Homegrown kids

[LittleLightShining]

Anyone want to point me to some bonafide studies that prove children are better off with their parents than in preschool?

 

[dannno]

Massive Study Finds Pre-School and Early Child Education Initiatives Show No Benefit
Other studies found marked negative effects from preschool including brain chemistry damage, aggression, negative social and emotional development, illness

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07083104.html




http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/7616


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/01/MNGG3FH6VD1.DTL


http://www.miaeyc.org/News/HowMuchIsTooMuch.pdf

 

[LittleLightShining]

Thank you, thank you!

 

[DamianTV]

Depends on the parent. If you have a parent that just sits at home, smokes crack, and pays absolutely no attention to their kids, they are better off in preschool. However, if the parent is responsible, does their best to teach their kids, interact with them, play with them and helps them to grow, the one on one attention is always going to be a hundred times better than paying a total stranger to divide their time between your kid and a hundred other kids.

 

[MelissaWV]

It depends on the parent, but it also depends on the "preschool." This comes back around to the same arguments that are used about home schooling. Some preschools really do help teach some fundamental things, and with parents having to work, there is an unfortunate limit on how much time a parent has to spend with a child. My mother taught for years and years at schools that got kids started on their reading and writing (yes, in preschool) and foreign language skills (only at some schools, and only after gaining parental consent and input as to what languages to speak, etc.). The schools even got into some pretty interesting cultural backgrounds, with parents coming in and sharing their stories, foods, etc. It was more of a community.

There are too many schools that are babysitting services. You drop your child off, they go running around with whatever insane little monsters are already there, and some of those children are literally there all day. There was one place open near where I used to live that was open until MIDNIGHT. Please tell me what a four year old is doing outside the home or a family/friend's home at midnight? Ever? It's ridiculous. Oh I know: mommy has to work the late shift at wherever. I'm sure they also have early shifts. I'm sure there are other places to work. I'm sure you have family members or friends or in-house people who can watch your child sleep.

There are places that do not clean, places that teach children to "never ever ever" defend themselves, to speak quietly at all times, to never run, and to be kind to strangers. Yes, you heard the last one correctly. Remember when you were growing up and they said to be wary of stranger danger? No more! We're supposed to be kind to them. Listen to authority, as well.

My mother stopped teaching because she was in her 50's and was being overrun with the new schooling. She had to have someone with her at all times, even when assisting a child who'd soiled themselves, because the worry was if a teacher was alone with a student, especially in a bathroom, the child might say something to the parent, and the parent might sue. Things like that happen. "So and so changed my underwear" turns into inappropriate touches. It's a wonder the infants (yes, infants were brought into the schools by the end of it) and special needs (yes) children didn't also protest at having their diapers changed. It is, after all, highly inappropriate touching!

A woman in her 50's who is used to looking after small children shouldn't have to be forced into lugging around 8 year old wheelchair-bound children with no motor or bowel control. The school at that time, though, received an awful lot more money by having those children there. The playgrounds were changed. Mobile games like Tag or Hide-n-Seek were discouraged, because not everyone could take part equally. I Spy was encouraged, which is great and all, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I guess the point is: Can you provide time and instruction for your children? Will they be supervised appropriately? Will whoever is supervising them follow your wishes (in or outside the home)? Will they see a bit of the world and make a friend or two?

P.S. - If you are going to homeschool (or groupschool, where parents pool their time and knowledge), please make sure someone in the house knows CPR Lots of people overlook this, and depending on 9-1-1 isn't the wisest. Childcare professionals generally get certified, and classes are cheap/free.

 

[asimplegirl]

Around here almost all preschools, and alot of kindergarten classes are just babysitters.

The kids learn nothing except how to cuss and be rude. That's all..It is a free babysitter.

 

[priest_of_syrinx]

I can testify that I wish to this day my parents (who are awesome) would have never sent me to preschool, but had just kept me at home for an extra year so I could actually learn for one extra year. I absolutely hated preschool, but what was I to say about it? I knew that I loved my parents more than my teachers or classmates, but how could I recognize that when I was 5?

 

[asimplegirl]

I never went to preschool, but my brother did. And, I tell you what he learned some BAD stuff there. (We lived in the middle of Baton Rouge then)

 

[LittleLightShining]

I'm not really looking for advice about keeping kids home, I'm looking for peer-reviewed studies which show that children fare better in a home environment, under the care of a guardian or even in a private day care setting than they do in structured early-ed or preschool programs. I already know where I stand but I'm discussing this with someone who will not hear any argument that the benefits of public early education programs clearly outweigh the negatives. This person is an extremely biased progressive Democrat and will accept nothing less than a peer-reviewed study

 

[asimplegirl]

oh. LOL. Did you get what you needed?

 

[LittleLightShining]

oh. LOL. Did you get what you needed?

Yes and no. Anything I offer is dismissed as from "biased sources".

 

[asimplegirl]

That is how it always goes. ::rollseyes::

 

[nate895]

You know government is huge when it can violate the laws of common sense and get away with it.

 

[angelatc]

Yes and no. Anything I offer is dismissed as from "biased sources".

LOL - but her sources are obviously as pure as the driven snow....right?

 

[LittleLightShining]

LOL - but her sources are obviously as pure as the driven snow....right?

She won't offer any sources because I was the one that made the assertion that kids are better off at home or in some other unstructured setting with a caring guardian.

 

[MelissaWV]

Simple.

Change it to stating that your kids are better off, and then leave it at that. Challenging your parenting ability and decision-making, directly and individually, is either going to be beyond this person, or they're flat-out going to do it and you can write them off as a complete lunatic rather than a pitiable partisan.

 

[LittleLightShining]

Simple.

Change it to stating that your kids are better off, and then leave it at that. Challenging your parenting ability and decision-making, directly and individually, is either going to be beyond this person, or they're flat-out going to do it and you can write them off as a complete lunatic rather than a pitiable partisan.

We were discussing our state's budget woes. Last year the legislature approved a $25m early-ed program. It was supposed to be analyzed for effectiveness before it was expanded. Instead they increased the size of the program. I was arguing that they never should have expanded it as it violated the premise on which it was passed in the first place. I would even go so far as to say to cut the program since it has only been one year since it started but she was arguing the benefits of state early-ed daycare.