Preschool

Lately I have been frequently asked by friends, acquaintances, and her pediatrician if I am sending my three year old to preschool.  The answer is no, since I am a stay-at-home mom, and have an education degree.  I feel as though I can provide her with all of the academic preparation she needs for school.  I’m a little biased, as my mother only sent one of us ten kids to preschool, and we all did well in school.  But when people start asking, I start to wonder if I am making the right choice.  The implication is often there (particularly from the pediatrician), that her social skills will be lacking if I don’t.  Many of my friends who also stay home send their kids to preschool.  I am making an effort to have her play with other kids, so that she doesn’t have social problems.  Will that be enough?  This “mommy peer pressure” is quite insidious in this area, as well as in many others.  I find myself replying half-truthfully that I may send her in a year or two, especially since she is an October baby, and can’t start school in Virginia until she is almost six.  But really, I just don’t care for the idea of sending a two or three year old to preschool.  They ought to be learning at home in a loving, safe, familiar environment.