As parents to toddlers, we’ve all heard it. “Are you sending your child to playschool this summer? What program is he/she taking? Music, Art, Sports or School Skills?”
The Mommy Wars
As mommies, we are always judged. I’ve been asked these questions many times: Cloth -diapering or disposables? Stay-at-home Mom or working Mom? Breast-feeding or bottle feeding? We are always categorized into two camps: responsible parent or irresponsible parent– depending on how we explain our side. Nowadays, one of the most talked-about parent discussion points is, “Are you sending your toddler to a playschool or not?”
Teaching Your Child at Home
Quoting from Michael Smith, the president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, “Young children are better off at home. A child will develop naturally if the parents give the child what he or she needs most in the formative years — plenty of love and attention. In this way, the brain can develop freely.”
Quoting from Michael Smith, the president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, “Young children are better off at home. A child will develop naturally if the parents give the child what he or she needs most in the formative years — plenty of love and attention. In this way, the brain can develop freely.”
I always think that early education is great at home. The comfort of your very own home creates a friendly atmosphere for our child to absorb whatever you teach. There are a lot of fun yet learning activities you can do together. Read books, watch a movie, eat and play! These are all pleasurable educational activities that kids will surely love. And, isn’t it that having fun a high priority for our toddlers? For us moms, taking care of our toddlers is likened to growing a seedling. We should protect and establish them first hand many times over before letting them go.
Sending Your Child to Playschool
But admittedly, I’ve been scouting for a playschool to send my 2-year-old Kyle this summer. Not that I don’t have the teach him at home (I do it religiously for twenty minutes every day), it’s just that I want him to experience interacting with other kids on a different setting. You see, Kyle stays at home with his attendant every day. He only gets to play with kids of his age when we go to playgrounds or when we visit his cousins. I think his social interaction is limited, thus he needs to be given with opportunities to interact with peers.
Last summer (when Kyle was 1 year 6 months old) , we sent him to a trial class in Musikgarten Manila. He sure enjoyed. But when I’ve noticed that he wasn’t paying much attention to his teacher and that he started to use the sticks the teacher gave them to create rhythm as pamalo (yay!), I was taken a back and decided to pull him out. I knew that a play school wasn’t appropriate yet for his age. And that teaching him at home will be more beneficiary for him. This year, before enrolling him to playschool, he will have to attend “trial classes” first so I could check his “readiness” to go.
The Pros and Cons of Sending Your Toddler to Playschool
The Good Side
In a play school, kids are exposed to other kids of the same age. They get to have more playmates and will eventually learn values such as “sharing” and “taking turns”, concepts that they might not learn if they have no playmates at home.
The Downfall
Sending your toddler to a play school makes separation anxiety more intense. There are play schools that do not allow parents to stay with their kids in the classroom making children wailing all through out the class. This could be very heartbraking for your little one. And since there are about 8-10 kids per class, your kid is more exposed to germs and viruses. My friend’s daughter had chickenpox because her classmate had too.
You Decide
Do you have enough time to teach your kid? Does he really need to go to a play school? Is he really ready?
If your toddler is still too attached to you, you might want to reconsider. There are “readiness predictors” to think about. For now, assess your toddler. Is he ready to face the bigger world out there?
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