It seems the world is encouraging people/kids to learn the ABC's earlier, read sooner, learn to ride a bike earlier. But I can't help but wonder, what's the rush? Is there a huge benefit of learning ABCs at 2 instead of 3, or riding a bike without training wheels at 4 instead of 6? Am I missing something? Or can I just let my kids be kids for just a little while longer?
You are not alone ... I've been pondering the same thing lately! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou let your kids be kids!
ReplyDeleteI wonder the same thing. I find it very frustrating. Kind of like how in some circles, it's all about what percentage your kid is in for height & weight at a certain age. HEALTHY is what matters, not the fact that they're in the 90th percentile! (just an example;).
I can certainly say that there is more pressure on the younger grades today than when WE were in school. I'm both shocked and amazed and what my 1st grader is required to do. IN that regard, I can see how by preschool the kids are encouraged to know these things, and most kids go to preschool in today's day & age, unlike when we were kids. Still, push it on them SO MUCH and make it ALL they can do, and it seems like we're robbing them of part of the freedom that is childhood.
My 3yo spends far more time glued to his train tracks during the day than he does reciting the ABCs for me.
Excellent questions! One that without an answer, I say, "Let kids be kids." One Mom I know is struggling because she works and must have daycare for her children. But... her 3-year old is supposed to be 100% potty trained, yet he is not. Therefore he is not eligible for most programs / daycare options.
ReplyDeleteSo, I vote, "YES!!!", let you kids be kids just a while longer.
Amen, sister! That's why I hate when people ask me if Tristan's in pre-school. Why??? He's a baby (ok not a baby but you know).
ReplyDeleteNo he can't cut with scissors, no he can't peddle a bike (completely) himself, and no he's not 100% potty trained. I like it that way. LOL mostly
I think of it this way... the world is constantly growing and changing and our children must do the same.
ReplyDeleteToday's society has technology that we did not... Atari was as complicated as it got and if you were lucky enough to have a Commador 64 computer that was a big deal. Then came Nintendo and the rest is history. Fortunately many of these advancements have taken our world into the now where everything is at our fingertips. Including advancements for our children.
Basically, yes, children can remain children, however, if you want them to succeed further in life than you have they must keep up with the now, including doing bigger and better things than we ever did and in most cases that also means sooner. We didn't read at 5 because there weren't tools except chalk boards to teach us how to read back then and most people didn't have a chalk board in their house... now, there are heaps of other tools to help teach our children how to do these things better and sooner.
Just look at the working world compared to then and now. It was accepted and more of the norm for our parents to have colleagues who didn't go to college... NOW?! Forget it, it's assumed you WILL go to college cause try applying for a job today without a college degree, pretty tough. Heck, you have one and you're a stay at home mom. It was the way it is, you are going to continue your education regardless of whether you knew you'd be training your children as a living or not.
So, sure, life is fun, we have to make it fun, that's our job as parents. But it's also our job as parents to make sure that our children are doing everything they can to have as good of a life, if not better than we ever have and sometimes that just means doing things bigger, better and sooner.
Sure, Colby was potty trained at 20 months old, but he certainly never lost his 2 yr old years because of it, just means we could go and do things without the worry of diaper changes. And more imporantly the finances of buying diapers, and personally that's a much better scenario than a 4 year old in diapers anyday.
The average child these days is in preschool regardless of whether their parent is home or not thus they will learn and grow with their peers, if their peers are doing more, children will rise to the challenge as well. Human nature, we're all a bit competitive at heart and it's just prep for the real world because you know what... you're right, they aren't kids for long and thus they'll be engulfed in it all sooner than you think, might as well empower them to step up while you've got them in your care!