Drilling our kids?

Sometimes I think in this society we put too much pressure on our kids to be "successful" at such an early age. There always seems to be a competition between who's kid is better than the other...it goes on even if you don't want it too! I do try my best not to compare my boys to others and try to let things go when people compare them to their own.

As most know, I am licensed as a family daycare provider. It is a slow process...but would like it to be a little quicker as least right now when we could really use the extra income. Since we became pregnant with Quinn last summer, daycare took a back seat. I had 2 kids in my care at the time. *I will admit I didn't do much with the kids for activities in the sense of arts & crafts or had lesson plans(i had every intention too). My kids were all under 2 and one of them everytime i brought something out he would either eat it, destroy it, or walk across other's work. So I let it go. Plus I was ABSOLUTELY exhausted and sick from being pregnant. We sang songs, read books, and played with NUMEROUS toys. It was a little more relaxed at the time, but it was the best I could do!

I closed down for 10 weeks and lost both of the kids...which is some ways I am ok with(as one bullied my kid and had NO support from his parents on discipline) and the other little boy I just lost to another daycare...

This other daycare pretty much GUARANTEES that your child will have basic reading and writing skills before they enter kindergarten. To me and my philosophy with my kids(and Keith does agree) this is putting to MUCH pressure on the kids to learn this. In my view, daycare is more for the social aspect vs. the learning aspect. So it seems like more of the day would be spent on " structured learning" than learning through play and each other. These kids range from infant to preschool.

We have talked about sending avery to preschool come jan or next fall. but we are SOLELY sending him for the social aspect and to get used to being away from mommy before I just throw him into full day kindergarten. Plus he will be home an extra year. This preschool is where I used to work and the teacher is faboluous! Plus this will allow him to make friends and to have friends once he goes to public school.

I of course can teach avery his numbers, letters, colors, how to write his name, etc. But we do it through play...I don't sit here and drill him on these things nor do I say "ok avery is time to write your letters".

I just seem to think that they have so much to accoplish now once they get into formal schooling so why should be pressure them in daycare or preschool? Just let the kids be kids! Let them get dirty, pick fights, argue, and play. They learn so much from each other and playing with objects that aren't just paper and pencils.