If you are a parent who is planning to home school or unschool your toddler instead of sending him to preschool after his third birthday, this post is for you. As your toddler grows and develops right before your eyes, you may from time to time find yourself wondering whether you will be able to provide enough of an enriching environment for him once you begin your homeschool or unschool “preschool” years. This sense of uneasiness may come from a couple of sources, namely the fact that many parents send their children to preschool and the questions and comments from often well – meaning friends and family who ask you which preschool your child will be attending.
The good news is that the sense of uneasiness that you are feeling does not mean that you are unable to provide an environment where your child will learn and grow. It is more likely a feeling that is caused by being in the minority, perhaps even being the only parent that you know who is choosing to forego preschool. It is a feeling that can easily be fed by the discussions that commonly occur between parents, discussions about how to give their children the best possible chance at a great education, discussions which often give a high priority to academics.
It is also a feeling that you can learn to let go of. The fact that you are making a deliberate choice to keep your child with you during the day instead of sending him to school speaks volumes about the degree to which you are willing to get involved in his education. If you have a home where your child can be with you as he plays with toys like blocks, puppets, and dress up clothes and creates things with crayons, paper, scissors, and other items, reads books with you, and explores his world by playing outside and going on outings with you to just about anywhere (including mundane things like grocery shopping), you have an enriching home environment. Children are naturally curious, and if you take the time to just be with your child and talk with him as he plays and explores, he will learn more and more each day. You can do it.