Summer is sadly, starting to wind down. Stores have already started clearance-ing their summer stock and begun hauling out all the school supplies and soon kiddos will be heading back to school.
For our family, this will be the first year we have a child in school. Asher will be attending a pre-K program at our church for 2 1/2 hours, three days per week. A few weeks ago we received his supply list and the date for “Meet The Teacher” night.
To fuel his excitement, we made it an event of going to let him pick out his book bag (Paw Patrol of course) and having him help find all the supplies they requested. I probably won’t say this in future years, but this supply shopping was actually pretty fun!
With the start of schooling for our family, I have found myself in a bit of a bittersweet limbo. I am excited for Asher to take on this new adventure but I am also saddened that this is the end of him just being home with us. He is growing before our eyes and the last four years feels like it happened only seconds ago.
While we are confident in our decision for a pre-k program, it has left me researching, often in the wee hours of the night, what we should do for kindergarten. (I know, I know we got time but this mama likes to plan).
I am hugely in favor of learning through play and the idea of teaching through what interests the child with breaks as the kids need them. These are principles the Pre-K program subscribe to as well and that’s why I think it will be a great fit for Asher. But I worry about organized, public school in the future.
To be completely honest I am not a fan of the rigor that kindergarten is these days. From what I have read, it seems like so much is asked of kids at such a young age and with Asher being young for his ‘grade’, I worry he will struggle with the 7 hours of organized classroom activity. And I worry it might dull his fire for learning and truthfully as a little person.
With all these thoughts rolling around in my head, I am struggling on what is the right decision? Have I even considered all the options?
We have started researching options: home school for kindergarten? Delay kindergarten to 6 years old? Kindergarten outside of the public school system? A hybrid approach of a home school kindergarten and a part-time kindergarten program in the community and not beginning public school until 1st grade…Bah!
So I am calling on all you experienced mamas! How has your child handled kindergarten? What has worked for you? Give me all your thoughts, opinions, etc. I am all ears!
