Q
My daughter will be 4 in March. She has been home with me since birth. I am just not sure if I want her to go to preschool. I am not comfortable with the trend for early academics. I do no academics with her of any kind. I buy no learning toys. She has such a wonderful imagination. I am just worried that I am not preparing her for Kindergarten, which is very academic around here. I guess my question is: Is it okay to let her just be a child for as long as possible before she must enter school?
A
I hope that your daughter can "just be a child" when she is in school as well as when she is with you. As a culture, we plan away and steal far too much of our kids' childhood, all in an effort to give them a leg up on their academic "competition" so they can get into a great college. Even "hurried" preschoolers are being over-programmed and placed in academically oriented preschools and "enrichment programs" because of their parents' fears that not doing so will leave them behind in the race for a place in a fine college.
You appear to be offering your daughter a stimulating, creative home environment where her imagination and self-directed play are encouraged. By doing this, you are affording her fine opportunities to learn and develop. Be aware that her social development is also a crucial part of her overall child development and provide her with chances to play and interact with other kids on a regular basis. Be careful not to prejudice your daughter's attitudes towards kindergarten because of your own dislike of its academic preparatory nature. I am sure that your healthy attitudes about learning will hold her in good stead during all of her schooling.