4 year old wants to go to school

Dear parent,

Such a decision is not a free one at any age. All the suggestion from other people and the school visibility makes it impossible for your child to have a grasp on reality about school. It may be a good idea to take him to school to watch children sitting in class and being told things. Choose to visit third of fourth grade when they have a regular class and he may fall out of love with his image of it. 

I also suggest that you move to another neighborhood and ask your friends and relatives to drop the subject. Be as assertive as you would be if your friends seduced your child to use drugs. We must protect our children from exposure to anything we don’t see as nurturing to them, and we must do so with conviction and clarity.

In addition, tell your son what you think of schooling, what actually occurs there, what his day would look like, starting from getting up when he is still tired, to rushing and being away from home and from you for hours... being told what to do all day etc. 

When my children expressed any desire to go to school, I gave them some facts and their interest faded away easily. Eventually they asked me why other kids go there and I said, “They have no choice, their parents work away from home. You are one of the lucky ones that you can stay free at home.” 

Warmly, Naomi Aldort, http://authenticparent.com/