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Alliston Herald
Parents could use time to volunteer in schools

February 08, 2010 14:02

Re: Kindergarten letter posted on barrieadvance.com Feb 4/2010

In response to the letter suggesting "full-time stay-at-home mothers/parents are being penalized for the full-time kindergarten program," I too am a stay-at-home mother of two children with my own observations on this issue.

Full-time kindergarten starts at four years old and is voluntary. Children in Ontario by the age of six must be registered in an education program - public, Catholic, private or homeschooled.  

You will still have plenty of time to "play with and tickle" them until then.  Also many European countries - England, Ireland and Germany, to name a few - start full-time kindergarten at age four.

These countries produce smart, well-adjusted children and so will we in Ontario under this new full-time kindergarten program.

As well our public schools are in desperate need for stay-at-home parents to volunteer in the classrooms, on school councils and in school programs. You could use this "extra time" to support your children's education by volunteering while your child is at school.

My experience has been that children who learn to develop some healthy social skills, such as trusting other adults like teachers, and being somewhat independent of their parents are stronger students academically.

Both my children attended part-time preschool in preparation for kindergarten. My children's reports cards over the past few years indicate that they are above average students academically and socially.

We stay-at-home parents have the hours before breakfast, after school and evening meals as well as weekends to "play with and tickle" our children all we want.  

I believe that my role as a parent is to nurture, support and prepare my children to go out in this world and take care of themselves without me. This full-time kindergarten program is just one of many steps to help them achieve that goal.

Andrea Martin
Barrie

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