I still am not decided if Benedict is better off in a preschool environment or at-home with me. In the academic arena, I am more than satisfied and greatly honored that he has learned so much earlier than his milestones books normally say. And he is consistently achieving 'em too earlier than the average kids his age. Relying on those textbook facts, I temporarily rest on my laurels trusting that I must be doing something right because my child is thriving and learning in my care. But on the other hand, I wouldn't want to be smug and claim all the praises myself, bec. I've always believed that it takes a village to raise a child. Perhaps, we are just lucky also to have been blessed with a smart child from the beginning, now it's just up to us to nurture that gift.
Honestly, I am torn between letting my child go or holding him back. And for quite a while I had been closely reading on homeschooling and even joined a parent forum to learn more on how to properly do it. But out of fear that I may not be able to diligently do it, I choose to go the traditional way of sending my child to school...at least for now. In as much as I relish the idea of being the teacher of my child, I also fear that I may be selfishly depriving him of a good school experience too and enough knowledge to be able to be a well-rounded student.
I have somehow gained an insight into my own thoughts as well as assess my child's capacity and capability (at least rom my POV) through this articles I have read from Parent Center...
Preparation and planning, plus plenty of TLC, will help ease your child's transition from at-home toddler to preschooler.
Have I put my 2-year-old in preschool too soon?
Expert Answers
Penelope Leach, child psychologist
If your child wants to go to preschool, separates from you with only momentary sadness, and enjoys playing with the other children, she's likely to be ready enough for the experience that it won't do her any harm.
While you're thinking it over, remember that stress isn't always a bad thing. It may be that preschool is a challenge for your child, but one that, with lots of support from you, she'll gradually get a handle on. Perhaps the most important question is whether her regressive behavior persists all day, every day, or whether she tends to regress only after school, when she's tired and overstimulated. If it's the former, you may want to scale back her hours at preschool or find a homier, more relaxing setting for her. If it's the latter, she's probably fine where she is.
How to tell if your child is ready for preschool
by Patricia Shimm with additional reporting by Sarah Henry
Most preschools will start accepting children at around age 2 1/2, but that doesn't mean your child is magically ready for preschool when he reaches that age. Readiness for preschool has more to do with where your child is developmentally. Is he socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively ready to participate in a daily, structured, educational program with a group of other children?
Though it's tempting to look for a quick answer to this question, to read a list of skills for instance, and say, "Yes my child can do these things, he's ready," that method isn't foolproof. The best way to decide is to spend time thinking about your child and to talk to other people who know him well, such as your partner, your pediatrician, and your child's caregiver. The following questions provided by Patricia Henderson Shimm, director of the
Is your child fairly independent?
Preschool requires children to have certain basic skills; most will want your child to be potty-trained for instance. Your child should also be able to take care of some other basic needs, like washing his hands after painting, eating his lunch without assistance, and sleeping alone.
Though he is not yet potty-trained, the preschool we have chosen does not see it as an issue, and it will be good also to be a venue for him to learn to be a little more independent, as I fear that with our kind of parenting, we will never know how to let a child be on his own to be able to stand on his own feet.
Has he spent time away from you?
If your child has been cared for by a babysitter or a relative, he'll be better prepared to separate from you when he's at preschool. Kids who are used to being apart from their parents often bounce right into preschool with hardly a backward glance. If your child hasn't had many opportunities to be away from you, you might want to schedule some — a weekend with grandma, for instance, or a day with your sister and her kids. But even if you can't work out your separation issues up front, don't worry too much; many children leave Mom or Dad for the first time to go to preschool and they do just fine. The trick is to help your child adjust in short doses. Many preschools will allow you to drop off your child for an hour or two during his first few days there; as he gets more used to his environment, you gradually work up to a full day. Some experts believe that preschool may even be more important for kids who've been at home with their parents, to help get them ready for the move to kindergarten.
Honestly, he has not spent a day away from me (save for an overnight trip I once took) or his Daddy. But we have tried leaving him in a play center in malls together with his Yaya. And he seems happy to be left on his own for a 30-min. period initially til we have gradually lengthened it to an hour, then 2. There was even an instance when he was reluctant to leave inspite of being there for almost 3 hrs. already.
Can he work on projects on his own?
Preschool usually involves lots of arts and crafts projects that require concentration and the ability to focus on an individual task. If your child likes to draw at home or gets engrossed in puzzles and other activities on his own, he's a good candidate for preschool. But even if he's the kind of child who asks for help with everything, you can start getting him ready by setting up playtimes where he can entertain himself for a half hour or so. While you wash the dishes, encourage him to make creatures out of clay, for example. Gradually build up to longer stretches of solo play. Your goal here is to keep yourself moderately preoccupied with an activity so that he'll get on with his own without too much hand-holding from you.
Not much practice in this area. I hate to admit it but our over-protectiveness is damping his independence. I hope it's not too late to change our style. And I certainly pray that no permanent damage has been done yet to our little boy.
Is he ready to participate in group activities?
Many preschool activities, like "circle time," require that all the children in a class participate at the same time. These interactions give children a chance to play and learn together, but also require them to sit still, listen to stories, and sing songs. This can be very difficult for kids under 3 who are naturally active explorers and not always developmentally ready to play with other children. If your child isn't used to group activities, you can start introducing them yourself. Take him to story time at your local library, for instance, or sign him up for a class such as tumbling to help him get used to playing with other children.
If it is any indication, he loves to be around older kids. And a couple of times, in a kiddie party he is more than willing to participate in games and other activities. And he does take simple instructions from me. Although occassionally the stubborn streak appears and my requests would fell into deaf ears.
Is he used to keeping a regular schedule?
Preschools usually follow a predictable routine: circle time, play time, snack, playground, then lunch. There's a good reason for this. Children tend to feel most comfortable and in control when the same things happen at the same time each day. So if your child doesn't keep to a schedule and each day is different from the last, it can help to standardize his days a bit before he starts preschool. Start by offering meals on a regular timetable. You could also plan to visit the park each afternoon or set — and stick to — a bedtime ritual (bath, then books, and bed).
This I am quite confident. He has an establised routine. He wakes up at about the same time every morning, takes his milk at almost a precise time...prompting us if we would forget, eats meals, takes a bath...He is used to doing same things everyday. The only variation is his free play where he pretty much do as he pleases. And we also respect his choice of educational videos to watch, as well as the books he would want me to read.
Does he have the physical stamina for preschool?
Whether it's a half-day or full-day program, preschool keeps kids busy. There are art projects to do, field trips to take, and playgrounds to explore. Does your child thrive on activities like this, or does he have trouble moving from one thing to the next without getting cranky? Another thing to consider is how and when your child needs to nap. Preschools usually schedule nap time after lunch. If your little one can keep going until then or even all day like a wind-up toy, he's set. If he still needs a mid-morning snooze, it might not be time yet to go to school. You can work toward building his stamina by making sure he gets a good night's sleep. If you have some flexibility in your schedule, you might also want to start him off in a half-day program to ease him into the hustle and bustle of preschool life, and gradually increase the length of his school day as he gets more comfortable.
The 10AM-12NN sched. is just perfect for us. It wont require him to wake up earlier than his usual 6 or 7AM sched. And it will take just enough time for us to be able to prepare for preschool. We will just bring lunch to eat inside the school premises since he might go hungry. I have already made arrangements for this with the school directress too.
Why do you want to send him to preschool?
Think carefully about what your goals are for sending your child to preschool. Do you just need time for yourself or daycare for your child? There may be other options if it seems he isn't ready yet for the rigors of school.
Are you worried that if you don't enroll him in preschool he won't be ready for kindergarten? Most experts agree that there are plenty of other ways for children to develop the skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten, including attending a good daycare facility or spending quality time at home with you or another loving caregiver. A study by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development found that children do best if they're cared for by someone who is genuinely concerned about their well-being and development, and who makes sure they're doing a variety of age-appropriate activities. They needn't be enrolled in an organized preschool for that.
If you find that the main reasons you want to send your child to preschool are that he seems eager to learn new things and explore, he isn't getting enough stimulation at home or daycare, or he seems ready to broaden his social horizons and interact with other children, chances are it's the perfect time to start school.
Perhaps my primary consideration is my inability to give more free reign to my child. I fear that my over-protectiveness might be cramping his natural curiosity that in time he might not be inquisitive nor interested enough to learn new things. If left to decide on my own, I am inclined to even choose homeschooling for my little boy, with my primary consideration of being able to teach him better values at home. But in the end, I dont want to be doing the "blind man leading another blind man" mistake. I am no expert in teaching, and it is a great burden to know that my child is solely depending on me to provide him ample knowledge. Perhaps I have not gained enough confidence yet. But I am not totally closing my doors on the idea. I still am in the process of getting myself more information so that if I would choose to go this route, I would not make the mistake of not being prepared.
All that being said, I am so looking forward to tomorrow...
a new beginning to my preschooler...
a milestone!
and a new activity for me as the mom.
This chosen career is extremely exciting!
1 comment:
Very useful and thoughtful points of view. My son is at that very developmental age and I was wondering when/if I should send him to preschool and how to pursue in conjunction or in lieu of homeschooling.
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