This year my son turned three. It seems like every other three year old we know is already in preschool. As a single mom with very little money coming in, I just couldn’t afford it this year. I felt guilty that he wasn’t getting the same opportunities the other kids were simply because I was a single mom who was barely making ends meet as it was. Would my child be forever behind the other kids when he reached kindergarten? Would he ever catch up?
I set out to find a solution. As much as I wished I could afford the neighborhood preschool, I knew it just wasn’t a possibility for me. Then it came to me, I’ll just do it myself! As an elementary education major I already had lots of tools that I could use in the home. Now it was just a matter of brainstorming some ideas and really deciding what I thought it was important for my son to know.
Don’t feel discouraged if you can’t afford all of the things you wish you could do for your child. Finances are limited, but you don’t have to be. Many of these things you can do on your own. Just spending time reading together can help your child excel. Spend a few minutes each day focusing on a letter or two. Help them learn the name, the sound, what it looks like, how to draw it. Do something fun to help them get excited about each letter. There are resources all over the internet to give you ideas of fun ways to teach different concepts to your preschooler. Children are like sponges, they soak everything in. If you will spend the time with them you can teach them the same things they would have learned had you been able to put them in preschool with the other kids. Not to mention you get to create priceless memories with your baby that will last a lifetime.