Preschool Mythology

My mom, who taught elementary school for thirteen years before I was born, never sent my brother or I to preschool, and I won't be sending my kids to preschool either. I'm not saying that parents who do are "bad" parents, but I feel like it's so much better to let your little kids be at home with mom. From a psychology standpoint, the first eight years are the most crucial to a child's development-- why wouldn't you want to have as much positive influence during that time as possible? From an educator's perspective (mine), the students who had parents at home with them and reading to them/with them are much further ahead than kids who were carted off to preschool at the tender age of three or four. Having gone through a teacher education program, I am more disgusted than not by the trends in public education, and more appalled by the current philosophies of early childhood education than any other level (with the possible exception of special education, but that's a topic for another day.)
This is an excerpt from a listener's letter to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the host of a very popular (and deservedly so) syndicated radio show (am 570 KNRS 1pm-4)-- I thought it captured the essence of why I "don't believe in preschool."

"I am a Stay At Home Mom with a masters degree who chose to quit my job to raise my three sons (age 5, 2, and 11 months). I never dreamed of growing up to be a mom. I wanted to use my brain, get an education, and change the world through my career. Now, every day I find myself using my brain, getting an education, and (hopefully) changing my little piece of the world as I work to shape my boys into men.

I have never been a believer in sending my kids to preschool, for a couple reasons. First, I never went to preschool, and was always at the top of my class. But most importantly, I think kids need time to be kids.

Instead of sitting in a classroom for a big part of the week, I want my kids to play and read with me and go to the library and find books of their own. I want the freedom of knowing I can wake up and decide that we are going to hang out in our PJs until noon and make bread or watch the birds building nests on our porch. I want to help them make forts and play hide-n-seek and go on adventure walks around the neighborhood, even though it takes us twenty minutes to get past two houses. I want them to go to the store and pick out their own veggies to plant in the garden. I want them to have snowball fights with me when I'm shoveling the driveway and help me fix dinner for someone who is sick... My kids will get to be little and they will get to have fun. They are not in a hurry.
And neither am I. "

To view the full letter click here.