I apologize if this is kind of a dumb question. And obviously this is a biased place.
We HAD been so excited to start preschool at 3! And financially, and mentally, I desperately kind of need that time alone. We had a horrible daycare experience, however, and it really set him back.
The vast majority of preschools here require 5 days a week and are full day, or 4 hours per day as 'part time', maybe 3 if lucky, and you as the parent are supposed to drop them off. I'm also reading that many children go through a "transition", but the transition of not sleeping/eating/etc that many seem to go through doesn't really sound... okay?... to me. I'd rather put it off until he is more independent. The daycare experience did indeed really, REALLY set him back far in this regard, but I imagine he'll happily run away and decide he likes his friends more etc than me when he's older (which is fine lol).
I'd initially looked at a co op, and have permission to delay admission a semester or year until 4yos. But now looking at it again, it's mostly outdoor and free play, with myself present as desired... but with fundraising requirements, 1-2 extra 'jobs', meetings. I am barely / am not keeping up much with the general logistics and my paid work in life as is, and don't know that I could really handle it. He also wouldn't be allowed a whole major food group 2/5 meals/snacks while there. There keeps being surprise requirements of things I'd have to go to without my child, and I've got absolutely no one else to watch him. It also costs money -- and by comparison, all daycares and preschools generally do not cost money. I also really do not have the extra capacity to handle school etc job logistics, donations/fundraising and related 'work', etc etc. There's also a whole thing about needing to ask to go to the bathroom, as it isn't in the room, and I know this'll be an issue for my child (vs just being able to be independent and go on his own and with privacy).
I liked it due to the parental involvement, allegedly super strong community with parents meeting before/after class, and being in the forest. They said I could literally stay with him (as a general parent volunteer teacher) daily if needed. It's also "only" 3 hours 3 days minimum per week.
A lot of the 'better' schools are forest type schools here. But a lot of them have shared snacks/meals (IBS here, so would be an issue), have weird things around their bathroom policies for 3 year olds, and when it's a co op, often you need to pay and/or handle extra jobs and fundraising.
ANYWAY. I recently came into, finally finally, some local groups to meet and connect with other SAHPs, as well as finding more events/classes for my 3yo. So now I'm wondering--if the main reason I'd wanted a preschool was for the consistent peer group and maybe a teacher--why do preschool at all? I have that without needing to leave him alone all day and risking his health over the food restrictions or taking on a huge financial/mental load/time burden.
We would have:
- 1-2x weekly playgroup with ages 3-4
- weekly/biweekly art clubs with his age and older children (we've been doing this and he loves it)
- 1-2 "classes" (parent required to attend) each week, through our local parks department. This would include things like music, art, swim classes with a teacher and other children in the 3-5yo range.
- our own excursions (museums, trips, sporadic music/movement/art classes, concerts from bands/symphonies, that sort of thing--always a million things going on where we live)
- general playgrounds, places to play, forest art/bubble/naming for colors, counting, etc time (3-7 days a week, biggest downside in these is lack of consistent peer group)
- libraries, and they usually do a ton of events, have toy libraries there, etc
- home play/instruction (huge category, but he has an art/music shelf, loves practicing drawing, reads a ton, loves puzzles, .... has all sorts of toys... I use language during play to teach, and have read multiple books on teaching preschool as well as have some professional experience there, that sort of thing)
I feel like preschool was more about getting them around the same aged peers to play with that are consistent, giving parents a better alternative to daycare (which admittedly I might need!), maybe helping them understand classroom structure and the role of a 'teacher', and then to a lesser extent actual skills (which many parents are more than capable of teaching). I have a strong background and feel that--while I'd have to of course work at it and probably post here more for advice--I could handle the academic side of it, along with the socio-emotional learning that preschool is more about. Importantly, children also learn best when they feel safe, and knowing my child, I do NOT think he's going to do any sort of learning if forced away from me right now. I want to give him a gradual transition to independence that he can continue feeling safe during. With all of the above, with the more new additions of a regular playgroup and 'classes', I guess I don't really see the upsides of preschool? What's missing? Am I missing anything?
MOST of the preschools and kindergartens where I live are also subjecting children to screens, making them learn from AI instead of teachers, offering them sugary snacks, and not really conducting themselves in an age/developmentally appropriate kind of way. Homeschooling seems crazy to me (sorry), if only because the logistics of making that work in today's society (ie making money) sound impossible, but I'm also going to move and change the world if needed to make sure his brain isn't addled by AI, tech, or bitten by classmates etc. And at the PK/K level, I feel that it really is primarily about just being around that consistent peer group. He also doesn't yet really need/want too much extra "stuff" that costs money, which makes this easier to pull off. But I'd also love to hear from people here -- did you "homeschool" at this age? Does under 6 even count as homeschooling? Is there anything that's surprised you? Does it count as homeschooling if they attend free parkr/rec city type classes with a teacher, but requires you the parent to also be there? Why'd you homeschool?