Preschool at Home

Many of you are facing the difficult decision of whether or not you will send your child to preschool or preschool-at-home. This decision is not easy. There is a not a right or wrong choice. This is a choice that needs to be made with careful consideration by the child’s parents/guardians.

Trust yourself. Be confident in your decision, and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about your choice!

What is Preschool-at-Home?

Preschool-at-home is when you teach your child at home instead of sending them to a regular program. Children can attend preschool programs from ages 0-5. So you might have a range of “students” in your home preschool.

Use this opportunity to create quality time with your preschooler.  Remember who you are teaching. They are little, so they might become easily frustrated, have a hard time sitting still, be extremely curious, have lots of questions, and learning to master skills. Your preschooler has qualities that make them special. Teaching preschool-at-home allows you the opportunity to cater to those qualities. Take advantage of this.

Preschooling at Home

Just because you are doing preschool-at-home, this does not mean that your day needs to look like it would if you were sending them to a preschool program. Preschooling at home is about 3 things: creating a routine that works for you, teaching life skills, and introducing academics. These can be introduced through playful learning. At home, play and learning can be integrated so closely that children rarely know the difference. Every concept you introduce can be an exciting adventure.

So, don’t worry if your child wants to do preschool in their pajamas and cowboy boots. If your child wants to learn about the solar system for 2 months, then consider it.

You are your child’s teacher, so you have the freedom to choose how your preschool day looks. You also have the freedom to teach what you want. You don’t have to conform to the “traditional” ways of teaching preschool. If something isn’t working, then try something else. That’s the joy of doing preschool-at-home!

Next week, we will talk about HOW to preschool-at-home to make it work best for you and your child.

If you are preschooling at home, is there anything you are nervous about? Please email me your concerns so I can help ease your fears.