need to rush it.  Academics are getting pushed earlier and earlier.  There is plenty of time for them to learn it all.  I want the kids to be kids while they can.

I've been told that there is a noticeable difference seen in academic achievement between kids that go for a full day and those that go for a half day.  I'm honestly not worried.  By the time the kiddos reach high school you'll have no idea who went to kindergarten for a full day and who went for a half day.

So I've started doing a little planning.  She's only three and I'm not going to go crazy.  I want to have a few activities planned but it will be laid back.  The planning and looking for ideas on pinterest have gotten me excited.  It makes me want to homeschool her next year too...which I might, but I want to wait and see how this year goes.  I'm really not worried about messing her up.  She's going to learn what she needs to learn and she'll learn it at her pace.  I know kids who never went to preschool and did just fine in kindergarten.  I know kids who went to preschool and had a hard time in kindergarten. You never know. Each child is different.  So for us, we're going to enjoy this last year at home.  I'm going to enjoy Munchkin being little.  But right now, I need to go print more activities and warm up my lamintor...it's time to laminate all the things!