DAILY SNACK
Here’s a thought that can serve no purpose other than to stir up trouble,
But I’ve already thought it,
So here goes.
Doesn’t it bother you working parents when stay-at-home parents get all up in arms about the government instituting full-day kindergarten?
Doesn’t it bother you when they shake their fists and say that four and five year olds are too young to be in a structured, institutional evironment for six and a half hours at a time?
When they insist that the best thing for their children is to spend most of their day hanging out at home and at the park and tagging along with mom or dad?
(But not for yours, of course, because you do what you feel is right for yours and I’ll do what I feel is right for mine and there’s no judgement at all. Your kids are used to being away from home anyway, so it’s no big deal for them. But shouldn’t there be choices for parents who really love stay at home with their kids?)
Just asking because it would bother me.
Maybe that’s because I know that in choosing to not pursue typical full-time employment I do consider where I want my children spending the bulk of their time. The truth is that I want to keep them close because I think that is best for them. (I also kind of loathe keeping 9 – 5 office hours and working for anyone else in general, so that tips the scales too.)
But, really, an extra couple hours of kindergarten at age four? When other children have been in full-time daycare from 12 months of age or younger and seem perfectly happy, well-adjusted and capable?
No, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.
* * *
And just to be clear on my personal preferences regarding child care and full-time work, let me say this. While full-time day care is not my first preference, if anyone were to see fit to donate the services of a part-time caregiver I would take them up on it in a heartbeat.
In a heartbeat.
Which is not to say that I actually want anyone to pay for my child care, but rather to illustrate that while the decision to not place my children in full-time day care is not based purely on financial considerations, my current lack of a regular part-time child care solution is one hundred per cent about money.
smiling on me because they so aptly illustrated that point by having my children pull me away from the post I was composing. I left my computer with such haste that I failed to save my work. My browser then crashed and all is lost.