Today I took Spencer to the early childhood elementary school to register him for preschool in the fall. Kendall and Lynnsey have both attended the program and it has been a phenomenal experience for them. Spencer has been so excited to have his turn. Here's the problem: They just found out that the state is changing the program so that it will be all day four days per week. I think I'm not too happy about that. The half-day four day a week program was perfect for us. It gave the kids a couple of hours out of the house to socialize and play and learn and then I got to enjoy them for the remainder of the day and all day on Fridays. Full day kind of changes things. I guess I just feel like once kids hit all-day school, time seems to speed up and all of a sudden they aren't little anymore and I feel like I've missed out on so much. The switch to all day kindergarten was hard enough to deal with. Do I really want to lose an extra year with this program? On the other hand, Spencer is SO excited to go and it would be the same fantastic teachers with the same great experiences. What would you do? Have any of you ever had a child in a full day preschool program? I'd like your input. My guess is we'll end up at least trying it out since really it is the only option if we want Spencer to go to preschool. There are a few other preschool programs through churches around here but they all have a price tag that is, for us, not affordable right now. This program is free. I guess we've got some thinking to do. Comments or ideas anyone?
Taylor
Kendall
Lynnsey
Spencer
Kaya
9 comments:
That would be a hard choice. The pre-schools out here for our kids are half-day. However, Sawyer went to full day preschool, and it ended up being a good thing. We did not know he had Autism until he was almost 8, and that extra time at school gave him a good boost for skills he needed to learn. Just gow ith your gut - Mothers always know!
I obviously have not had a child in preschool and can't really give an opinion on it from experience. Maybe you can do what you said and just try it. You said he is excited and maybe it will give you even more bonding time with Kaya. Also i would say talk to Kalen and see how he feels about it. I understand that he is not the one home with the kids as much but he might be able to give you some thoughts that would help with this dilemma!! Good luck!
Well, I may not be the one to ask because I have big issues with the all-day school thing. It was VERY hard for us to do all day when Isabel hit first grade. No way could we have done it before that. She wasn't ready and neither was I. In fact, I've always said that if the school here goes to full-day kindergarten, I'd home school for that year instead. They are just too little to be away from home (and mommy!) all day.
Do they provide ANY option at all for picking him up early in the day? My friend's district is all day, but she was told if she wanted to pick him up before or after lunch, she could. They often do naptimes and playtimes in the afternoon anyways. (Because the poor little guys are too wiped out for anything else)!
I am grateful that my kids are getting a good education, I really am. BUT, I have MAJOR ISSUES with the government (leaning towards socialism more every day) ROBBING us of our kids earlier and earlier in their lives. Not for me, thanks very much!
p.s. Seriously! "We'll fund this great pre-school program, but ONLY if you give over your small four-year-old to our keeping for all day, every day. NO! A few hours a day is not enough".
What the heck is that? I know many parents want free child care, but it seems to me that Spencer should be able to get all the things you want to get out of it in the morning and be home with you in the afternoon if that is what you prefer.
Alison, I'm planning to check with the teacher on the possibility of picking Spencer up earlier in the day. Of course that creates problems too because he won't be able to ride the bus home so that would mean me packing Kaya and Lilly and possibly one or two other kiddos into the van to drive up to the school and get him. It's such a pain and is really causing me stress. Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone? I don't think the teachers are thrilled with it either.
Kalen and I were talking about it and actually to us it seems not so much a socialist issue but more of a capitalist one. "We'll fund this great all-day preschool that your child can attend for free so that you can go out and work more hours and pay us more in taxes". And the parent's are all in favor of this because they don't have the headache of arranging and paying for after-school care for the kids. The teacher I was talking to said I am so far the only parent who has expressed concern about this change. That is just crazy to me.
The reason that I havent put my kids in pre-school is because here they are all day! The only ones that are half days are very expensive, and with churches like you said. But here even in order to get them in those all day pre-schools you have to be really poor or have to pay! It all seems rediculous to me. It seems like pre school is becoming another year of school. Kindergarten is all day here too and just as strict as everything else. The school was really surprised and almost concerned when I told them that William didnt go to preschool.
I'm terrible, but I'd for for the all-day thing! My second is currently at a less-than-fun stage...
Don't you just love choosing okay or all right? What happened to great? We've loved being in Ok these last two years, because Nina and Michael got to be in pre-k -- state-funded (free for us), 2 1/2 hrs, 5 days a week. I've thought it absolutely perfect. I would hate for it to be all day. I would have had a much harder time putting them in. (I keep wondering what options we'll have for DJ when that time comes. I fear it won't be what it has been here.)
On the other hand, Jonathan didn't have any preschool and we ended up putting him through kinder twice. He really was not prepared (besides being very young) the first time. Nearly all kids now go to preschool -- (I think mostly to accommodate working parents) and it can be a disadvantage to have no school. It really depends on the kid.
Good luck on that decision!
Hmm...iunno i hit full day school and look at me now im 18 im an elder im graduating in a month makes you wonder if mom missed anything...?
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