As soon as my oldest child was about 3, everyone started asking me where he was going to preschool. The truth was, I hadn’t even thought about where he’d go because it was never my intention to send him – I wanted him home with me for as long as possible. It was a decision I made with his father before we even conceived.
No one seemed to like my answer
The truth is there are great benefits to sending your kid to preschool and being able to keep them home a bit longer
I know moms who couldn’t wait to get their kids in preschool, moms who didn’t want to send their kids but did because they had to work or felt like they weren’t able to give their kids what they thought they needed at home. Or you may enroll one of them in preschool and end up pulling them out, like one of my friends did. She told me she couldn’t deal with the meltdowns and back-talk her daughter had picked up at preschool — not to mention the fact she came home sick all the time. You have to do what feels right to you and what works for your family.
The choice we made was right for our family, and I have no regrets
My kids adjusted just fine, have normal social lives, and I got to have more time with them, something I desperately miss now that they are thriving teenagers who barely need me and never want me around.
Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. If you don’t really want to send your kids to preschool but feel like you should because everyone is telling you they will be better off, go with your gut. Your kids are going to be just fine.
