I'm a huge preschool advocate. Specifically, home preschool centers. All three of my children have been fortunate to attend the same preschool which has been so amazing for not only them but also for me! If you are unsure whether you want to enroll your child in preschool, read the benefits that I've witnessed as I begin my 4th year of preschool now with my youngest.
What are the benefits?
Socialize
Learning how to get along with other kids outside of their own siblings/family. Kids have different personalities- some are shy, some are difficult, some are better at coloring than you, some will ruin your picture completely, some will be so eager to play with you and give you a big giant hug. It's important to give your child an opportunity to meet a wide range of personalities while they're young. It's so important for their development because it makes them more accepting. You have no idea how many conversations I've had with y kids after they asked for an explanation for another kid whether it was something they said, did, wore, or looked like. And I have no problem answering their questions because it's a learning opportunity for them to be mindful and respect their differences.
Build confidence and learn independence.
Your child has a chance to get past the separation anxiety which is better to do in a more intimate setting. Kindergarten is a big change for kids and they suddenly will have to be 6 hours away from home and apart of a large school with a lot of students which was intimidating for my child. It was a drastic change for him to go from preschool to kinder, I couldn't imagine going straight to kinder without preschool experience. He was used to following a schedule, listening to the teacher, having a snack break, cleaning up, getting up and dressed for school. However, he still cried and some trouble adjusting at first because of the intimidation of ALLLLLL the other students and "tests".
Build an education foundation
Your child will have an easier time if they already know the basics: A,B,Cs, how to spell/write their name, shapes, colors, counting, etc. Which brings me to my next one.
Kids learn more easily and eagerly with other people.
I don't know about you but I couldn't teach my kids anything. They didn't want to listen or pay attention to me. But get them around anyone else...and WOAH! they become eager little sponges and soak everything up. It's insane!
Structure
This is my favorite aspect of preschool. I am not very good with structure at home. Home to me is a place to relax, not a place of schedules and structure. Do I have to do lists and basic flows in my day? Of course. But my kids may be lacking in the structure department, especially my youngest which has just been going along with everyone else's plans until now. Now he has his own schedule and somewhere to be that is an agenda of his own. He gets to follow along the structure of the preschool with his peers. He likes to teach me new things he's learned as well and implement them at home.
I love watching new wheels turn in my child's mind. It's amazing to see how preschool sparks their creativity and imagination. Finally, a love for something other than YouTube shines out and it's worth every penny of my child's future.
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