5 Reasons Why... I Pay to Send My 3 Year Old to Preschool

There is a lot of debate,

probably mostly between my husband and I,

about whether or not it is worth it to pay to send our 3 year old to preschool.

Here are 5 reasons why,

I pay to send my 3 year old to preschool.

1. Social Skills

Aniston has always been the child who says,

I don't need friends,

or

I don't want friends.
I probably do not set a very good example for her regarding this issue.

For the first few months of preschool,

I would ask Aniston when I picked her up if she had made any friends.

She would say no and quickly change the subject.

This really started to worry me.

I didn't want her to grow up and be a mean girl,

or underestimate the importance of friends.

True friends that is...

but let's not get started on that today.

Since January though,

Aniston tells me about all of her friends,

by name,

the instant she gets in the car.
She tells me how they played together,
how they ate snack together,
and she describes in detail what they wore that day.
Obviously,
that's very important.

I actually asked one of her teachers if one of the kids really existed because...

whoa,

there are some weird names out there.

That was then that her teacher told me that she has becoming way more social and active in class.

HALLELUJAH!

This is exactly what I wanted!

I want her to learn to befriend others,

and I want her to develop relationships with kids her own age.

It's a little tough for her since we manage a college men's apartment complex.

She has all of these friendships with guys who are 16-20 years older than her,

but that's a little weird to me and I want her to communicate more with kids her own age.
It's a little hard to break that habit because it's been this way her whole life.
When I was coaching she had 24 high school girls,
and some guys,
as her best friends.
Before she was in primary,
most of her "friends"  were mom and dad's friends.
That's seriously who she invited to her birthday parties.
But seems as though we are changing that habit.
Not breaking it completely,
because those friendships are still good to have,
just changing it a little.

Preschool was one way for her to develop the social skills that I feel are so important for young kids,

and lucky for us,

that seems to be working!

2. Learning

Before we started sending Aniston to preschool,

I would spend 20 minutes a day teaching her from home.

I loved doing it!
It was a fun and special time for the two of us.

But once Benson arrived,

it was really hard to find motivation and time to get focused.

Plus,

the longer that she attends preschool,

the more I realize that I was probably not the best teacher.

I think that when I was teaching her that I would gravitate towards things that I thought were interesting,

not necessarily what she should have been learning.

Although we focused on writing,

letters,

numbers,

I wasn't focusing on planets,

or Dr, Seuss,

and I didn't have theme weeks.

I know I wasn't doing an awful job,

but I know that she is learning more at the preschool outside of the home.

I know that I also get to learn as well.

Due to her increased knowledge on the planets,

I have learned all of the planets (minus Pluto)

and the order they are in.

Win-Win.

3. Communication Skills

Going to a preschool outside of the home has allowed Aniston to learn how to communicate better.

Not just with her fellow students,

but also with her teachers.

Adults.

She has learned how to properly address her teachers,

to listen to her teachers,

and to respect them.

She has also learned,

through show and tell and leadership roles that they offer,

how to respect her fellow students.

She has become a much better listener,

she focuses more,

and she has learned how to communicate properly when she is the one in front of the group speaking.

Although she is starting to reach out and be more active in class,
her teachers have told me that she is one of the quieter ones.

Spencer and I can both be quiet at times though.
It's not because we're shy or have RBF,
which people ALWAYS think is the case,
but we are observant people and like to take everything in.
I swear I remember the weirdest details about things because I'm so observant.
I think that Ani just takes after us in that way.

4. Opportunities

I try to get out and give my children so many different opportunities.

But it isn't always easy.

Once a month at Aniston's school they get to go on field trips.

She has gone apple picking,

to the park,

to the planetarium,

and next week they are going to the fire station.

She has had the opportunity to be a leader to her fellow classmates.

She has had the opportunity to try new things.

She has had the opportunity to ask for help.

She has had the opportunity to get dressed and ready for school everyday (unlike her brother and I who chill in pj's all day... my bad),

Of course she did just have a a wear your pajama's to school day...

She has had the opportunity to be responsible.

She has had the opportunity to allow her imagination to grow.

There are so many opportunities that her being enrolled in a preschool outside of the home has given her,

that would be really hard to do if she was still at home with me and Benson.

5. Personal Growth

I have seen so much personal growth from not only Aniston,

but for myself in this experience.

I have learned as a parent how to let go.

I have learned to trust others with my children. (THE HARDEST THING EVER)

I have learned to focus more on her and her day.

I have learned to offer help when she needs it.

I guess it's probably a little selfish to admit that I put Aniston in preschool,

2 hours a day,

for 2 days a week,

outside of them home partly for my own good.

But I truly feel like it has benefited her more than it has me.

It has allowed me to have 2 hours,

those 2 days,
 to focus more on her brother,

and it has allowed me to regroup and gather myself together if it's been a rough morning.

Aniston is writing her name,

learning to read,

and she is gaining so many skills that will help her so much in Kindergarten.

I have never,

not once,

regretted my decision to enroll Aniston in preschool at the age of 3.

6. Bonus

My bonus reason for sending her to preschool outside the home???

She gets NACHOS for snack sometimes!
Best.
Preschool.
Ever!

My suggestions for sending your child to preschool outside of the home and paying for it?

Look for a preschool program that is associated with an Elementary school.

I love that Aniston is getting a small taste of what school will be like when she starts kindergarten because her school is at an elementary school.

She has access to the school playground,

and bathrooms (so important to her),

and she gets to interact with older students at times.

They also tend to be on the cheaper side.

Our preschool program is actually ran and taught by an early childhood teacher from the University in town (BYU-Idaho),

as well as her students and interns in the program.

It's not just a job for them.

It's something that they truly love which makes a huge difference.

I am thankful for the opportunities that preschool has offered to Aniston,

and to our family.

To me,
it's really worth the money every month.

Here's to learning!