My youngest child narrowly missed the kindergarten birthday cutoff by just three weeks. Despite her eagerness to dive into the world of big-kid school, she has another year of pre-kindergarten ahead of her. Given the ongoing COVID precautions and my work-from-home schedule, I decided that homeschooling would be the best option for us this year. Not only will this save us money, time, and energy, but it also allows for valuable one-on-one time together.
This isn’t my first experience with homeschooling; three out of my four children have been homeschooled at various stages. Each child is unique, so we’ve adapted our approach to fit their individual needs each semester. I’m looking forward to this year’s homeschooling journey with my newly five-year-old. To ensure I was on the right track for her pre-kindergarten skills, I reached out to a kindergarten teacher for some guidance.
One evening, I sent her a detailed message explaining our situation. While I felt confident in my decision to homeschool, I was looking for a bit of reassurance. After all, preschool is often seen as a rite of passage in our society. I knew my daughter would thrive in a homeschooling environment, especially regarding socialization; she has three older siblings and plenty of friends to interact with. I wasn’t concerned about her developing the necessary social skills.
In my message, I outlined the activities I planned to cover with her this year. Having learned from my older children, I recognized the importance of fine motor skills for kindergarten readiness. We’ve been working on cutting, gluing, writing letters and numbers, and tracing shapes. Additionally, she’s been engaged with age-appropriate jigsaw puzzles.
From past experiences, I know that gross motor skills can enhance fine motor abilities, so we’ve included plenty of outdoor play in our routine. Activities like climbing help strengthen her hands in preparation for more detailed tasks.
We’ve also been practicing the days of the week, months of the year, the seasons, the alphabet, and counting to twenty. I find it amusing when kids invent numbers, like “leventeen.” Some days we play games or engage in creative activities like painting. If you’re contemplating homeschooling a preschooler, let me tell you, it’s a fun and purposeful way to learn.
After I sent my message, the teacher responded quickly—aren’t teachers amazing in that way? Her reply surprised me: “Just enjoy her. I’ll teach her what she needs to know when she gets here.”
Just enjoy her? I admit I was hoping for more concrete advice, perhaps a workbook recommendation or a checklist of skills to focus on before next fall. But her wise words were exactly what I needed to hear.
In today’s world, it’s common for parents to seek educational value in every activity, worried their kids might fall behind—especially after the pandemic disrupted traditional schooling. We tend to fixate on grades, awards, and attendance records, often at the expense of our children’s mental well-being. It’s crucial to let children simply be kids. Unless there’s a specific need—like for children who require special education services—sometimes we just need to relax and take a step back.
Kids don’t always need to be involved in structured activities, either. While ballet, basketball, and STEM clubs can be beneficial, why do we feel the need for our children to constantly learn and excel, ensuring they don’t lag behind their peers?
Kindergarten is fundamentally about preparing for first grade. If I push my child too hard now, will she find kindergarten boring? And why am I sacrificing her last year before she starts formal schooling? Kindergarten serves its purpose; I need to allow it to happen naturally.
I’ve never been an overly academic parent. I didn’t stress about teaching my kids their colors, shapes, or sight words when they were toddlers. Frankly, these pressures often seem unnecessary. Most kindergarten experiences aim to level the playing field for children. Maybe I’ve gotten a bit off track, spurred by a subtle anxiety that my youngest, my baby, is approaching the school age milestone.
I cherish the opportunity to teach my child through play, and I won’t stop that now. The teacher’s advice gave me the permission to ease up on my homeschooling intensity. If a day consists only of jumping rope and sharing a snack together, that’s perfectly sufficient. Some days will be more educationally productive than others, and that’s completely okay.
I am so grateful for the time I have with my youngest. I also appreciate the teacher who reminded me of what truly matters—our connection.
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In summary, the conversation with the teacher served as a valuable reminder that the most important aspect of this time is simply enjoying the moments with my child. It’s not all about structured learning; it’s about fostering a loving and supportive environment.