My youngest child just missed the cutoff date for kindergarten by three weeks. Although she’s eager to start school, she’ll spend another year in preschool. Given the necessary COVID-19 precautions and my work-from-home schedule, I’ve decided to homeschool her this year. This choice not only saves us time and money but also allows for valuable one-on-one learning experiences.
This isn’t my first experience with homeschooling; three of my four children have been homeschooled at various points in their educational journeys. Each child is unique, and we’ve tailored our approach to meet their individual needs. I’m excited to embark on this year’s homeschooling adventure with my newly five-year-old. To ensure I’m on the right track with her pre-kindergarten skills, I reached out to a kindergarten teacher for advice.
One evening, I sent the teacher a detailed message about our situation. While I felt confident in my decision to homeschool, I sought some validation. Preschool is so normalized in our society, and I wanted reassurance that my child would thrive, especially in terms of socialization—she has three older siblings and plenty of friends, so I’m not worried about her social skills.
In my message, I outlined the skills I planned to focus on, recalling how important fine motor skills can be for kindergarten readiness. We’ve been practicing cutting, gluing, writing letters and numbers, and tracing shapes and lines, along with age-appropriate jigsaw puzzles. I also remember from past experiences that gross motor skills can significantly improve fine motor abilities, so we’ve incorporated outdoor play, like climbing, into our routine.
Additionally, we’ve been reviewing the days of the week, months of the year, seasons, the alphabet, and counting to twenty (I secretly enjoy when kids come up with their own numbers, like “leventeen”). Some days, we play games or engage in creative activities like painting. If you’re considering homeschooling a preschooler, it truly can be a fun experience, blending play with purpose.
After sending my message, the teacher responded quickly (aren’t educators amazing in that way? They genuinely care about every child, even those who aren’t in their classrooms). Her response took me by surprise: “Just enjoy her. I’ll teach her what she needs to know when she gets here.”
Just enjoy her? Initially, I wanted more specific guidance—perhaps some workbook recommendations or a checklist of critical skills for her to master before next fall. However, the teacher’s wisdom was exactly what I needed to hear.
In today’s world, many parents feel pressured to ensure every activity their child engages in is “educational.” We worry about our kids “falling behind,” especially after the pandemic disrupted traditional schooling. When we perceive them as lagging, we scramble to catch them up, often fixating on grades, awards, and attendance records. This mindset can be detrimental to children’s mental health. It’s essential to let kids be kids. Unless there’s a genuine need to focus on certain skills—particularly for children with special needs who require targeted support—we should take a step back and relax.
We don’t need to fill our children’s schedules with an endless array of structured activities. While classes like ballet, basketball, or STEM clubs can be enjoyable and teach valuable skills, why must our children always be in a state of learning and excelling to avoid falling behind?
Kindergarten serves primarily as a bridge to first grade. If I push my child to learn everything now, will kindergarten feel dull for her? Moreover, why should I disrupt her final year before entering school? Kindergarten has its purpose, and perhaps I need to allow it to unfold naturally.
Initially, I wasn’t an overly academic-focused parent. I didn’t use flashcards or obsess over teaching animal sounds, colors, or shapes—such activities often made me roll my eyes. Every parent believes their child is exceptionally bright, yet kindergarten mainly levels the playing field for typically developing kids. Maybe I’ve lost perspective due to my slight anxiety about my youngest, my baby, approaching school age.
I cherish teaching my child through play, and I have no intention of stopping. The teacher I consulted granted me permission to ease my homeschooling approach. It’s perfectly fine if my youngest doesn’t receive a “well-rounded” education at home. If one day consists of jumping rope and sharing a snack, that’s more than good enough. Some days may be more educational than others—whatever that means—and that’s perfectly okay.
I am incredibly grateful for this time with my youngest and thankful for the teacher who reminded me of what truly matters—more importantly, who truly matters.
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In summary, an experienced teacher reminded me that the most important thing to focus on is enjoying the time spent with my child as she prepares for kindergarten. Embracing play and relaxed learning can be just as beneficial as structured education.
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