I’m so with you on this! I’m anti-preschool! LOL I have 2 kids and neither went to preschool. It’s great that you have your daughter in sports. Believe me it’s doing more then teaching her gymnastics but it is also teaching her to take direction from another adult, a teacher. Same with Sunday school. She is already getting exposed IMHO.
My daughter never went to daycare or preschool and transitioned into Kindergarten like a pro. She did gymnastics and martial arts starting at age 3. No one could believe, even her teachers that she had never been to preschool. She was very independent and was reading and writing (I homeschooled) by the time she started. She was the only one who hung up her coat the first day without being asked to do it! That’s right I taught her all this at home! Can you believe it’s possible?? =-)
She is now in the gifted program, all her teachers love her, active in sports and in church. Plus she was always very social, no seperation anxiety. My son, whom is very shy, not social has never been to preschool/daycare either BUT I’ve homeschooled him too and taught him all about social graces (washing hands after bathroom, putting toys away, eating without making a mess, manners, etc. and I’ve witnessed all this when we’re outside the home). We schedule a lot of play dates too. Moms always comment how well he interacts with the kids, how great he is with conflict, saying sorry, thank you and how mature he is and well behaved. I love having him at home with me and I did enroll him in a sport and art classes. It’s been great!
He is now 4 ½ and starting kindergarten next Fall 2011 so will just have turned 6. He will start Jr. Kindegarten this Fall, 2 days a week from 9-12, but they don’t teach academics in the program I signed him up for. They do music and art everyday, cooking, drama, puzzles, reading AND he will have the opportunity to learn circle time and take directions from a teacher (I teach the academics at home). Plus they get playtime on the playground. He is so excited about going and we talk about it all the time. For him being as shy as he is, I know it will be good for him BEFORE he starts Kindergarten in 2011 going 5 days a week. Going from no school at all to 5 days a week I know would have been the toughest for him.
I’ve had comments about how he would do sitting with other children eating lunch but I’ve already witnessed that at birthday parties when the kids sit to eat. He can very well sit in between other kids, raise his hand when he wants something, and clean up after himself. It’s all about how we raise them at home.
Stick with your Mommy instincts on this one. Sounds like you’re doing a great job at home teaching her. I hope my success stories have helped you!!