Preschool Problem -- Is it worth it?

[ballofconfusion]

I'm having a small problem:

My kiddo just turned 3 years old. She's been in an amazing family daycare since 6 months old. There's only 6 kids in the daycare, so it's very small and awesome.

I've started looking into preschools for the fall. However, our local public school system isn't that good. Recently, the head of it was arrested for embezzling. When my kiddo is 4 1/2 (so in Fall 2025) she can attend T-K at the local and excellent charter school. I know, I know, charter schools. But that's not the discussion for today.

As taboo as it sounds, I'm thinking of skipping pre-school.

Why? Because here are my choices:

(A) Most local pre-schools are half-days. So I would be sending her to Pre-K in the mornings, then picking her up, and dropping her off at daycare every day -- or how many days I choose to send her to pre-K. This isn't really feasible with my work schedule. I'd also be paying for both Pre-K and Daycare so $$ -- looking to be about $2K+ a month in a HCOL area.

(B) There is a pre-school that is full day, but is $2K a month and it would mean leaving our lovely daycare.

(C) Keep her in daycare. No preschool for 2024-2025, but TK in Sept 2025. My only issue is that the daycare is small. She's definitely learning and getting socialized, but there it's not a 20+ kid group environment. Does she need that developmentally??

I should add that my daycare is reasonably priced, and gives me a small break since I'm a single mom. So about $1k+ month.

Technically, I could afford $2k/month (yikes!) -- but I much rather put $1K a month into her College 529 fund!

Am I a bad mom if we skip preschool? Am I hurting her?

Please be honest!

 

[katrina2017]

@ballofconfusion One of my kids never went to preschool and he’s not in juvie, has friends and knows how to read. You are good!

 

[steve337]

@katrina2017 Same here.

 

[solomon1978]

@katrina2017 I never went to preschool also never went to juvie.

 

[ballofconfusion]

@solomon1978 Well then you’re missing out somewhere

Thanks!!

 

[ballofconfusion]

@katrina2017 Thanks!!

 

[spacecadet3767]

@ballofconfusion Preschool and daycare are like 95% overlapping, and basically 100% as it concerns school readiness, assuming your provider reads books, has them do fine motor activities, etc.

Nothing to feel bad about!

 

[catholickid96]

@spacecadet3767 Our daycare had pre-PreK, then PreK then of course kindergarten.

The pre-PreK taught the preK program, then they had it again in regular PreK, then they had the same freaking agenda in kindergarten. My SIL and I agree that kindergarten (for kids who were in PreK) is mostly learning to line up, be in a big school, learn how the school works and where everything is. And frankly, my kiddos were bored as heck with school in kindergarten. Official kindergarten lessons have to include for kids who don't go to preK.

 

[eb231]

@ballofconfusion Your child will be fine no matter if she is in daycare, preschool, nanny or with a SAHP. All of these choices, or a combination of these, will result in well adjusted children/adults.

If you like her daycare, I would personally stay with it.

 

[ballofconfusion]

@eb231 Thank you

 

[duke845]

@ballofconfusion My kids did preschool activities at their in-home daycare, does your provider not have any sort of curriculum for ages 2-5? Some people really just want a play based preschool anyway, more cooperative and less academic. You can always work on letters and their sounds, numbers, colors, shapes, at home.

Both of my kids also were eligible for TK and it was great.

 

[katrina_]

@ballofconfusion This is a non-issue fellow working mom! Your kid will not be missing out on anything by attending “daycare” instead of “preschool”. If anything, it’ll be a more positive experience since they’ll get an extra year of play.

You’re doing great!

 

[ballofconfusion]

@katrina_ Thank you!

 

[katrina_]

@ballofconfusion And if it makes you feel better, this is coming from a former teacher with 10 years of experience in the classroom in all grades - PreK - 12th grade!

 

[daddylopez1963]

@ballofconfusion I think TK pretty much is preK? I wouldn’t sweat it.

 

[godgathering]

@ballofconfusion My friend’s daughter stayed home (SAHM situation) until she was 4 when she started pre k at the local public school. She knows her numbers and letters and can write just as well as my daughter (if not better). So for the context: my daughter has been in daycare since she was 3mos old. The daycare, though, doubles as a preschool as they have preschool curriculum and the kids go there until they start kindergarten. So my daughter is in a classroom setting daily. My daughter is 5.5 (missed the bday cutoff for kindergarten so she will go in the fall). So to recap- my daughter is about 8 mos older than my friend’s daughter and has been in ‘school’ forever and my friends daughter just started school this past August at 4yo and is doing equally as well as my daughter.

 

[isaiah9six]

@ballofconfusion I think as long as she gets to do T-K, any preschool before that is not necessary. Especially because she's still in some form of group childcare. She's still used to being around adults who aren't her parents, she's interacting with children who aren't her siblings.

 

[ballofconfusion]

@isaiah9six That’s what I’m thinking. She’ll be 4 in TK so it’s kinda like preschool.

 

[isaiah9six]

@ballofconfusion Yeah we don't really have TK to my knowledge where I live, but my understanding is that TK is like preschool but more "legit" and regulated by the school district?

 

[ballofconfusion]

@isaiah9six I think it’s a California thing. It’s for kids born between Sept and April to give them a version of preschool so they’re not entering kindergarten too young or too old. And yeah, the local school is TK to 8th grade.