Sending Your Child to Preschool: Pros and Cons

One of the decisions that many parents find daunting is if they need to send their children to preschool. While it is definitely a tough choice, sending a child to preschool offers a plethora of benefits. Find out if going the preschool route is the best decision. Read the following preschool pros and cons to help you make the right choice.

PROS

Preschool offers a learning environment away from home

It is true that the foundation of learning begins at home. The familiar environment at home provides children with plenty of opportunities for exploration. On the other hand, what preschool offers is a formal learning environment that is difficult to emulate at home. Preschools have a structured curriculum which allows children to learn skills that help set them on the path for future success. Also, there are plenty of other things that young kids can learn from preschool they can’t at home.

It provides a place to practice social skills

Making friends and interacting with other children are some of the most important parts of a child’s social development. Preschool provides children with more opportunities to do it. In a preschool setting, young kids can socialize better. They are given activities that let them play, interact and work together with other kids their age. In a typical home, children only get to socialize when play dates are organized or when they have neighbors to play with. In the safe and friendly environment of a preschool setting, children learn how to resolve their own conflicts. It is also in a preschool that children can develop life long friendships.

It provides more opportunities for exploration

While home-based learning helps build the foundation for a child’s growth and development, the opportunities it provides are limited. Preschool provides the same exploration opportunities and more!  In preschool, children have access to advanced learning options. The curriculum is designed in a way where children have the chance to read, write and learn while having fun. They are given activities that teach them the fundamentals of counting, the alphabet, creating art, and a lot more!

It helps children form relationships with adults they can trust

Young children usually cling to their parents because they feel like they are the only adults they can trust. And because they are so used to being with you, even relatives and other family members may feel foreign to them. By sending your child to preschool, it will be easier for them to develop relationships with other adults. They will gradually feel that it’s okay to not have you around as they begin to trust other adults.

It provides exposure to new experiences

Preschool provides children with learning experiences outside the four corners of the classroom. They get exposed to new experiences as they go on field trips and visit fire stations, police stations and other significant community events. Most of these experiences are something they don’t have access to at home.

CONS

Preschool is expensive

Most preschools don’t come cheap. While there are some that offer scholarships, most have a set tuition rate which parents pay before their children can be enrolled. It’s not just the tuition. There are other fees outside the tuition costs. There’s the security deposits, registration fees, field trip costs, school supplies and more.

It may increase children’s exposure to illnesses

Like any other school setting, preschool may increase the risk of children getting sick. Being with other kids may increase your child’s likelihood to get sick, if they do not have a strong immune system.

Sending your little one to preschool may entail a few disadvantages. However, they are nothing compared to the wonderful benefits of preschool. Make sure you are choosing the right preschool for your child and enroll them in Young Scholars Academy. Please feel free to give us a call for more information.