[boatbaby]

I just need some perspective here.

We are planning to homeschool DS (who would be kindergarten age in the fall) -- mostly unschool is our style. But we started a Reggio Emilia preschool program this year mostly because I needed some day time hours to work.

Well my work has dried up (and I can get it done at night when DH is home), so really there is no reason for him to go. I always saw it as just a glorified play time (only 6 kids and they are all his buddies) He always left home with me not particularly enthusiastic about going but almost always comes home with a smile on his face and stories of fun times.

Well they had a 2 week spring break and I have been trying to work up to going back with DS, but he is DEAD SET against ever going back. His reason? "I don't like being in class without you mommy" (we go to a couple of sweet local mommy and me type classes sometimes too, which he LOVES). He said he only wants to continue the mommy and me classes.

Now I find that reason perfectly ok. I am more than happy to drop the preschool for the last 6 weeks, Since we're homeschooling I am not after any particular goals here other than my boy having fun and loving learning.

But I am already getting the eye rolls, as if I am indulging the whims of a 4 year old and not thinking rationally...

Input?

 

[Mommy&Will]

I would not send him back. If it was something you really needed him to do, sure, then there would need to be something worked out. But it sounds like you are not needing, and that there are plenty other activities going on that he is excited about.

You are soon to make an endeavor that will probably lead to years of eye rolls and quiet (and not so quiet) judgement. : ) Bring it on. : )

 

[Smithie]

We just dropped out of our (small, lovely, community-based) preschool. My ds will be homeschooled for kindergarten as well, and since I didn't need the preschool hours as childcare I finally saw reason and let him quit.

My 3 y.o. dd adores going to school, so she is still going and will go next year unless she has a total personality transplant over the summer.

 

[Jenelle]

Now that we have made the decision to homeschool, my perspective on preschool has changed also. We love the school, love the teachers, are very comfortable with everything and everyone there. So we will continue to send them to preschool. *As long as they want to and enjoy it.* If I had a child who just plain did not want to go, I too would have no reason to send him.

And yes. The eyes rolling is bound to happen. You just have to be confident in your decisions as parents, and keep reminding yourself that you make the decisions that feel right for YOUR family. Others not understanding, or being judgmental about it, is their issue, and I will not let it overshadow the wonderful change that is taking place in our family. Every second I spend trying to justify, explain, argue, etc. would be a second that I could have spent on the couch reading to my children. I am really hoping to keep these things in mind.

Best wishes!

 

[momtokea]

My ds dropped out of preschool. My dd's went to the same preschool and loved it, but it just didn't work for him. He lasted two months. One day I went to pick him up and he was standing outside by himself and noone had noticed he was gone

:
I never took him back.

 

[Lillian J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatbaby But I am already getting the eye rolls, as if I am indulging the whims of a 4 year old and not thinking rationally... Input?

Thinking rationally? Maybe not

. But this doesn't have to do with reason - it has to do with his heart. You care about his feelings and his happiness - and that's enough. People who don't care about those things so much as they care about there being a place for everything and everything in its place will roll their eyes anytime you put his feelings first. That's one of the main reasons we took our child out of school early on - because we'd had to deal with teachers who tried to impose their own values that they felt should be honored above the wishes and needs of our child. I say good for you!

Lillian

 

[boatbaby]

Thank you for the support mamas, I needed a little boost.

Wanna hear a funny? Once DS and I had the talk this morning and I emailed the teacher and made it final... he sat down about an hour later on his OWN doing out of the clear blue and started reading. As in, had a MAJOR breakthrough from struggling to sound out a few two letter words to using his letter magnets to spell and read all sorts of words and making a reading game out of changing out certain letters.

It was a very sweet "I told ya so" kind of moment. Every time I back off and trust him, he always manages to dazzle me.

 

[Calidris]

my DD dropped out of preschool too after the first term, for the same reason as your DS. After about a term off she decided she wanted to go back. We later had to change schools (her first closed down) and she dropped out a second time, but stuck by it that time.
Two time drop out by the age of 3 *sigh*

 

[4evermom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillian J Thinking rationally? Maybe not . But this doesn't have to do with reason - it has to do with his heart. You care about his feelings and his happiness - and that's enough.

That's why we are homeschooling. We lasted 6 weeks of pre-k (only went 10 of those days).

 

[mommystinch]

Hailey had decided she doesn't want to go back to school for 1st grade. Her reason? She misses her brother and I during the day and wants to be with us. It isn't the easiest with her home, but we're certainly going to do our best to make it work! I thnk it's a perfectly good reason and I am glad Zach seems so content

 

[Dr.Worm]

I didn't send DD to preschool. I was a sahm and I just didn't see the need for it. All the fun and learning could be done at home/the park/the library etc. People would ask me all the time if she was going and I said no and I could feel the judgment. I didn't know preschool was actually the equivalent of Kindergarten these days.

because when I sent her to kindergarten it was more like first grade. I was actually considering homeschooling dd for Kindergarten at least but I caved to what family and friends thought and signed her up for Kindergarten...she had a pretty good year..first grade sucked and second was worse..I was actually thinking of pulling her out for third but she ended up getting the teacher she dreamed of except she got a mean one for math. She is already saying she doesn't want to go to fourth grade and I am seriously considering cyberschool. I know I will get a lot of crap from people but I don't care. I have to do what i think is right for my dd and i don't think public school is right for our family.

I think you are AWESOME for doing what's best for your lo. It is hard to go against the mainstream but sometimes that's the way it is. And it really irritates me that people think kids don't have feelings...maybe they only earn those after they graduate from high school?

:

 

[Mizelenius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatbaby But I am already getting the eye rolls, as if I am indulging the whims of a 4 year old and not thinking rationally... Input?

Ha, ha! I think it's funny because it's as though they are saying-- "What? You are letting a 4 yo decide if he should PLAY?" Oh, how terrible and manipulative of him!

I remember when I was hesitating about pulling my 3 yo out of a nice co-op preK. She wasn't that enthusiastic about going, but then a puppet incident traumatized her, and she REALLY didn't want to go back. My sister put it this way: preK is completely optional by most people's standards (even those who chose to send children to school). Would you force your child to do anything optional, like ballet? No way! She never went back after that puppet thing!

 

[tankgirl73]

This is, so far, my first and only submission to cafepress. It's not great, it was more of a test to see how the whole process works. Hope it's okay to post it, I'm not expecting to sell any or make any money! But it seemed appropriate given the thread title:

http://www.cafepress.com/motherbynature.340716108

 

[boatbaby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankgirl73 This is, so far, my first and only submission to cafepress. It's not great, it was more of a test to see how the whole process works. Hope it's okay to post it, I'm not expecting to sell any or make any money! But it seemed appropriate given the thread title: http://www.cafepress.com/motherbynature.340716108

That's fabulous!

I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear all of your stories and support. I REALLY needed to hear it. I had a phone call today with the teacher and I was getting a bit of a guilt trip from her -- she told me she was "sad and hurt" and felt that my DS "needed closure". I told her, please don't take it personally, her likes the school just fine, he would just rather just be home and out and about with his mommy.
She asked me what she is supposed to tell the other kids b/c it's such a tight knit group. I politely said -- that's not my problem. (I said, well I don't know the children like you do, I am sure you will find the right words).

Urgh.

I need to return some books to her tomorrow (after hours) and I hope she doesn't try to talk DS into anything... I hope it's a quick visit.

 

[onyxravnos]

if you planed on homeschooling anyway then it sounds just fine to me to pull him. besides 'play time' can be done anywhere no preschool needed.